Safety that Starts on the Inside
Building the inner stability required for safe decisions in demanding environments.
Safe-Esteem explores the psychological side of operational safety where Ulf shows how inner
stability, confidence, emotional regulation and self-awareness directly influence behaviour at
work. When people feel centred and capable, they make better decisions, speak up more
readily and stay composed during critical moments. This keynote brings a modern, human
approach to safety performance.
This keynote is Ideal for organisations wanting to strengthen human performance beyond rules and
compliance. Suited for HSSE leaders, supervisors and teams in high-risk sectors who face
stress, fatigue, fast-changing conditions or mental overload.
Outcomes
• Improved emotional regulation under pressure
• Greater confidence to intervene, question and challenge
• Stronger self-awareness in high-risk scenarios
• Reduced incident potential through improved mental readiness
• Teams that operate with clarity rather than stress-driven reactions.
Companies that bring this keynote in can also continue with the Safe-Esteem masterclass,
where Ulf guides teams through practical techniques for building everyday psychological
readiness and resilience.
The six human safety needs
This keynote gives leaders and teams the human lens behind every safe or unsafe decision.
Ulf breaks down the six core needs that drive behaviour in high-risk environments, showing
how inner state influences judgement, communication and willingness to intervene. Using
real operational stories and humour, he helps teams recognise the human patterns behind
near misses, deviations and everyday choices on site. Ideal for leadership teams, HSSE functions, frontline supervisors and organisations in oil and
gas, maritime, construction, engineering, manufacturing and other safety-critical sectors.
Perfect for teams facing issues such as inconsistent behaviours, rule-following without
ownership, hesitation to speak up and a gap between safety expectations and what actually
happens on site.
Outcomes are • A practical understanding of why people behave the way they do
• Increased confidence to challenge unsafe situations
• Better communication under pressure
• A behavioural foundation for stronger safety culture
• Tools leaders can use immediately to support safer decisions.
Organisations who book this keynote often follow it with Ulf’s masterclass on The Six Human
Safety Needs, where teams apply the model to real scenarios and learn how to embed
behavioural change in daily operations.
Silent deviations
Every organisation has silent deviations: small, accepted shifts away from expected
behaviour that slowly become normal. Ulf reveals why these deviations emerge, how they
spread and why they are often invisible to leadership until an incident occurs. Through
powerful stories from offshore and heavy-industry settings, he shows what silent deviations
look like in real life and how teams can catch them early. Designed for operational teams, HSSE leaders, supervisors and organisations dealing with
normalisation of risk, inconsistent standards, poor reporting culture or gaps between “work
as imagined” and “work as done.”
Outcomes are • A clear understanding of how small risks escalate
• Tools for spotting, stopping and discussing deviations
• Greater ownership and accountability at every level
• A culture where teams intervene early rather than adapt quietly
• Stronger alignment between procedures and daily practice.
Many organisations follow this keynote with Ulf’s Silent Deviations masterclass, where teams
map their own deviation patterns and learn how to rebuild ownership across the workflow.
3s. soft skills for safety
Soft Skills that create hard safety results communication, collaboration and mental readiness. The essential competencies that determine safety
performance. In safety-critical environments, soft skills aren’t “nice to have” — they are operational
competencies. Ulf breaks down the three skills that consistently influence safety outcomes:
how we communicate, how we collaborate and how mentally ready we are when pressure
hits. He shows how these skills affect decision-making, hazard recognition and team
performance, using familiar real-world scenarios to make the learning stick.
This keynote is Ideal for cross-functional teams, supervisors, project managers and leaders in industries
where high-pressure operations demand strong communication and coordination.
Particularly valuable for organisations struggling with misunderstandings on site, siloed
working, or teams that technically know the rules but still make avoidable errors. Outcomes are stronger communication during high-risk tasks
• Better collaboration across shifts and functions
• Improved situational awareness and readiness under pressure
• Clearer decision-making and fewer misunderstandings
• A team mindset that supports safer operations.
Many organisations will extend there work through Ulf’s 3S masterclass, focusing on practical
soft-skill drills and communication tools that teams can implement immediately.
How ulf speaks
Ulf Abrahamssons speaking style is grounded, engaging, and experience-driven.
He work with serious topics such as safety, human factors, and leadership — but deliver them in a way that keeps audiences present, involved, and open to reflection. He use humor thoughtfully and with purpose. Not to distract from the message, but to lower barriers, create connection, and make complex or sensitive subjects easier to engage with. Humor helps people listen — and remember.
Storytelling is a central part of how Ulf speak where he draw heavily on real case studies and lived experiences from his operational background within maritime, offshore, and heavy industry. These stories are not theoretical — they are practical, relevant, and immediately recognizable for the audience, which creates credibility and trust in the room.
Ulf Abrahamssons presentations are supported by clear and purposeful visual material (PowerPoint), designed to reinforce the message rather than compete with it. The focus is always on dialogue, insight, and practical takeaways — not on slides.
To ensure maximum relevance and impact, Ulf offer a briefing call ahead of each event when needed. This allows him to understand the audience, context, current challenges, and expectations — and to align the session with the organization's reality.
All keynotes and sessions can be tailored to the organization, industry, and audience, whether the setting is executive leadership, operational teams, safety professionals, or mixed groups. Ulf adapt language, examples, and emphasis to fit the environment.
His speeches is flexible in length and can be delivered as: -Short impact sessions (20–30 minutes). Standard keynotes (45 minutes)I. full keynotes (60 minutes).
Each session includes interactive elements, such as reflection questions, short audience engagement moments, or practical thought exercises — designed to activate thinking, not just passive listening.
Ulf`s goal is always the same: To be easy to work with, and leave people not only inspired, but clearer, more aware, and better equipped to act differently when it matters most.
Ulf`s Masterclasses are interactive, two-hour sessions designed to deepen the impact of the speeches and turn insight into everyday behavior.
Delivered to groups of few to around 30 participants, the masterclasses are primarily in person, with online delivery available when needed.
Through guided group discussions, scenario-based exercises and practical behavioral tools, participants gain:
Clear, usable frameworks, Improved behavioral awareness and decision-making under pressure. Practical actions they can apply immediately in their role. The masterclasses transform awareness from the speech into ownership, action and lasting behavioral change.
