Empowering Teams to Innovate: Creating a Culture of Experimentation

Innovation is often hailed as the cornerstone of business success, but reality is that the path to truly groundbreaking ideas is paved with risks, mistakes, and experiments. At Transactworld Digital, we believe that the key to staying ahead in a rapidly evolving industry lies in empowering our people to experiment boldly and learn from every outcome—success or failure.

As the Head of Human Capital, I have the privilege of working closely with our incredible team, witnessing firsthand how a supportive and inclusive culture can unlock untapped potential. In this post, I’ll share insights into how leaders can foster a culture of experimentation, one where employees feel empowered to take risks, challenge the status quo, and ultimately drive the business forward.

1. Create Psychological Safety

Innovation thrives in an environment where employees feel safe to speak up, share their ideas, and even fail. As Amy Edmondson, a leading expert on psychological safety, explains:
“Psychological safety is not about being nice. It’s about giving candid feedback, openly admitting mistakes, and learning from them without fear of embarrassment or punishment.”

At Transactworld Digital, we encourage open dialogue and value curiosity over perfection. Whether it’s in team meetings or one-on-one conversations, we want our people to feel that their contributions matter and that mistakes are simply stepping stones toward better solutions.

2. Lead by Example

Leadership sets the tone for any organizational culture. If leaders are not willing to take risks themselves, employees are unlikely to feel encouraged to do so. Our CEO, Ernest Terry Obi, often reminds us that “innovation doesn’t happen by playing it safe—it’s about challenging conventional thinking and trying something new.”

By sharing their own stories of experimentation, leaders can model vulnerability and courage, showing that it’s okay to embrace uncertainty in pursuit of something greater.

We created a ‘hot seat’ segment in our monthly town halls to give younger team members an opportunity to learn from the work-related and general life experiences of their more seasoned colleagues.

3. Recognize and Reward Experimentation

One of the most effective ways to promote a culture of experimentation is to celebrate efforts, not just outcomes. At Transactworld Digital, we actively recognize employees who think outside the box and try new approaches, even if the results aren’t immediately successful.

As I wrote recently, Bad Result =/= Bad Idea : We encourage employees to differentiate between the two. This is because we know that even the best ideas can result in bad results. So, managers have to focus on coaching ideas not results because if you coach results you might end up with employees that are unwilling to innovate or worse still, good results that came from bad ideas which would likely be catastrophic if ever implemented again.

A culture that values learning over blame ensures that employees see risks as opportunities, rather than threats to their job security. This is especially important in a high-stakes industry like fintech, where experimentation often leads to game-changing breakthroughs.

4. Provide the Right Tools and Resources

Experimentation without the right support can feel daunting. That’s why we invest in tools, training, and technology that empower our team to innovate with confidence. From workshops on design thinking to collaboration platforms that streamline brainstorming, we ensure our employees have what they need to turn their ideas into action.

We also provide opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, encouraging employees to learn from colleagues with diverse expertise and perspectives. These collaborations often spark the kind of creative thinking that leads to truly innovative solutions.

5. Encourage Small Bets Before Big Risks

Experimentation doesn’t always have to involve a massive overhaul. At Transactworld Digital, we advocate for “small bets”—testing ideas on a smaller scale before committing significant resources.

For instance, when developing a new feature for our platform, our product and engineering teams often start with prototypes or limited pilots. This approach allows us to gather valuable feedback and iterate quickly, reducing the risk of large-scale failures.

6. Embed Experimentation Into Everyday Processes

Innovation isn’t a one-time event; it’s a continuous journey. To make experimentation a part of our DNA, we’ve woven it into our everyday operations. Regular brainstorming sessions, hackathons, and team-building activities provide structured opportunities for employees to share ideas and work on creative projects.

By making experimentation a routine practice, we reinforce the idea that everyone has a role to play in driving innovation, no matter their title or department.

7. Emphasize the “Why” Behind Innovation

Finally, fostering a culture of experimentation requires a shared sense of purpose. At Transactworld Digital, our mission—“to empower individuals and businesses with financial technology solutions that transcend boundaries and drive economic growth”—guides everything we do.

When employees understand how their experiments contribute to the company’s larger vision, they feel a deeper sense of ownership and motivation to push boundaries.

A Culture That Drives the Future

Building a culture of experimentation isn’t just about encouraging employees to try new things—it’s about creating an environment where they feel supported, inspired, and valued. At Transactworld Digital, this philosophy is captured in our tagline, “You. Powered by us.” It’s not just about our customers; it’s also about empowering our team to bring their best ideas to the table, knowing they have the backing of an organization that believes in their potential.

The future of innovation lies in people—people who aren’t afraid to take risks, think differently, and experiment boldly. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to give them the space, tools, and encouragement to do just that.

By creating a culture of experimentation, we’re not only shaping the future of Transactworld Digital but also redefining what it means to lead in a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry.

Let’s be bold. Let’s experiment. Let’s build the future together.