A culture of feedback and psychological safety as the foundation of a sustainable team culture
Social sustainability starts within the team.
Mental health, genuine participation and sustainable collaboration do not arise from good intentions, but from a concrete culture. Psychological safety within the team is the foundation for this: the space in which people feel confident enough to be honest, to address mistakes and to truly get involved. Not as a one-off event, but as something that teams can actively shape.
Does this sound familiar from your everyday life?
☕ Feedback stays in the coffee break but never makes it into the discussion.
👍 A thumbs-up instead of honest feedback.
🔁 A sensitive topic is raised, and suddenly everyone falls silent, or it’s always the same people who speak up.
If so, you’ve come to the right place.
This compact course explains how psychological safety is created within a team and what a feedback culture actually has to do with it. You’ll understand the concepts, learn about the tools available and take away an initial toolkit. One day. Well-founded. Immediately applicable.
Who is this further training course suitable for?
This compact course is aimed at people who take on responsibility for collaboration within teams, working groups or organisations, whether as a manager, project leader or informal point of contact within the team. You feel that people in your environment do not speak openly enough, would like to understand why this is the case, and are looking for some initial, practical methods to change this.
No prior knowledge is required. The course is suitable for people from small and medium-sized enterprises, NGOs and research groups who want to take their collaboration to the next level, as well as for teams in university settings. Those who are already familiar with these topics and wish to explore them in greater depth will find the intensive course to be the ideal follow-up programme.
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What does it cover?
The course is divided into three parts, each building on the previous one.
The first part focuses on psychological safety within a team: what lies behind the concept, where does it come from, and why is it essential for feedback to work at all? You will learn about the four interpersonal fears that prevent people from being honest. And you’ll understand how the four zones of psychological safety affect team dynamics. There’s also an initial toolkit for those who want to actively create safe spaces.
The second part focuses on a culture of feedback. You’ll learn about specific formats, practise the right attitude and phrasing for giving interpersonal feedback in practical situations, and take away methods for collaborative working that you can put into practice straight away.
The third part is devoted to inclusive facilitation: how do you structure meetings so that everyone is truly heard? You’ll learn to use check-ins as a safety signal, apply participation methods, and discover the consensus-building process as an inclusive decision-making model.
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Practical guidance
By the end of the course, you will have a clear understanding of psychological safety, an initial assessment of your own team using the Edmondson questionnaire, and at least two methods that you can apply straight away: the Speedback method for regular feedback and a facilitation technique to encourage greater participation in meetings. In small groups, you will reflect on your own experiences, exchange ideas with other participants and take away a handout for each module summarising the key points for your day-to-day work.
About the trainer
Moritz Zahn (he/him) is a freelance communication trainer based in Berlin with several years’ professional experience in team dynamics and conflict resolution. Find out more at lobundkritik.de
“Moritz has a natural instinct for what people need in a room. He anticipates dynamics before they arise and creates an atmosphere in which everyone feels safe and seen.”
Hendric Mostert
Author of *Conflict Culture Playbook*
An overview of the intensive course
- Type of further training
Intensive course (workshop)
- Date
16 September 2026, 10.00–17.00
- Certificate
Certificate of attendance from the HNEE
- Teaching format
Face-to-face event with reflection sessions, peer learning and small-group exercises
- Places
Max. 10 places
- Language
German
- Entry requirements
No formal requirements. Experience of professional or other long-term practical work in groups or collaborative contexts is desirable.
- Fees
350 EUR (VAT-exempt)
Fees for continuing professional development are tax-deductible. Please consult your tax adviser for further details.
Benefits for businesses and organisations
- Targeted strengthening of team culture through employees who actively foster a culture of feedback and psychological safety within their teams.
- Practical training with a direct focus on conflicts, tensions and communication patterns encountered in participants’ own day-to-day work.
- Measurable impact on productivity, collaboration and team cohesion through HNEE-certified content.
Take advantage of our training programme to empower employees to create spaces for honest communication before tensions lead to resignations or a loss of productivity. We would be happy to advise you.
Registration & Application
To register for one of our courses, please download the registration form, complete it and email it to weiterbildung(at)hnee.de.
We will then send you a short form asking about your expectations and previous experience, which will help us to tailor the course precisely to the participants’ needs.
The registration deadline is 16 August 2026.
Dates & Events at the Continuing Education Centre
Technical Management
Professor of Economics specialising in regional economics, Head of Undergraduate School, Head of Sustainable Economics and Management Programme