The quiet advantage: psychological safety as a driver of women’s progression in tech

By Holly Coles , Group Partner Alliance Manager, UBDS

One of the less obvious lessons I’ve learned in the early stages of my career is that the best ideas don’t always win. The ideas that gain momentum are often those voiced by people who feel safe enough to speak up and influential enough to be heard.

That insight became the catalyst for stepping away from my career in finance to study for my Master’s in Psychological Sciences at UCL, and later for my transition into tech. What began as an attempt to understand people more deeply soon became a shift in how I approached my own career, moving away from trying seek validation from my younger less-confident self, and towards allowing my path to evolve more naturally. Technology moves fast and scales even faster. When we advise, build, and deploy digital solutions, we don’t just sell products, we shape experiences, access, and opportunity. And if we want everyone, including those quieter voices (which are often, but not exclusively, women), to progress in this industry from the classroom to leadership positions, we have to pay attention to the conditions that allow talent to thrive.

My Master’s studies gave me the language to articulate what I’d been observing for years. Psychological safety - knowing you can ask questions, challenge assumptions, admit uncertainty, and take considered risks without fear of ridicule or consequence - isn’t a “nice-to-have”. It’s the foundation that turns diversity into impact. Without it, people stay quiet and dull their shine. With it, individuals contribute more authentically, teams learn faster, collaborate better, and make smarter decisions.

Over the past few years, I feel lucky to have really found my “thing” in Partner Alliances - building relationships, and bringing people together to achieve some amazing outcomes. In my current role leading our partnerships at UBDS Group, I see first-hand how influence travels through networks. Partnerships aren’t only about capability and delivery, they’re about who gets access to opportunity, whose voices are amplified, and how we collaborate across organisations. That role comes with responsibility, and I’ve learned that progress is (very) rarely a solo effort.

I also feel extremely fortunate to have had some wonderful allies support me through my career, both men and women who have been outstandingly generous with their time, advocacy and investment in supporting my growth. I appreciate the supportive colleagues around me across UBDS Group, and the wider network of allies I’ve built across the ecosystem, people who advocate for you, who pass the microphone, and create space for others to lead and voice their opinions. Allyship isn’t always dramatic. I’ve found it’s often the smaller things: giving credit to others where it’s due, inviting quieter voices in, challenging “that’s just how it is”, and backing someone’s growth, even more so when they’re not in the room.

Raising awareness around the importance of psychological safety is important. Alongside my colleagues and industry friends, I’ve invested time in hosting panel talks, organising events, and creating forums where people can speak honestly about what helps (and what hinders) women’s and neurodiverse progression in tech. These conversations matter, because they normalise learning, surface barriers early, and show others they’re not alone in their experience.

But they’re not enough. What I really want to see happen, is for there no longer to be a need for these specific events. I want these opportunities to exist every day in the small, quiet moments. For psychologically safe environments to become the norm.

As techUK’s TechTogether campaign returns throughout March 2026, I’m reflecting on what we can all do in our own circles of influence.

For me, it comes down to three commitments:

Make pathways visible - especially for career changers and early-career talent.
Move from mentoring to sponsorship - use your credibility to open doors, pass on opportunities and quietly champion others, not just give advice.
Embed inclusion into the every-day - treat equity and safety as core non negotiables, not add-ons only spoken about at industry events.

The quiet advantage of psychological safety is that it doesn’t just help women stay in the room, it helps them lead once they’re there. And when women progress, teams, products and communities get better too.

About the campaign

techUK’s March TechTogether campaign continues with a focus on ‘empowering women in tech from classroom to c-suite'. Following International Women's Day our insights this week focus on female retention and growth in tech workplaces, spotlighting successful female tech leaders, gender pay disparities in the tech world, and addressing workplace biases and strengthening DEI initiatives.