Facilitators’ Playbook:

Documenting LEGO® SERIOUS

PLAY® Workshops

How to capture the experience and deliver a

professional report
Introduction
We’re living in a time where there is a firehose of content
coming at us everyday - people’s attention spans are much
more selective; some are saying even shorter than that of TABLE OF CONTENTS
a goldfish. That’s why we have chosen to use the LEGO®
SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) method to deliver an engaging Overview 3
experience that allows people to think more deeply.
Written Reporting 6
Documentation of LSP workshops needs to follow suit. As
facilitators and consultants, our jobs aren’t done when the Visuals 7
participants leave the room at the end of our workshops.
Clients need something they can turn to that documents Video 8
the LSP experience (for their teams, bosses and/or peers)
and captures the discussion during the workshop. What’s Next 10
Specifically, they are looking for a robust report that
includes key takeaways with visually appealing content
that allows them to re-live the experience.
Collectively, our documentation of LSP workshops needs
to keep up with the evolving requirements and reduced
attention spans of the today’s audience. This Playbook will
illustrate how we can successfully deliver a consistent
experience to LSP workshop participants and reinforce the
findings through post-workshop reporting.
As practitioners of this method, we will also have a richer
body of experience and knowledge to draw from when we
reference high-quality content. Our clients will be able to
see professional material when they research and assess
the LSP methodology before deciding to use it.

2
OVERVIEW

Why should I document?

Today's audience is more selective of the content they consume and retain
than ever before. It’s easy for participants in an LSP workshop to get
distracted by other things soon after leaving the room. That’s why we must
provide a way for them to remember how they spent their time in the
workshop; this documentation, or report, would include the output of the
discussions and the experience of this new way of communicating that is
the core of the LSP method.

Benefits of improved documentation

For Clients/LSP Participants: For LSP Facilitators:

✓ A record of the workshop
experience and discussions
✓ A record of how the LSP method
helped to achieve the workshop
objectives
✓ The material can be shared with
peers, bosses, staff –
demonstrating the value of their
investment in an LSP workshop
✓ Material that can be shared on
social media
✓ Professional, high-quality
deliverables
✓ Material to leave with workshop
participants after the session
✓ Material that can be used as
testimonials for your services and
the LSP experience
✓ Material that can be shared on
social media
✓ Professional material available
online for those interested in the
LSP method
3
OVERVIEW

What we’ve been doing is not enough

Here’s why:
• No documentation: If the client is dedicating time • Overly detailed written report: Some of us may lean
and budget to an LSP workshop, then it’s likely they towards writing a heavy, detailed report with many
need to justify this investment to their bosses or pages of text. In the past (and in some cases today), this
peers. When we provide no documentation, it is has been very effective as a way of demonstrating the
difficult for the workshop sponsor to justify the value of the workshop. Unfortunately, today’s audience
investment to others. may feel good about receiving a report like this but is
also unlikely to refer to it often simply due to its heft.
• Haphazard report with raw photos and/or video:
This approach makes us look unprofessional. If the
written notes or report we provide is not well-
structured or easy to follow, how can we expect our
clients to reference and action upon the outputs? A
“dump” of raw (unprocessed) photos and video is 49%
unlikely to be used because it is too difficult to sort are more selective about the
through. Take the time to curate the images you content they consume1
provide.

4
OVERVIEW

Things to
keep in mind
In using this playbook, there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Choose what’s right for the audience/client
Determine the culture of the client. Are they a large organization where people value longer, detailed reports
with analysis of the discussion, or are they a younger, agile organization that widely uses social media? Adjust
your documentation requirements to your client’s preferences.
2. Plan out how you will document
Based on the above, you will know what needs to be done. During workshop design, have an outline of the
“storyboard” of your report that tells the story of how the LSP workshop will unfold and ultimately meet the
workshop objectives.
3. Get the right gear
The video and picture quality of current generations of smartphones and cameras is far superior to that of their
predecessors. Keep this mind in your workshop planning to allow sufficient time to source and prepare your
equipment. You may even need to hire a professional - more on this later.
4. You’ll get better at it
Don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first or second time. You will get better at collecting the right material
and developing your reports over time. Every workshop is different, and you will adapt as you hone your skills in
documentation. Always make sure your documentation is professional and you are as proud of the
documentation as the LSP workshop itself.

5
WRITTEN REPORT

Structuring a
written report
Your written report of the LSP session will depend on the workshop objectives so each
report will be unique. However, there are several simple guiding principles to follow in
developing a solidly structured written report:

Have an introduction to give context

Context matters to readers. The report should include: the date of the workshop, a
reference to the LSP method, the overall objectives of the workshop (in the context of
what the client/participants are working towards), the topics discussed (in non-LSP
language), and the names/roles of the attendees.

Tell the story of the LSP experience Content to include in the

We know stories are powerful so follow a storytelling approach in structuring your appendix of a written report
report. How did the workshop begin? How did the workshop unfold and eventually
get to the “heart” of the matter (as known as the objective of the workshop)? Also,
this approach is useful for readers who did not attend the workshop to understand the ❑ Agenda of workshop
LSP approach. Don’t be afraid to include the build challenge questions and describe ❑ Break-out group assignments (if multiple
how the models were used. Determine the depth of the report by understanding
whether your client prefers a condensed or detailed report. groups were assigned in the workshop)
❑ Facilitation Method (overview of LEGO
Use images generously
Serious Play)
An LSP workshop is a creative and engaging experience. What better way to capture ❑ Facilitator Team (bios)
this than to take images that bring the workshop to life? Capture photos in the
workshop and include the curated photos throughout your report. These images will
serve to remind the participants of this experience.

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VISUALS

Creating visual
documentation
In planning your workshop, you will have already decided what type of
documentation is required. Most of you will know to take photos but not all
photos are equal. Here are some ideas on taking the most interesting, engaging,
and thorough set of photos to document your workshop. If these are too difficult
to manager, you may find it worthwhile to hire a professional photographer
and/or videographer. Ensure you give them clear instructions about the moments
and specific types of shots you want captured.

Image Quality
Consider using (investing in your own or borrowing) a quality camera to produce
Sample shot list for captivating
images with higher resolution. Your report will benefit from crisper images. visuals
Newer smartphones alone can take fantastic images. This can be helpful since we
have so much material already to transport to workshops. ❑ Venue
Shots & Angles ❑ Bricks & materials
Use a wide variety of shots that create captivating visuals for your written report ❑ Faces showing emotion
or video (if you choose to make one). Experiment with angles that are more ❑ Model building in progress
interesting for readers. You will get better at this over time.
❑ Brick selection in progress
Quantity of Photos
❑ Shared model building in progress
Once you have nailed down a good shot list, you will not be overloaded with
countless images. Ensure you give the shot list to whomever is taking the photos. ❑ Individual & shared models
After the workshop, you should have a concise set of photos to choose from. ❑ Tables with models

7
VIDEO

Making engaging
videos
The popularity of videos is growing significantly and we need to keep pace with
how people are consuming content. It may seem daunting at first to create videos
but the advent of user-friendly online video editing tools makes it possible and
cost-effective. These can be used for:

Client Documentation
Videos capturing the LSP workshop experience can be used as a deliverable that
complements, or sometimes replaces, the written report. Short videos that show
highlights from the workshop can be shared with the participants, who can in turn
share them with their colleagues. For example, managers participating in a
company strategy session can share the video with their respective teams to give
95%
of messages are retained by
a peek into the strategic planning process. Similarly, a department manager who viewers when they watch it
chose to use the LSP method in a workshop to strengthen their team can share on video, vs. only 10% when
the video with peers in other departments. they read it2
Marketing
Videos from your LSP sessions will provide a wide selection of material for use in
demonstrating the value of the LSP method and for marketing purposes. The
types of videos include: 92%
• Overview of your company or services of B2B buyers are more likely
• Explaining the LSP method and its benefits to purchase a product or
• Case studies of LSP workshops service if they have been able
• Client testimonials to read a trusted review
about it3
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VIDEO

Using client
testimonials
Client testimonials are powerful. Hearing about the LSP experience and
what can be accomplished firsthand from workshop participants is a
great way to show potential clients why they should consider using the
LSP method as a tool to achieve their objectives.

WHO - Identify the people you would like to ask for the testimonial.
You may choose your main client contact, the leader of the team,
several workshop participants, or a combination of these. Consider
those who would be most comfortable speaking on camera and be able
to convey authority and influence. Questions to ask participant to
WHAT – The questions you ask should be easy to answer in less than 2 explain in less than 2 minutes
minutes. Generally, they should cover who the speaker is, the problem
they faced, and how the LSP workshop/experience helped to solve the
problem. 1. What is your name and role?

WHEN – It is easiest to collect testimonials at the end of the workshop 2. What was the purpose of your group
when the experience is still fresh in the participants’ minds. Find a coming together today?
quiet space and use a tripod with a microphone to get the highest
quality recording.
3. How was your experience in using
HOW – Production is not as daunting as it may initially seem. There are LEGO bricks?
affordable and easy to use tools available online to build your videos.
There are also numerous online articles that give advice on how to 4. What was accomplished today?
make testimonial videos.

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What’s Next
Nothing we’ve talked about here is theoretical. It’s not about the Author
future; it’s about right now. We can only be successful as LSP
practitioners if we collectively raise the bar in the work we do. Lorraine Wong
Principal Consultant
Let’s share knowledge with each other as we build our collective Cue North Consulting
body of knowledge on the LSP method and raise its profile in +1 604 600 6496
each of our communities. lorraine.wong@cuenorth.com
www.cuenorth.com
Get in touch if you would like to know more or to collaborate.

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Endnotes
1 Prezi, “The 2018 State of Attention Report”

2Lyndsi Stafford, “How To Incorporate Video Into

Your Social Media Strategy,” Forbes, July 13,
2017,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2017/07/13/
how-to-incorporate-video-into-your-social-
media-strategy/#7e2e06e87f2e, accessed May
13, 2019

3 G2
Crowd, Heinz Marketing, “2018 B2B Sales &
Marketing Report”

LEGO, SERIOUS PLAY, the Minifigure and the

Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of
the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor,
authorize or endorse this publication.

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