In this post, we’ll be exploring why trust matters in museum facilitation, what psychological safety looks like in practice, and how to create environments where people feel able to share, question, and discover. We’ll look at practical techniques that help create these conditions and explore how they work together to transform standard museum visits into extraordinary experiences.
Listen to this episode or read the blog post summary below.
What makes a meaningful museum experience?
When we think about what makes a great guided experience in a museum, many things might come to mind: the choice of objects, the flow of the discussion, the knowledge shared, or the connections made between the artworks.
But there’s something more fundamental that determines whether a guided experience will genuinely engage people—something that makes the difference between a routine visit and one where real discoveries happen or memories are made. It’s how people feel in that space, not just physically, but emotionally and intellectually.
A unique role
As museum educators, guides and facilitators, we’re doing something quite unique.
We’re creating opportunities for people to have meaningful encounters with art, objects, history and collections. But these encounters don’t just happen automatically.
You can have the most fascinating object, the most compelling artwork, the most interesting historical story, but if people don’t feel able to engage, to question, to share their thoughts, well, that magic just doesn’t happen.
Think about what happens when someone joins a guided experience in a museum. More often than not, they’re joining a group of strangers.
They might be worried about saying the wrong thing. Perhaps they’re concerned they don’t know enough about art or history or science. Or maybe they’re comparing themselves to others in the group who seem more knowledgeable.
Yet, we’re asking people to do something quite brave: to share their thoughts about what they see, to make personal connections, to offer interpretations, to engage with unfamiliar objects or challenging subjects, to learn and discover alongside others.
And for any of this to happen, for real engagement and meaningful discussion to take place, certain conditions need to be present.
Two of these conditions are absolutely fundamental: trust and psychological safety. Over my years of working with museum educators, guides and docents, I’ve seen how these two elements can really transform a standard museum visit into something quite extraordinary.
Understanding trust in museum settings
In my book, The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences, I talk about trust being one of the three most important strands of focus in the Entry phase of a guided experience, alongside forming connections and setting the tone.
To understand trust better, we can look at what’s known as the trust equation, first introduced by David Meister, Charles Green and Rob Galford in their book The Trusted Advisor.
The equation looks like this:
Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) ÷ Self-orientation
This might sound theoretical, but it’s actually very practical for what we do in museums. Let’s break it down:
Credibility
In guided experiences in museums, credibility shows up in our knowledge and our presence. It’s about how competent and capable we are in our role, and the skills and experience we bring to it.
But this doesn’t mean sharing everything we know. It’s about being selective with our knowledge, knowing when information will enhance the experience and when to step back.
Reliability
Reliability relates to being consistent and dependable and to keeping our promises. Are we welcoming every contribution equally? Are we following through on what we promise to the group?
Intimacy
Intimacy relates to creating an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and responses, knowing they’ll be handled with respect.
Self-orientation
Self-orientation is the only factor that potentially removes trust. The lower our self-orientation – the less we make it about ourselves – the higher the trust.
In order to balance the trust equation, your group needs to know that you care about the ‘we’ more than you care about the ‘I’.
Understanding psychological safety
These two approaches work together. When you build trust, you enhance psychological safety. And when people feel psychologically safe, they’re more likely to trust both you and the process. Here are some key practices that make a big difference:
1. Establish clear, shared expectations
This happens during the Entry phase of a guided experience, those crucial 10 minutes or so that set the tone for everything that follows. At the start of each experience in the museum, be crystal clear about what will happen, when it will happen, and what you’re aiming to achieve together. Something as simple as, ‘we’ll take time to look, share what we notice, and discover meanings together’ helps people understand the process and feel more at ease participating.
2. Use progressive questioning
Start every discussion with straightforward observations that everyone can make. There’s no wrong answers when you’re simply describing what you can see. Then gradually move towards more interpretive questions. When you say, ‘what do you notice?’ before asking, ‘what might this be about?’ you help participants build confidence in their own responses. Using questions in an organized way, gradually building each question on the previous one is essential in a well-balanced discussion. It creates a natural flow that makes everyone feel capable of contributing.
3. Practice good listening
Being a good listener isn’t just about hearing what people say. It’s about showing them that their contributions matter and that this is a space where their thoughts will be valued. When you echo back in a thoughtful way what someone has just shared, you’re doing more than just repeating words. You’re showing everyone in the group that each contribution will be heard, respected and valued.
For example, if someone shares an observation, you might say, ‘that’s a really interesting detail you’ve noticed. Can you tell us more about what drew your attention to it?’ This sort of response does several important things: it validates the specific observation, it shows you’re genuinely interested in their thinking, and it invites them to expand on their ideas.
Good listening also means being fully present—putting aside your own thoughts or your next question for a moment, and really focusing on what’s being shared. This builds trust because people can sense when you’re really listening versus when you’re just waiting for your turn to speak.
4. Create a welcoming environment
Focus on creating an environment where people feel at ease from the moment they join the group. This is about establishing an atmosphere where everyone feels socially comfortable and at home. Use a warm and welcoming tone, acknowledge people as they arrive, and help dispel any anxiety about having expertise or knowing the right answers early on.
Your tone and language choices matter enormously here. Use inclusive language like ‘we’ll explore together‘ rather than ‘I’m going to show you’. Model curiosity and openness yourself—when people see you being genuinely enthusiastic about discovering together, they’re more likely to feel comfortable sharing their own thoughts.
The impact of trust and psychological safety
These four practices—setting clear parameters, building confidence through questions, validating through active listening and creating a warm and comfortable space—all work together to create environments where real engagement can flourish.
When we set expectations, people know what lies ahead. When we use progressive questioning, we build confidence in everyone sharing their thoughts. When we listen actively, people feel valued, and when we create a welcoming atmosphere, participants feel able to be themselves.
Remember, we’re asking our participants to do something quite brave in our programmes: to share their thoughts, make those personal connections, and discover alongside others. Whether they’re with classmates, friends, or people they’ve just met, this kind of sharing does take courage.
By focusing on building trust and psychological safety, we’re not just making our guided experiences more comfortable (which is important in itself), but we’re actually making them more meaningful. We’re creating spaces where people feel able to engage deeply with objects, artworks and stories, and where they can take those small risks that lead to real discovery.
In order to build trust and psychological safety we need to develop awareness and intentionality in how we facilitate. It’s about understanding that every group is different and being ready to adapt our approach. When people feel safe to explore, question and share, that’s when the real magic happens. That’s when a guided experience becomes more than just looking and listening.