'Play is not just for children': Cork lecturer helping adults unlock 'creative potential' with Lego

Facing a problem at work, or in any part of your life, that you can’t quite get your head around?

Then perhaps it’s time to get out your kids’ Lego bricks and take a look at things from a different perspective.

That’s the advice from UCC’s Dr Briony Supple, who is trained in a methodology called LEGO® Serious Play (LSP), which uses the world-famous bricks to encourage creative thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and communication.

Now, as part of LEO Cork City’s Local Enterprise Week, the Melbourne native and senior lecturer in Design Thinking at the School of Education in UCC is hosting a free workshop, organised by the Local Enterprise Office, which will help adults learn from Lego – one brick at a time.

LSP was developed by the Lego group out of a dissatisfaction with the outcome of strategic meetings, so they used their own bricks as a tool to enable its people to come up with innovative solutions.

Dr Supple first came across LSP in 2018.

“I was at a conference in Sweden and I saw there was a teaching and learning session on LSP which I had never even heard of before that,” she recalled.

“There were people there from different countries and different backgrounds, but through Lego we were able to identify common challenges we all faced, and come up with solutions.

“We were able to go very deep, very quickly into complex topics – and in a really fun way!

“It was fascinating – I was hooked instantly!”

She became an LSP facilitator in 2021, and then became a facilitator trainer in 2023.

“I use it within the university in my teaching, but I also work across many different industries,” said Dr Supple.

“It’s all about asking ourselves how we can do things differently and getting all the voices in the room participating, talking constructively and collaboratively.”

The format of a workshop is based on a series of challenges set as questions, a visual response to these through the building with Lego, and then the sharing of stories.

“Sometimes, at meetings it’s the loudest voice that tends to get heard. But I’ve found that people find a safety blanket in what they’ve built and which they can speak about.

“It’s a very powerful and inclusive thing.”

Some attendees have never played with Lego before, said Dr Supple.

“And some say ‘they’re no good at it’.

One of the principles in the workshop is ‘don’t have a meeting with yourself’, but to just get building, - as adults we tend to overthink things so much!

“The power is in the metaphor and storytelling: a single brick, for example, can represent a whole host of concepts.

“It’s not really about the build itself but the ownership of the story by the participants.”

Those attending workshops will always leave with a key action, or something tangible; this is the ‘serious’ part of LSP.

“People are very open to the idea, and the very few I’ve encountered who started out being sceptical have left admitting they’d had more constructive conversation over Lego, than before.”

LSP, Dr Supple highlighted, encourages divergent thinking, experimentation, and also bold creativity.

“It removes traditional hierarchies, creating a space where all ideas have equal weight.

“This approach is especially beneficial for fostering innovation in multidisciplinary teams or addressing complex systems.”

It’s not just the novelty of using Lego that gets the brain firing on all cylinders either, there’s actual science behind LSP.

“Using something tactile like Lego has been shown to trigger a different part of our brain, which helps us get different perspectives,” said Dr Supple.

At this free, dynamic workshop, organised by LEO Cork City, taking place this Wednesday, attendees will engage in the LSP method as a way to reflect on essential entrepreneurial skills such as creativity, adaptability and problem-solving.

It’s for anyone who wants to enhance their problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability skills, said Dr Supple, including entrepreneurs, start-up founders, owners of small businesses, and aspiring innovators.

The workshop is also highly beneficial for professionals involved in strategy development, leadership, and team collaboration.

“Whether you are launching a new venture,looking to scale your business, seeking fresh approaches to innovation, are interested in aspects of mindset development, or you are just plain curious about Lego Serious Play, the interactive workshop as part of Local Enterprise Week will provide valuable insights and practical takeaways,” said Dr Supple.

“Play is not just for children; it’s vital for adult growth, connection and resilience.

“By embracing the philosophy of ‘thinking with your hands’, LSP helps untap creative potential, fuelling breakthroughs in both business and personal endeavours,” she said.

• Local Enterprise Week is for anyone involved in small businesses (at all stages of development), and also for anyone considering self-employment.

The free workshop takes place on Wednesday, March 5 in 1 Horgan’s Quay from 12.30 to 2pm. Places are limited, advance registration necessary.

See https://www.localenterprise.ie/corkcity