10 Mistakes Coaches Make When Using LEGO® Serious Play® (And How to Avoid Them)
LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) is a powerful and engaging methodology for coaching, team facilitation, and leadership development.
Whether you're using it for one-to-one coaching, team workshops, or strategic offsites, it helps unlock insight, build psychological safety, and drive action. However, even experienced coaches and facilitators can fall into traps that dilute the impact of their sessions.
Here are ten common mistakes to avoid when using LEGO® Serious Play® in coaching and facilitation, along with practical tips to improve your practice. Whether you’re newly certified or an experienced practitioner, these reminders can help you deliver more impactful experiences.
1. Skipping the Warm-Up Activities
The mistake:
Some coaches dive straight into deep or emotionally charged builds without helping participants get comfortable with the process. This often results in hesitation, self-consciousness, or shallow storytelling.
How to avoid it:
Always include one or two skills-building exercises at the start. Simple prompts like “build the tallest tower you can in one minute” or “build a model of a great team” serve two purposes. First, they break the ice. Second, they introduce key techniques like metaphor, storytelling, and meaning-making, which are essential to the LEGO® Serious Play® method.
2. Not Setting Clear Objectives
The mistake:
Without a clear purpose, LEGO® Serious Play® sessions can feel unstructured or random. This can lead to disengagement, especially with sceptical or time-poor participants.
How to avoid it:
Always clarify the objective before you begin. Are you using LEGO® Serious Play® for team alignment, personal reflection, or surfacing hidden blockers in a project? Make the purpose clear in your session design, and explain it upfront so participants understand the value.
3. Focusing Too Much on the Bricks, Not the Story
The mistake:
Treating LEGO® Serious Play® as a building activity rather than a tool for reflection and insight. This often happens when coaches focus too much on what was built rather than what it represents.
How to avoid it:
Shift the emphasis to storytelling. The magic of LEGO® Serious Play® lies in the narrative. Ask participants to describe what their model means, not just what it looks like. Use follow-up prompts like “Tell me about this part” or “What does this element represent for you?”
4. Letting One Person Dominate the Discussion
The mistake:
In group settings, louder voices can take over, leaving quieter participants unheard. This undermines the method’s ability to surface diverse perspectives.
How to avoid it:
Use structured turn-taking. Ask each person to share their model before opening up group discussion. This helps ensure that every voice is heard and respected. LEGO® Serious Play® was designed to level the playing field, your facilitation should reinforce that.
5. Not Managing Time Effectively
The mistake:
Sessions can feel rushed or drag on unnecessarily if time is not carefully managed. This impacts energy levels and overall engagement.
How to avoid it:
Set clear time boundaries for each build and each round of sharing. Use a timer to keep things on track and let participants know how much time they have. This helps people focus and keeps momentum high.
6. Failing to Adapt to Different Learning Styles
The mistake:
Assuming that everyone will respond the same way to building prompts or storytelling techniques.
How to avoid it:
Incorporate a variety of ways to reflect and respond. Some people think best while building. Others need time to think before they touch the bricks. Offer silent reflection before building, use visual metaphors to guide prompts, or encourage sketching alongside LEGO® Serious Play® models when needed.
7. Overcomplicating the Exercises
The mistake:
Using prompts that are too vague or too abstract, which can lead to confusion or disengagement.
How to avoid it:
Keep your instructions simple and specific. For example, “Build your biggest challenge as a leader” is easier to grasp than “Build your leadership essence in abstract form.” You can layer complexity later in the session, but start with something accessible.
8. Ignoring Emotional Responses
The mistake:
Overlooking or moving past emotional insights that surface during storytelling. This can shut down valuable exploration and reflection.
How to avoid it:
Acknowledge emotions with curiosity and care. If someone shares a strong emotional response, pause to explore it. Questions like “What part of the model holds the strongest feeling for you?” or “What does this tell you about where you are right now?” can deepen the insight.
9. Not Capturing Insights and Next Steps
The mistake:
Letting the session end without turning the stories and models into action. This risks making the session feel interesting but not useful.
How to avoid it:
Always build in time to capture key takeaways. Use photos, sticky notes, or a visual canvas to summarise themes. Ask each participant or team to reflect on their next steps. This helps anchor the learning and ensures the work continues beyond the session.
10. Using LEGO® Serious Play® as a One-Time Activity
The mistake:
Treating LEGO® Serious Play® as a one-off novelty rather than a valuable, repeatable tool in your coaching or facilitation toolkit.
How to avoid it:
Integrate LEGO® Serious Play® across a coaching journey or leadership programme. You might use it for goal setting, reflecting on progress, exploring team dynamics, or visualising strategy. The more you use it, the more natural and impactful it becomes for your clients.
Avoiding these common pitfalls can help you run more effective and transformative LEGO® Serious Play® coaching sessions. Whether you are newly certified or deepening your practice, remember that the method is only as powerful as the facilitation behind it.
If you’re looking to sharpen your skills or get certified in LEGO® Serious Play®, consider training with a provider who goes beyond the basics. Look for programmes that combine rigour with real-world application, so you can confidently bring the method into your coaching, team development, or leadership work.
Looking to master LEGO® Serious Play®?
At The Brick Coach, we offer a comprehensive online LEGO® Serious Play® training designed for coaches, facilitators, and learning designers.
