Using LEGO to solve organisational and social problems

Believe it or not, Lego can do more than just keep children occupied for hours, or make for a pretty entertaining TV show. Lego are actually a great tool for communication for social change, and one that we love to use in our community workshops. Based on research which shows that hands-on, minds-on learning produces a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the world and its possibilities, Lego developed their SERIOUS PLAY® methodology. The method was designed to deepen the reflection process of individuals and support an effective dialogue for everyone within an organisation, but proponents of the Serious Play methodology find that it has applications for communication and storytelling well beyond the world of business.

“You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than you can from a lifetime of conversation”

Plato

Over the past 12 months, we’ve held a number of workshops with impact-driven groups of all sizes and backgrounds, working across the health, humanitarian, academic, and emergency services sectors, all having great success using the LEGO Serious Play methodology.

Typically, we would use the method to get participants to share their own stories as changemakers; what has influenced them, and what they are passionate about, before working in groups to visualise the world that we want to create as changemakers. If participants were asked to simply answer those questions verbally, they likely wouldn’t have the confidence or creativity to really show the group the meaning, metaphors, and stories behind each element of their creation. Similarly, throwing around ideas as a group typically aren’t as inclusive or fruitful as when each participant produces a physical manifestation of their ideas and equally contributes to their group’s model.   

There are a number of ways we find that LEGO Serious Play can be the perfect methodology for workshops across the social change space:

People with lived experience, or people on the frontline of an issue can use the serious play method to make sense of their experiences and visualise and share them with practicioners.

Development workers working with children or adults where language or verbal communication might be a barrier can use the serious play method to allow participants to share their experiences, idea, or vision for the future.

Activists can use the serious play method as a way of developing new ideas, tactics, or strategies when a campaign faces a roadblock. 

How could you use Lego Serious Play in your work as a changemaker?