In a world where transformation often begins with dialogue and creativity, the power of play has emerged as a catalyst for deep and lasting change. The concept of learning through playful interaction unlocks human potential, fosters collaboration, and inspires innovation across entire organizations. Within this philosophy lies a dynamic approach to leadership—one that merges analytical thinking with human connection, creating an environment where ideas not only grow but thrive.
At the forefront of this movement stands Jens Droege, Partner at PlayWork.pro and an authority in the field of organizational development through playful methods. With over two decades of experience as a LEGO Serious Play and PLAYMOBIL pro Master Trainer, Jens has redefined how teams approach problem-solving, communication, and change. His expertise spans more than 400 workshops worldwide, drawing on certifications as a Business Coach and Change Manager from the Steinbeis University Berlin. Known for his academic rigor, creativity, and ability to connect play with performance, Jens continues to empower leaders and organizations to evolve with clarity, purpose, and innovation.
A Journey of Playful Leadership and Organizational Transformation
Jens has dedicated more than twenty years to organizational development, leadership, and transformation, guiding teams through the complexities of change and human collaboration. Early in his career, he observed that traditional consulting often generated understanding but rarely inspired real engagement. As he puts it, “They appealed to the intellect, but not to the imagination.”
This insight led him to explore approaches that stimulate both analytical and creative thinking. Around 2015, he discovered the value of playful facilitation through LEGO® Serious Play® and later PLAYMOBIL pro, marking a turning point in his career. He became one of the co-creators of the first fully online version of LEGO Serious Play®, enabling teams worldwide to connect meaningfully even during times when in-person collaboration was not possible.
Beyond his pioneering work in online facilitation, Jens co-authored the first German-language book on PLAYMOBIL pro and contributed to international reference books on LEGO Serious Play®, shaping the professional landscape of creative facilitation.
In 2024, he co-founded PlayWork.pro with his business partner, Christian Deuschle—a consultancy built on the principle:“We develop people in organizations so they can develop their organizations.” Today, PlayWork.pro supports companies, universities, and non-profit institutions in driving transformation through play, visual thinking, and systemic frameworks. Whether leading large-scale transformation summits or facilitating strategic leadership sessions, Jens remains committed to one vision: making complexity tangible, collaboration inspiring, and change sustainable.
PlayWork.pro at a Glance
- 200+ workshops delivered
- 400+ professionals trained in playful facilitation and systemic transformation
- Sessions from 5 to 500 participants
- Clients across Europe, China, federal ministries, public agencies, and DAX-listed firms
- Transformation projects saved clients up to €2 million annually
- Significant improvements in team collaboration and culture
- Pro bono workshops regularly offered for social organizations
- LEGO® and PLAYMOBIL® donations collected for children’s hospices
PlayWork.pro combines business impact with meaningful social contributions through play.
Turning Crisis into Creativity
Jens Droege has leveraged digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic to overcome significant challenges in his career. When in-person workshops and client engagements abruptly halted, he did not wait for things to return to normal. Instead, he and Sean Blair from SERIOUSWORK quickly developed the first fully digital version of LEGO® Serious Play®.
This innovative approach included virtual collaboration tools and kits sent to participants’ homes, enabling continued human connection and engagement online. Jens describes this period as one of the most creative phases of his life, driven by the principle “play your way forward,” which helped turn a crisis into a worldwide standard for digital facilitation.
Finding Connection Through Play
Jens’ decision to bring playfulness into professional life was shaped by three meaningful realizations. First, he recognized that play reconnects people with their natural curiosity — the true spark of transformation. Then, during an unforgettable workshop, he witnessed a senior manager express with simple figures what he had been unable to articulate for years. That moment showed him that play can make truth visible. Finally, he came to see that in complex organizations, play is not just a luxury but a practical tool for finding new solutions — it builds connections where control once prevailed.
These experiences strongly influenced his approach to leadership. “I believe that leadership means creating spaces where others can shine, and that true leadership is not control, but connection.” Guided by this belief, his work focuses on designing such spaces to help people and teams grow together. To nurture his own creativity and balance, Jens turns to nature — spending time in the mountains, by lakes, and with his family and friends. These moments of presence help him maintain perspective and stay connected to the joy and openness that inspire his work.
Building Trust with LEGO Serious Play
During a post-merger integration process, Jens Droege and his team used playful strategies to help their client assess and improve the new team’s health and psychological safety. Initially, data showed a worrying state, but the true extent became clear during the first LEGO Serious Play workshop, where participants built models mostly composed of black bricks — symbolizing feelings of hopelessness, frustration, and exhaustion. Rather than avoiding this reality, the team chose to face it head-on through a series of co-creative sessions aimed at rebuilding trust and visualizing positive futures. Over several weeks, the models grew more colorful, reflecting renewed hope and engagement.
By the end, the team’s health metrics showed measurable improvement. More importantly, one participant expressed the deep impact of the process with tears in her eyes, saying, “Thank you.” This moment encapsulated the core belief behind the work: play has the power to heal, reconnect, and transform organizations.
Measuring Growth in Teams and Culture
PlayWork.pro measures the impact of playful organizational development using both quantitative and qualitative methods because transformation involves what can be measured and what is felt. Quantitatively, pre- and post-assessments track changes in team health, psychological safety, and engagement, often alongside productivity or financial KPIs for business results.
Qualitatively, deeper evidence comes from observing ongoing behavioral changes, follow-up conversations, and shifts in team dynamics visible weeks or months after workshops. Meaningful feedback often includes statements like, “We talk differently now,” or “We finally listen to each other,” which show play’s true influence on collaboration and engagement.
The PlayWork Approach to Sustainable Success
Jens Droege believes that business goals and employee well-being are not opposing forces but integral parts of the same system. Sustainable success emerges when employees feel safe, valued, and connected to a meaningful purpose. PlayWork.pro helps organizations set clear and shared goals that foster alignment without creating pressure. It also emphasizes the importance of reflection and open dialogue, recognizing that psychological safety is a fundamental element for both innovation and accountability.
Jens has found that true engagement happens when people experience a balance of structure and freedom—clear direction paired with the freedom to experiment. To support this balance, small rituals of lightness such as playful check-ins, creative metaphors, or shared moments of laughter are introduced to remind everyone that serious work does not have to feel heavy. “When leaders hold that balance between clarity and care, performance becomes not just a target, but a natural outcome of a healthy culture.” This philosophy underpins how PlayWork.pro integrates well-being with business objectives effectively.
The Transformative Benefits of Playfulness
Jens highlights three key benefits organizations gain from incorporating playfulness into their work culture. First, play builds trust and psychological safety by allowing people to collaborate openly beyond roles and titles, sharing their true thoughts and feelings through imagination rather than confrontation.
Second, play enhances communication and teamwork by turning abstract ideas into shared stories and metaphors, helping people see different perspectives, which improves listening, negotiation, and cooperation. Third, play boosts engagement and creativity by reconnecting individuals with their natural curiosity, encouraging experimentation without fear, and bringing joy back to problem-solving. Jens Droege sums it up: “Play doesn’t distract from work — it transforms how work feels and what it can achieve.”
Partnering for the Future of Playful Facilitation
PlayWork.pro is the official partner of SERIOUSWORK, the leading global provider of LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator training. Together, they represent the method’s next phase in the DACH region by combining evidence-based facilitation with creative design and systemic insight.
Their training programs are uniquely certified by the Steinbeis Academy at Steinbeis University, ensuring the highest academic and professional standards. Moving forward, PlayWork.pro is expanding its network across Europe to connect play, strategy, and leadership—developing a new generation of facilitators who blend creativity with real impact.
Bringing Creative Facilitation to a Wider Audience
Christian Deuschle and Jens Droege have been featured in various podcasts, national newspapers, and professional magazines focusing on leadership, innovation, and organizational transformation. They have also contributed to several books on facilitation and creative methods. Together, they co-authored the first German-language book on PLAYMOBIL pro, and Jens serves as the German translator of the leading international LEGO® Serious Play® books, helping to bring these approaches to a wider audience.
In recognition of his work, Jens Droege was honored with the Excellence Leadership Award, which acknowledges not only their innovative methods but also their dedication to human-centered transformation.
Leadership That Inspires Exploration and Balance
Jens describes his leadership style as a blend of facilitative and co-creative leadership, guided by a systemic and adaptive approach. He sees organizations as living systems, full of intelligence, emotion, and potential, and believes his main role as a leader is to create spaces where this potential can flourish.
Rather than providing answers, Jens leads by asking meaningful questions and helps individuals see how their work fits into the bigger picture. He aims to build environments where people feel safe to explore, yet challenged to grow. To remain grounded and effective, he relies on daily routines such as meditation, physical activity, and time spent in nature, which help him stay present, focused, and balanced for serving others while maintaining his own well-being.
The Next Era of Human-Centered Work
Jens Droege believes that over the next five years, the definition of “work” will undergo a major transformation. Leading organizations will shift their focus from control and efficiency toward cultures based on purpose, creativity, and psychological safety. Hybrid and flexible team structures will become the norm, with teams organizing around challenges rather than rigid hierarchies. Leadership will emphasize trust and presence more than traditional performance metrics. Artificial intelligence will accelerate these changes by taking over routine tasks, allowing humans to focus on connecting, imagining, and creating meaning together.
In this growing workplace, playful learning and experimentation will move from being secondary activities to becoming the core of how creative and resilient organizations operate. The future will favor cultures that prioritize curiosity, reflection, and joy.
Open Letter for Aspiring Leaders
Dear Aspiring Leaders,
My advice to you is simple: don’t try to fix systems — learn to listen to them and remain playful even when the world feels serious.
Organizations are living ecosystems, not machines. The more you try to control them, the more they resist. But when you truly listen, patterns begin to appear. Your role as a leader is to create the right conditions where people and ideas can grow naturally.
Playfulness is not the opposite of professionalism; it is the foundation of human creativity and resilience. Especially in uncertain times, curiosity and humor open doors that logic alone cannot.
So, stay curious, stay kind, and never lose the courage to play.
Sincerely,
Jens Droege, Partner
PlayWork.pro
5 Key Takeaways from Jens Droege’s Playful Approach to Organizational Transformation
- Play is a Catalyst for Real Change: Traditional methods often only appeal to the intellect, but Jens Droege’s work shows that playful interaction (like using LEGO Serious Play) is essential for unlocking imagination, fostering true engagement, and creating deep, lasting change in organizations.
- Leadership is About Connection, Not Control: Droege believes that effective leadership involves creating a safe space where others can shine and connect, rather than trying to manage or control every aspect. This focus on psychological safety allows creativity and potential to flourish.
- Crisis Can Be a Driver for Innovation: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Droege and his team quickly turned the challenge of halting in-person workshops into an opportunity by developing the first fully digital version of LEGO Serious Play, demonstrating the principle to “play your way forward.”
- Play Makes Complexity Visible and Tangible: By using visual and playful tools, teams can express complex problems, emotions, and unspoken truths (like the post-merger team using black bricks to show distress). This process moves from abstract understanding to co-creative problem-solving.
- Sustainable Success Balances Clarity and Care: The PlayWork approach emphasizes that top performance is a natural outcome of a healthy culture where employees feel valued, safe, and connected to a clear purpose. This balance of structure and freedom allows for both innovation and accountability.
