Episode#46: Serious about Play, with Special Guest, Sinan Rabee

Is Lego really a good tool for executive coaching? Sinan Rabee, shares how it works in 'serious' environments, and breaking down 'play resistance'.

They say that we don’t stop playing because we get old, but we do get old because we stop playing.

In this episode, I got to talk to Sinan Rabee, an executive coach, who is also the first person I’ve met who’s qualified to lead Lego Serious Play sessions.

Lego, as we all know, is an iconic toy brand, and has entertained and educated generations of kids in equal measure. And, it's also known to be very effective at ambushing parents' bare feet in the dark. However, it’s also being used to shake things up in the corporate world, so I was really curious to find out how it all worked.

What impresses me about the Lego Serious Play concept is not just that it really embraces the importance of play in creative thinking, but it also incorporates so many of the things that neuroscience recognises as being very helpful to neuroplasticity - our brain's ability to learn, change, and adapt.

So, can playing with Lego really help you develop a 5 year corporate plan? Do you have to be a ‘master builder’ in order to benefit from the techniques used in Lego Serious Play sessions? How can it open up our thinking?

Have a listen to this episode to find out how a little side of 'silly' can serve up serious new strategies.

Sinan is an Executive Coach and Team Facilitator Profile Born in and raised in London, he pursued an MBA after a decade working for the NHS as he was fascinated by the consulting world, Sinan’s deep curiosity in the inner workings of corporations led him to understand that people were at the heart of everything . After some time as a financial services consultant, Sinan moved into program management for NHS England developing innovation by connecting primary and secondary care, but this only made him more desperate to continue his understanding of how people connect in the workplace, so he went back to business school to complete his studies in coaching. All of this time, in the background, Sinan had been involved in rugby coaching. First of all casually, but then gaining more and more responsibility until he received his advanced or professional certificate from the RFU, and coach trainer qualifications. Now he helps to develop a number of teams, including school, youth club, county, university and adult (boys, girls and LGBTQ+). Furthermore, he is a talent scout for a premiership side. Sinan really believes in a non-judgemental freedom to explore ideas and loves it when he witnesses new breakthrough thoughts being made. He especially loves to see new connections in, and between, teams. Sinan is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and certified in Lego© Serious Play® Method.

Categories: : business, business culture, business development, coaching, creative, creative thinking, executive coaching, lego, lego serious play, neuroscience, play, teams