Workshop Smarts: LEGO® Serious Play® vs. Traditional Methods in Action

Facilitating real change starts with choosing the right workshop format. As workplaces become more dynamic and the demand for innovation grows, facilitators are rethinking their approach. However, one question keeps popping up: how does LEGO® Serious Play® vs traditional workshops compare in delivering lasting value?

At Play4Business, we know both formats have merit. Yet, the results speak volumes when you explore how each supports creative thinking, team cohesion, and real-world business strategy.

The Usual Suspects: What Traditional Workshops Offer

Traditional facilitation methods often rely on verbal discussion, note-taking, and group consensus. Whether it’s whiteboards, slide decks, or breakout rooms, the structure is familiar:

• SWOT analysis
• Brainstorming rounds
• Process mapping
• Strategic reviews

These methods often follow conventional research methods or qualitative research methods when analyzing insights. They’re great for info-sharing, though they are often less effective when you need everyone at the table actively building new ideas. Additionally, the loudest voice sometimes dominates, while others fade into the background.

Enter LEGO® Serious Play®: A Method That Builds Participation

With the LEGO® Serious Play® Method, we move from talk to action. Instead of passively absorbing content, participants build, share, and reflect.

Participants use LEGO® bricks—coloured bricks, specifically—to create metaphor-rich individual models that evolve into collaborative 3D models reflecting real issues, strategies, and solutions. These hands-on exercises encourage:

• Equal participation
• Psychological safety
• Creative problem-solving
• Insight through metaphor and storytelling

Moreover, it taps into transformation knowledge, revealing deep stocks of knowledge and assumptions held by individuals. It transforms abstract thoughts into visual metaphors through the building process.

Comparison Breakdown: Inclusion & Communication

Traditional Workshops:

• Heavily reliant on verbal expression
• Hierarchies can suppress open feedback
• Surface-level insights often prevail

LEGO® Serious Play® Workshops:

• Visual storytelling and metaphor deepen understanding
• Every voice counts—literally
• Builds effective communication across departments
• Supports social interaction and participatory interactions on a human level

The method is especially effective for industries like the hospitality industry and real estate industry, where collaboration between frontline employees and leadership is key.

Comparison Breakdown: Engagement & Retention

Traditional sessions can be passive. On the other hand, LEGO® Serious Play® boosts energy by engaging both hands and minds. It’s an active learning format that:

• Fosters collaboration
• Enhances memory retention
• Encourages long-term thinking

This learning experience encourages creativity and reflection. Furthermore, it’s been shown to improve outcomes even in emerging fields like human-robot interaction and smart services, according to findings by Zenk et al.

Comparison Breakdown: Outcomes & Strategy Alignment

Traditional methods tend to yield documents, checklists, and to-do lists. While those are important, they’re not always remembered.

LEGO® Serious Play® sessions produce:

• Physical artifacts of shared vision
• Clear, visual action models
• Alignment with Business Model Canvas & Value Proposition Design frameworks
• Better modeling of mental models that teams carry into decisions

This is vital in addressing complex issues with creative methods that support creative output and align with ethical issues across industries.

When Traditional Still Works

There’s a time and place for traditional formats. Short syncs, update meetings, and compliance sessions? These are moments to keep things simple.

But if your goal is to:

• Break down silos
• Create buy-in across functions
• Explore complex business contexts or product lifecycles
• Support innovation in human resource management

…then LEGO® Serious Play® is the better match.

Use Case Spotlight: Hong Kong Product Team

A product development team in Hong Kong turned to LEGO® Serious Play® after hitting a creative wall. Their traditional planning workshops left too many unknowns.

After shifting to LSP:

• They visualized customer pathways
• Built bold solutions around real constraints and potential risks
• Fostered better cross-department collaboration

The result? A 2-month acceleration in their product development cycle and clearer risk perception for the team’s next big launch.

Skills That Make a Difference

As a facilitator, it’s not just about the method—it’s about mastering it. Our Advanced Trainings equip professionals with:

• Practical facilitation skills
• Insight into reflective practice
• Strategies for handling Agile project conversations
• Knowledge on guiding progressive teams through the coding process of discovery and planning

We draw from institutions like Royal Roads University, Pepperdine University, and CETYS University, and from the growing research base on platforms like 2008-2025 ResearchGate and publications like the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Why Now?

Business today moves fast. Teams are global. Priorities change. To meet the moment, we need facilitation formats that:

• Engage fully
• Build communication skills
• Support scalable, adaptable frameworks

LEGO® Serious Play® meets these needs—brick by brick.

Conclusion: Choose a Workshop that Works

When comparing LEGO® Serious Play® vs traditional workshops, the biggest takeaway is this: if your goal is to inspire, engage, and drive innovative thinking, LSP delivers more impact.

Interested in taking your facilitation to the next level?

and become the leader who builds clarity and creativity in every room.

Play4Business is transitioning all services, content, and workshops to our new home at Serious Play Business. Visit us there to stay updated and continue your LEGO® Serious Play® Method journey.