Psychological safety in teams: what acrobats do differently

Psychological safety describes a team's shared belief that interpersonal risks are welcome: asking a question, reporting a mistake or voicing an idea without expecting negative consequences. The term comes from Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson and is among the most cited concepts in team research. Acrobatic duos live it every day, because without trust nobody leaves the ground.

What research shows

In 1999 Edmondson studied 51 teams at a manufacturing company. Teams with high psychological safety showed more learning behaviour: they raised problems, sought feedback and tried new things. A team's efficiency alone did not explain learning behaviour once safety was controlled for. Learning emerges where open communication is welcome.

A well-known practical confirmation came from Google's project "Aristotle". Charles Duhigg's New York Times report (2016) states that a team's norms mattered more than its composition and that psychological safety ranked first. This is science journalism rather than a peer-reviewed study, yet it offers a vivid view from practice.

What acrobats do differently

Agreements before the risk. Before every figure, partners settle signals, grips and the plan for when something goes wrong. Teams can do the same: before a project starts, record how problems are reported and who gets support, and when.

Mistakes belong to rehearsal. In rehearsal a figure tips a hundred times before it holds. Everyone looks for the next improvement. In companies this corresponds to an error culture in which setbacks count as information.

Roles are visible. Who carries and who is lifted is clear to everyone in a duo. Clear roles give support and make responsibility shareable. In the office, short role clarifications at the start of a project help.

Feedback in real time. The partner feels immediately when the weight shifts. Teams need short feedback loops for this: a quarter of an hour each week in which every voice counts.

Catching is a matter of course. Whoever falls is held, and whoever holds receives thanks. This pattern strengthens the willingness to take a risk again next time.

Three questions for the next team round

Psychological safety cannot be decreed, but it can be encouraged. Three questions work well as a starting point for a team conversation, ideally moderated by someone who openly admits their own mistakes:

1. When did I last ask a question that seemed risky at first – and how was it received?
2. Which information do we hold back in the team because the reaction is uncertain?
3. What would help us discuss setbacks faster and more calmly?

The answers show where the team stands today. Leaders set the tone: anyone who shows their own uncertainty and explicitly welcomes follow-up questions makes it easier for everyone else to do the same. Small gestures such as thanking someone for a critical question last longer than a workshop day.

Why an event is the right setting

A shared evening lifts everyday life out of its roles. When the managing director and the intern laugh at the same show, a shared experience arises that can be referred to back in the office. A sentence like "Remember how the two of them caught each other?" opens a conversation about collaboration without anyone being lectured. This easy access makes show acts an effective building block for team events.

Limits of the transfer

Edmondson's findings come from work teams, not from acrobatics. Whether partner acrobatics improves a company's team performance has not been studied. The connection is an image that starts conversations, and we call it that openly. An event can provide the spark, and afterwards the team's habits in daily work count.

Ideas for your corporate event

An evening performance can open the topic playfully. The Mirror Costumes – Mirror ActView act → respond to one another and to the audience – an image of attention to each other. With the MADMAX Stuntfight DuoView act → guests experience how trust and agreement turn fight scenes into a safe show. A simple question at the table works as a conversation starter: where in our team do we want more catching?

For larger events, a walking act in the reception area brings guests into conversation with humour before the main programme begins. We are happy to advise which format suits your occasion, guest count and venue.

Sources

• Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383.
• Duhigg, C. (2016). What Google learned from its quest to build the perfect team. New York Times Magazine, 25 February 2016.