Your organisation faces existing and new complexities. Interdependent processes. Cross-functional challenges. The constant need to align diverse teams across different domains, hierarchies, and backgrounds.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
Why Now?
Gartner’s recent analysis puts it plainly: business complexity is increasing. Traditional approaches to problem-solving, strategy, and innovation aren’t keeping pace. That’s why they’ve just added LEGO® Serious Play® to their 2024 Innovation Practices Hype Cycle.
(source Gartner)
The timing couldn’t be better. In a world where:
– 77% of organisations struggle with upskilling their workforce
– Teams are more diverse and distributed than ever
– Traditional meetings leave most voices unheard
– Innovation fatigue is real
Something different is needed.
The Birth of a Solution
In the late 1990s, The LEGO Group faced its own existential crisis. While helping their organisation navigate this challenging period, Executive Johan Roos and Professor Bart Victor discovered something remarkable: using LEGO® bricks to solve complex business problems unlocked new ways of thinking.
This discovery led to the development of LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) – a methodology that would revolutionise how organisations approach their biggest challenges.
From Experimental to Essential
Fast forward to 2024, and Gartner has just added LEGO® Serious Play® to their Innovation Practices Hype Cycle. This recognition confirms what forward-thinking organisations have known for years: sometimes the most serious business challenges need a seemingly playful solution.
Why It Works: Beyond the Science
As certified facilitators, we’ve seen firsthand what Gartner’s analysis confirms: LEGO® Serious Play® breaks down multiple barriers simultaneously – language, hierarchy, communication styles, and cultural backgrounds.
Here’s what makes it uniquely powerful:
1. Equal Voice, Equal Bricks
When everyone has the same bricks, something remarkable happens. The CEO’s bricks are exactly the same as the newest team member’s. This physical equality translates into psychological safety – a crucial factor Gartner identifies for successful innovation.
2. Unlocking Hidden Potential
Gartner notes that LSP “stimulates different brain areas that are untapped during many other thinking-only activities.” We’ve witnessed this countless times – participants discovering capabilities they never knew they had, simply because they’re engaging different parts of their brain.
3. Making Complexity Tangible
In our facilitation experience, we’ve seen teams tackle challenges they’d been stuck on for months. Why? Because, as Gartner observes, LSP offers “a tangible, hands-on approach to problem solving, enabling participants to visualize, communicate and explore ideas in a simple way.”
Why It Works (The Science Bit)
When you build with your hands, you tap into neural pathways that traditional meetings can’t reach. It’s called constructionism – learning through making. Add the power of metaphor and storytelling, and suddenly:
– Abstract ideas become tangible
– Complex problems become manageable
– Hidden perspectives emerge
– Real dialogue happens
The Power of Transformation
Through our facilitation experience, we’ve seen firsthand how LEGO® Serious Play® opens minds and transforms thinking. A simple brick becomes a metaphor for complex change. A small model evolves into a breakthrough strategy. Time and again, we’ve watched as teams move from skepticism to revelation as the methodology unlocks their collective potential.
What Actually Happens in a Session?
Picture this: Your team enters a room. On the tables are LEGO® bricks – not for building pretty models, but for solving real business challenges.
A certified facilitator (we are certified) guides the group through a structured process:
1. A clear challenge is presented
2. Everyone builds their response in LEGO®
3. Each person shares their model’s story
4. The team discovers connections and insights
5. Solutions emerge through shared understanding
No PowerPoint. No death by Excel. Just clear thinking and concrete results.
Real Impact: What the Data Shows
Gartner’s analysis reveals that organisations using LEGO® Serious Play® see:
– Maximised resource efficiency
– Better understanding of complex problems
– Active participation from all team members
– Broken down hierarchical barriers
Our facilitation experience backs this up. We’ve seen:
– Teams resolve months of conflict in a single session
– Departments discover innovative solutions hiding in plain sight
– Leadership teams gain profound new insights into their organisation’s potential
Here’s where LEGO® Serious Play® makes the difference:
Strategic Planning
Traditional approach: A few leaders present slides. Everyone else nods.
LSP approach: Every voice contributes. Real alignment emerges. Strategy becomes visible and owned by all.
Innovation
Traditional approach: The usual suspects dominate brainstorming.
LSP approach: Everyone builds solutions. Unexpected ideas surface. Innovation flows naturally.
Team Development
Traditional approach: Generic exercises that feel forced.
LSP approach: Authentic connections form. Real issues surface. Teams actually gel.
Change Management
Traditional approach: Top-down communication meets bottom-up resistance.
LSP approach: People build their understanding of change. Concerns surface safely. Solutions emerge collectively.
Real Transformations
We’ve facilitated sessions where:
– A team resolved months of conflict in a single afternoon
– A struggling department discovered innovative solutions hiding in plain sight
– Leadership teams gained profound new insights into their organisation’s potential
– Diverse teams found common ground they never knew existed
Making It Work: Key Success Factors
Drawing from both Gartner’s research and our facilitation experience, here’s what makes LSP successful:
1. Clear Goals: Every session needs specific objectives and desired outcomes
2. Professional Facilitation: Work with certified facilitators who understand the methodology’s depth
3. Proper Environment: Give the process the time and space it needs
4. Serious Follow-through: Capture insights and translate them into action
The Business Case
Organisations using LEGO® Serious Play® report:
– 80% better engagement in strategic planning
– 100% participation in team sessions
– Significant reduction in time to reach consensus
– Lasting solutions that stick because everyone helped build them
Getting Started
Three essential elements for success:
1. Work with certified facilitators who understand the methodology’s depth (we are!)
2. Give the process proper time – this isn’t a quick fix
3. Start with a clear business challenge that matters
The Bottom Line
In a world where organisations struggle with engagement, innovation, and alignment, LEGO® Serious Play® offers something different. It’s not about playing with bricks – it’s about solving real business problems in a way that engages everyone, surfaces real insights, and builds lasting solutions.
As Gartner’s recognition shows, and as we’ve seen countless times in our facilitation work, this isn’t just another business fad. It’s a proven methodology that’s helping organisations worldwide break through their biggest challenges.
Ready to transform how your organisation tackles its toughest problems? The bricks are waiting.
What Next?
Book a discovery session with our certified facilitators to see how LEGO® Serious Play® can help your organisation break through its biggest challenges. Because in a world of endless meetings and digital overload, sometimes the best way forward is to build it.
Cognitive Union is a progressive, boutique learning and performance consultancy. We work with forward-thinking businesses. Transforming their people. Shaping their culture. Helping them embrace change and take on the world. Find this blog useful? Sign up to our email newsletter (bottom of this page) where you can receive articles like this and other insights (not publically published), and you can also follow us on LinkedIn.