At the recent TeamKinetic Conference, we were treated to an engaging session led by Katherine Perrin, a freelancer with a rich background in charity management and social impact consultancy. Katherine’s passion for bringing fresh approaches to group dynamics and conversations made her session stand out, with a spotlight on the unique facilitation method known as LEGO Serious Play.

You can catch the session below:

Let’s take a closer look at how Katherine used creativity and play to unlock deeper insights in her workshop and how this approach can transform how we communicate and collaborate.

Meet Katherine Perrin

With nearly 15 years of experience in charity management, Katherine’s career has included a range of roles. From working on corporate projects to leading volunteer management and senior roles.

Her passion revolves around helping people and organisations have better, more meaningful conversations that lead to real impact. Katherine’s certification in LEGO Serious Play perfectly complements her wider work. She’s also an Action Learning Set lead, mentor, and certified coach. All these roles focus on supporting those working in the social good space to achieve their best results.

Wait, what is LEGO Serious Play?

For those unfamiliar with it, LEGO Serious Play is a facilitation technique. It uses LEGO bricks to help people express ideas, thoughts, and emotions through building. It’s not just playing with toys. The method encourages participants to use metaphors and storytelling as they build models. This offers a different, often deeper, way to communicate.

LEGO Serious Play


By engaging both hands and mind, LEGO Serious Play unlocks creative potential and makes it easier for participants to share their thoughts. Even thoughts that might be difficult to articulate verbally. The method is used in a variety of situations. From business strategy meetings to team-building workshops, and even problem-solving sessions. It’s all about breaking down barriers and enhancing engagement, and Katherine brought this concept to life during her session.

Using metaphor to open up

The session kicked off with an interactive exercise that got everyone thinking outside the box.

It’s sheep #4, isn’t it?


It was playful, but it also illustrated how using metaphors can encourage creativity and draw out more personal, thoughtful responses.

Katherine’s goal was to show how using simple, playful prompts can help people open up and engage more fully. And it worked. Attendees immediately connected with the exercise, sharing insights that went far beyond the typical “How are you?” responses.

Thinking deeper with LEGO blocks

What was clear throughout the session was Katherine’s enthusiasm for bringing fun into the workplace. But this doesn’t come at the expense of productivity – rather, it enhances it. By using facilitation methods like LEGO Serious Play, people may feel more comfortable expressing themselves and collaborating effectively.

Though LEGO Serious Play, is usually an in-person experience, Katherine expertly adapted it to the virtual setting. Allowing all attendees to participate from home with their own LEGO bricks.

She asked participants to build something that represented their answer to the question:

What strength do you bring to the team and why, and what’s your area for improvement?

There were some really great builds shown but unfortunately, these aren’t reflected in the recording, so if you did build something and take a picture, please send it our way!

Ovrall, Katherine emphasised the genuine, unforced joy that LEGO Serious Play can bring into professional spaces. While her session at the conference was on the lighter side, she explained that the method can easily adapt to tackle more serious topics, making it an incredibly versatile tool.

For Katherine, it’s all about choosing the right tools and metaphors to create a welcoming vibe and a comfortable atmosphere, no matter the focus of the session.

Final Thoughts

Katherine Perrin’s session at the TeamKinetic Conference showcased just how powerful innovative facilitation methods can be. By blending creativity with strategic communication, she demonstrated how tools like LEGO Serious Play can change the way we interact with one another in group settings.

It’s a reminder that bringing a little play into serious processes isn’t a bad thing! It can lead to more meaningful and impactful conversations, ultimately helping teams work better together.

Now, before we close off, we have to ask. Which sheep are you?

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