Psychological Safety  ·  Psychological Safety In The Workplace

Psychological safety isn’t the same for everyone

August 4, 2025 • by Tom Geraghty

There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all”, cookie-cutter, road map approach to psychological safety.

There are some foundational practices and principles, but the experience of psychological safety, and how it manifests, is different for everyone. Our background, culture, neurodiversities, abilities, needs and preferences all affect what psychological safety looks like to us. And the stakes for speaking up are higher for some than others.

Psychological Safety looks different to everyone
Psychological Safety looks different to everyone

For some, it may be the space to stutter and stammer, for others, not feeling the need to maintain eye contact or sit still.

“Speaking up” doesn’t just mean verbally either. We may speak up via text, email, written note, sign language, drawing, or a different language to the dominant one of the group.


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Tom Geraghty

Tom Geraghty, co-founder and delivery lead at Iterum Ltd, is an expert in high performing teams and psychological safety. Leveraging his unique background in ecological research and technology, Tom has held CIO/CTO roles in a range of sectors from tech startups to global finance firms. He holds a degree in Ecology, an MBA, and a Masters in Global Health. His mission is to make workplaces safer, higher performing, and more inclusive. Tom has shared his insights at major events such as The IT Leaders Summit, the NHS Senior Leadership Conference, and EHS Global Conferences. Connect with him on LinkedIn or email tom@psychsafety.com

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