Redondo Beach was buzzing during the CHART conference. From spectacular service events, amazing keynote speakers, jam-packed breakout rooms on AI, to amazing networking events, it was clear people came ready to learn, connect, and grow. With so many cutting-edge topics on the agenda, I’ll admit, I was a little nervous about attendance for my session. After all, when AI is in the lineup, what chance does a good old-fashioned conversation on psychological safety have?
Turns out…a pretty good one.
The Setup (and the Mix-Up)
I came prepared, materials printed, stickers packed, room setup carefully planned. My breakout, “Foundations of Psychological Safety: Creating a Learning Environment Where People Speak Up,” was designed not just to share content, but to model what psychological safety looks and feels like in action.
The CHART Facility Directors, James Lee and Shannon Ciccotelli, were amazing in supporting my unique room setup, and the team at the Sonesta Redondo was right there with them. Well…mostly. Somewhere along the way, the room was still set from Jim Rich’s amazing earlier session and never reset to mine. It could have been a stress-inducing moment, but instead, it became a highlight.
Enter Gerald, a ten-year team member at the Sonesta and an absolute legend. With calm precision and a quiet sense of pride, he jumped in to get the room exactly how I had envisioned it: rounds, free-floating chairs, a circle of seats in the middle, and high-top tables for those who prefer to stand. As we worked side by side, we had a great conversation about his journey, the pride he takes in his work, and his thoughts on leadership. Before he walked out, he smiled and said, “If not enough people show up, I’ll come be in your session.”
Now that’s hospitality. That’s CHART. And that’s psychological safety in action.
The Room, the Vibe, the Intent
Let’s talk about the room for a second. This wasn’t your typical training layout.
It was intentionally designed to give people choice and control, a key ingredient in creating a safe space to learn. In addition to the flexible seating:
A bowl of affirmation cards invited attendees to “Take What You Need.”
Affirmation stickers were placed at each seat, small reminders that language matters.
Conversation starter cards were available to spark meaningful networking.
Visual job aids offered practical strategies for dealing with tough moments in training.
And everyone received a custom sticker illustrating the 4 Stages of Psychological Safety (Inclusion, Learner, Contributor, Challenger), which I encouraged them to place near their mousepad as a regular reminder.
And then — people showed up.
From Buzzword to Bedrock
32 CHART members filled the space. Some familiar faces, some new. But all committed to building better, safer learning environments.
We kicked things off by exploring how walking into a classroom can feel unsafe, neutral, or safe, and how trainers can shape that perception from the moment someone walks through the door.
That’s where Sylvie Mitchell (pictured below) stepped in with a perfect reminder: “The safest space starts at the front door, with a smile and a welcome.” And with that, we coined a new CHART term: “The Sylvie.” From now on, when you see someone being warmly welcomed into a room, you’re witnessing The Sylvie in action.
The Red Flags Gallery Walk
The heart of the session was a group activity we called the Red Flags Gallery Walk. Participants moved around the room to explore five key “red flag” behaviors trainers often encounter:
- Silence After a Question
- Pushback or Challenge to Content
- Side Conversations or Distractions
- Participant Domination
- Disengaged Body Language
At each station, groups discussed:
- How they’ve experienced these red flags in their own sessions
- What might be behind the behavior
- What trainers can say or do in the moment to create safety, curiosity, and engagement
The dialogue was deep, real, and collaborative. People weren’t just looking for answers—they were sharing wisdom. The collective experience in that room was powerful, and everyone walked away with new tools, new language, and new ideas to apply immediately.
Each table received a job aid with examples of how to respond to each red flag, along with an Action Plan sheet that served as a group playbook. The final wall displayed our commitments: what we learned and what we planned to use going forward. These weren’t just notes — they were intentions.
A Moment of Reflection
I believe strongly in this work, but I’m still learning too.
During the session, my friend Jason Lechner made a comment and, out of habit, I responded with sarcasm, intending it to be playful. Jason and I have a strong relationship, but that doesn’t mean everyone in the room understood the context. In a session on psychological safety, that moment was a good reminder that we’re all a work in progress.
That could’ve been a moment to pause and be vulnerable with the group — and next time, I will. The key takeaway? Psychological safety starts with self-awareness, and it’s built in real time.
What’s Next?
The response to this session from folks who have come up to me has been energizing . The feedback (so far) has been incredibly positive, and my good friend Serah Morrisey even suggested this content may have a future home as part of CHART’s Participant Management competency, or maybe even as a standalone course in our LMS.
That idea? I love it.
Because this wasn’t just a breakout. It was a call to action. A reminder that our job as trainers isn’t just to deliver content, it’s to create conditions for people to learn.
And when we get that part right, everything else flows.
So here’s your challenge:
Greet people like Sylvie.
Support like Gerald.
And lead with the courage to make every space you enter — whether it’s a classroom, a conference room, or a quick pre-shift huddle — a safe space to show up, speak up, and grow.
Psychological safety isn’t soft. It’s smart. And it’s foundational to every great learning experience we create.
Stay tuned. We’re just getting started.
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Connect with Curt on LinkedIn.
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