BUILDING BETTER COLLABORATION
Using the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method
A practical guide for organizations ready to transform cross-functional teamwork.
Welcome to Silos, Inc.
This meeting again. You know the characters. You know how the story goes …
... Marketing drove the leads but Sales couldn’t close.
… Sales couldn’t close because Operations couldn’t deliver.
… Operations couldn’t deliver because IT didn’t provide the proper tools.
… IT lacked tools because Finance cut the budget.
… Finance slams the table: “We don’t have the money.”
… HR pleads for synergy. Nobody takes ownership.
The meeting ends. Everyone leaves frustrated. Everything stays the same.
Welcome to Silos, Inc. – where departments build walls instead of bridges.
Understanding SILOS
From our experience facilitating workshops across multiple industries, we’ve seen silos persist due to five key causes:
S – Separate Goals
Each department has its own KPIs with no cross-team metrics.
… Sales is measured on revenue, so they promise impossible delivery dates.
… Operations focuses on cost efficiency, so they push back on “special requests.” Everyone hits their targets, but the organization suffers.
I – Intangible Vision
The vision is unclear. People don’t see where the organization is heading. It’s like building a rocket without knowing the destination — each team just does their job without view of the overall mission.
L – Low Trust
Teams don’t share information or communicate openly. There’s a blame culture. When will other people understand? You need to change.
… Finance blames Sales for unrealistic promises.
… Sales blames Finance for saying no to everything.
Trust erodes, and everyone protects their walls.
O – Old Mindsets
“We’ve always done it this way, and it works fine.” Fear of change keeps teams stuck in the same ways, even when they no longer serve the organization.
S – Short-term Thinking
Everyone’s focused on this quarter’s numbers, this month’s deliverables, this week’s urgencies. There’s no time to build relationships or align on the big picture. Collaboration gets sacrificed for immediate results — and the cycle never ends.
Building the Solution: RISE Together
To break down silos, teams need to RISE together — to elevate to a higher level of collaboration:
R – Reveal Ourselves
Share authentically beyond departmental roles. When we understand each other deeply, we find common ground.
I – Imagine the Future
Co-create a vision everyone sees and believes in together. Like a space team — everyone must see the same moon.
S – Share Perspectives
Understand what challenges each team faces and how they view problems. See the complete picture from all angles.
E – Extract Principles
Understand what challenges each team faces and how they view problems. See the complete picture from all angles.
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Rasmussen Consulting Thailand
How LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Helps Teams RISE
The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method enables and empowers teams to RISE together:
P – Power of Building
Our hands are disproportionately connected to our brain — approximately 70% of the motor cortex is devoted to hand control. We call this the hand-brain connection. When you think and build with your hands, you access thoughts, feelings, and knowledge that words can’t express. This is Constructionism in action — the theory that we learn and understand most deeply when we construct something tangible in the real world, not just think about it internally.
L – Language of Metaphors
LEGO models serve as universal language. When we see a model, everyone understands immediately — no technical translations needed. During a workshop with a Thai insurance company, Underwriting built speed bumps (risk-aversion), while Sales built a highway (aggressive targets). Seeing both models, everyone understood each other’s logic. Together, they co-created a shared model: a well-designed road with appropriate checkpoints. Metaphors make the intangible tangible, helping everyone see the same story.
A – Autonomy of Expression
Everyone creates their own model. No one tells you what’s right or wrong. You own your story. This creates Psychological Safety through the SCARF Model:
- Status: Everyone is equal
- Certainty: Clear rules
- Autonomy: You create your own model
- Relatedness: Build connection through stories
- Fairness: Equal time, equal value
When people feel safe, they share genuine perspectives and collaborate across teams. Safety and autonomy unlock honest dialogue.
Y – Your Hands, Our Solutions
When you create answers with your own hands, you own them. Not a consultant’s solution. Not orders from the boss. But knowledge you discover together.
When it’s truly yours, you develop deeper commitment to implement it. Not imposed from outside, but created from within.
Principles you discover and build yourself become authentic and actionable.
A Typical LSP Workshop
Before we design the journey, we take time to understand your specific challenges and customize the workshop roadmap.
Example:
Phase 1: Build individual models: “Your biggest collaboration barriers”
Phase 2: Create shared understanding of current state — the system becomes visible
Phase 3: Co-create the ideal future state with specific structures and behaviors
Phase 4: Extract concrete actions and create accountability
Results: We help you establish follow-through processes so insights become action, not just another deck collecting digital dust.
What Makes This More Effective
Most methods tell people to “communicate more” – the LSP Method addresses what actually causes silos:
- Makes invisible assumptions tangible (addresses unclear vision)
- Creates shared language beyond departmental jargon (bridges separate goals)
- Builds genuine trust through co-creation (replaces blame culture)
- Generates owned solutions from the inside out (shifts old mindsets)
- Engages 100% participation (breaks short-term thinking)
The outcome isn’t just a new kind of workshop — it’s a lasting culture of thinking and communicating with 100×100 engagement.
When to Consider LEGO SERIOUS PLAY
Consider the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method if …
- Critical cross-functional initiatives keep stalling
- Departments point fingers instead of solving problems
- You’ve tried other approaches and silos persist
- You’re ready for sustainable change, not just quick fixes
“When you change how you see each other, you change how you work together.”
About Rasmussen Consulting Thailand
Expert practitioners of the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method specializing in strategic innovation, team synergy, and organizational transformation.
Breaking down silos isn’t just about communicating better, it’s about creating shared ways of working together. When teams RISE and PLAY together, you don’t just reach your desired destination – you achieve your aspirations.
Unlock Creativity • Uncover Insights • Unleash Potential
Let us help design a customized program for your collaboration challenges.
Rasmussen Consulting Thailand
