maddy woodman

So yeah, it might look like play. But when you see a group of people unlock a new understanding of a problem they’ve been stuck on for months, you realise: this isn’t child’s play. It’s leadership development in action.

And I think we can all agree that middle managers tend to get left behind when it comes to development and coaching. LEGO® Serious Play® brings the opportunity to sharpen leadership capabilities while tackling real life business challenges.

Praida & Sundaray (2020) showed that when people feel their organisation invests in their development, their engagement skyrockets, and Tharenou et al. (2007) highlighted how workforce development isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s a driver of competitive advantage.

And the science backs this up - Shantz et al. (2013) found that when people are psychologically present and fully engaged, performance improves and mistakes decrease.

By externalising thoughts into physical models, people feel safer to address tricky topics. They’re less guarded, more curious, and more open to different perspectives.

The bricks become a shared language through metaphors for concepts - be it team dynamics, new ideas, or personal strengths.

It's a bit like using group coaching - it's creating a space for people to really deep dive into their psyche, create models and share their thinking - except instead of relying on words, they've got something tangible and tactile to work with.

And here’s the magic: when we use LEGO® to represent these ideas, it suddenly becomes easier to talk about the things that feel abstract, complex, or even uncomfortable.

But here’s the thing: as an organisational psychologist and accredited LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator, I’ve seen first-hand how play unlocks learning in ways traditional approaches just...don’t.

When we ask middle managers to lead better, make decisions faster, and handle complexity with confidence, we often give them more frameworks, more PowerPoints, more theory. But what we really need to give them is space to think, collaborate, and experiment in real time.

What if I told you LEGO® might be the missing piece in building stronger, more capable and confident middle managers?

Sounds a bit far fetched, right?

The world of work is changing fast. It’s time for L&D to move beyond the “learning agenda” and dive straight into the heart of organisational strategy.

So, who's with us?!

4. Shaping organisational strategy and not just responding to it.

3. Speaking the language of senior leaders; understanding business challenges, workforce planning, and long-term goals.

2. Upskilling in data and financial literacy to prove impact and drive informed, strategic decisions.

1. Embedding our work within the organisation’s strategy, not just “aligning” with it.

But we should be. And we can be.

@Bertie Tonks and I are passionate about the fact that L&D needs to stop waiting for a seat at the top table—and take it.

L&D has the opportunity—and the responsibility—to step up by:

Too often, Learning folks are brought into the conversation too late. We’re handed projects rather than shaping them from the start. We’re expected to deliver learning rather than drive capability. We’re not always seen as the people who tackle the big, strategic challenges.

Let's be honest, we have that reputation as the "fun cousin" of HR - we bring the energy, the creativity, the engagement. And while that’s awesome (and true, we do have a lot of fun!), it can also hold us back.

Why is L&D still waiting for permission to be part of strategic conversations?

I had an absolute blast last week with the magical @Bertie Tonks at the World of Learning Summit! We tackled a conversation that’s long overdue - L&D’s role in serious business strategy.