Systemic Coaching and LEGO® Serious Play®: A Perfect Match?

Systemic coaching takes a holistic approach to understanding individuals and teams within the wider system they operate in. It acknowledges that challenges are rarely isolated and that a client’s behaviours, beliefs, and decisions are deeply influenced by their relationships, organisational structures, and external environments.

But how do we make these invisible dynamics visible? Enter LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP)—a hands-on methodology that enables coaches and facilitators to explore systemic patterns, relationships, and deeper insights in a tangible way.

In this article, we’ll explore why LEGO® Serious Play® and systemic coaching are a perfect match, and how you can integrate them into your coaching practice.

What is Systemic Coaching?

Systemic coaching is rooted in the belief that individuals are interconnected with their broader environment—whether that’s an organisation, family, or social system. Rather than focusing solely on the individual, systemic coaching helps clients explore:

• The patterns of interaction influencing their thoughts and behaviours.

• The hidden dynamics shaping team and organisational performance.

• The wider system’s impact on personal and professional development.

By shifting the lens from the individual to the system, clients can gain greater awareness, identify leverage points for change, and make more effective decisions.

Why LEGO® Serious Play® is a Game-Changer for Systemic Coaching

LEGO® Serious Play® is an ideal tool for systemic coaching because it enables clients to externalise complex ideas, visualise relationships, and explore different perspectives in a safe and engaging way. Here’s why it works so well:

1. Making the Invisible Visible

Systemic issues—such as team dynamics, organisational culture, or leadership struggles—are often intangible and difficult to articulate. LEGO® Serious Play® provides a physical, visual representation of these challenges, making it easier for clients to understand and address them.

For example, a team coach working with a leadership team might ask them to build a model of how communication flows within their organisation. The resulting models reveal bottlenecks, gaps, and hidden power structures that verbal discussions alone may not uncover.

2. Exploring Multiple Perspectives

Systemic coaching encourages clients to consider different perspectives within their ecosystem. LEGO® Serious Play® supports this by enabling participants to build and share models that reflect their unique viewpoints, fostering empathy, mutual understanding, and constructive dialogue.

A coach working with an executive might use LSP to help them explore how their leadership style is perceived by different stakeholders. By building separate models for how they see themselves versus how they believe others see them, leaders gain new insights into alignment (or misalignment) within their system.

3. Uncovering Patterns & Systemic Traps

In systemic coaching, patterns of behaviour and organisational structures often hold the key to unlocking deeper challenges. LEGO® Serious Play® allows these patterns to emerge naturally, helping coaches guide their clients toward systemic insights.

For example, a team experiencing high turnover might use LSP to build models representing the employee experience within the organisation. By analysing the models, they might discover that a lack of psychological safetyor unclear career progression is contributing to disengagement.

4. Encouraging Safe, Honest Conversations

Systemic coaching often involves navigating sensitive topics and entrenched power dynamics. LEGO® Serious Play® provides a neutral platform for discussion, shifting focus from the person to the model. This enables more open, constructive conversations without the fear of personal attack.

For instance, in a conflict resolution session, asking team members to build their experience of the conflict helps externalise frustrations in a way that feels less confrontational, leading to greater empathy and collaborative problem-solving.

5. Prototyping & Experimenting with Change

A key principle in systemic coaching is that small shifts in the system can lead to significant change. LEGO® Serious Play® allows clients to test out potential solutions, visualise future scenarios, and assess the impact of changes before implementing them.

A coach facilitating an organisational change workshop might ask leaders to prototype different future states of their company. This hands-on exploration helps them identify risks, challenges, and success factors in a tangible way.

How to Use LEGO® Serious Play® in Systemic Coaching Sessions

Step 1: Define the System & Key Question

• Identify the system in focus: Is it a team, organisation, leadership group, or external ecosystem?

• Establish the key coaching question: Examples include:

  • "What is shaping our current team dynamics?"

  • "Where are the hidden blocks in our organisational structure?"

  • "How can we create a more aligned leadership culture?"

Step 2: Build the System

• Ask participants to build individual models that represent their role in the system.

• Encourage them to connect their models to reflect relationships, challenges, and influences.

• Facilitate storytelling around the models, helping uncover hidden patterns and insights.

Step 3: Identify Systemic Forces & Patterns

• Use guided coaching questions to explore the system:

  • "What connections are strong or weak?"

  • "Where are the tensions or bottlenecks?"

  • "What external forces are shaping this system?"

Step 4: Prototype Future Changes

• Ask participants to modify or rebuild their models to represent a more ideal system.

• Facilitate discussions around the required changes and potential impacts.

• Co-create an action plan based on the insights gathered.

Real-World Applications of LEGO® Serious Play® in Systemic Coaching

LEGO® Serious Play® is being used by coaches and facilitators worldwide in various systemic coaching contexts:

• Organisational Development – Visualising company culture and aligning leadership teams.

• Team Coaching – Strengthening collaboration, psychological safety, and communication.

• Executive Coaching – Helping leaders understand their systemic influence.

• Change Management – Prototyping transformation strategies and addressing resistance.

• Conflict Resolution – Creating safe spaces for difficult conversations.

Getting Started with LEGO® Serious Play® in Systemic Coaching

If you’re a coach, facilitator, or consultant looking to integrate LEGO® Serious Play® into your systemic coaching practice, here’s how to start:

1. Get Trained & Certified – Learn facilitation techniques that align with systemic coaching principles.

2. Experiment with Small Exercises – Introduce LSP in exploratory sessions before scaling up.

3. Blend with Other Systemic Tools – Use LSP alongside constellation work, design thinking, or agile frameworks.

4. Tailor Sessions to Specific Client Needs – Adapt exercises based on team or organisational challenges.

At The Brick Coach, we offer a comprehensive online LEGO® Serious Play® training tailored for coaches, facilitators, and L&D professionals. Learn how to use this methodology to unlock deep systemic insights and drive transformation from anywhere in the world.

Join our next cohort →

Systemic coaching and LEGO® Serious Play® are a powerful combination that enables coaches to visualise complexity, explore patterns, and facilitate transformative conversations.

By integrating LSP into your systemic coaching practice, you can help clients gain clarity, improve team dynamics, and drive meaningful change.

Ready to take your coaching practice to the next level? Join our online LEGO® Serious Play® training today!

Sign up now →