From Mission to the Heart of the Organization: Culture Book

When we launched Graylight Imaging in 2020, our mission was crystal clear: “Our contribution to solving problems that afflict people globally.” This objective, deeply rooted in the medical sector, guided our actions from the very beginning. Even then, as we outlined our vision for 2024, we saw culture as a key to our success. We knew we needed to create an organizational culture unique to us. It had to help us unlock the potential of each person and the team as a whole.

The path to this goal, especially for a startup emerging from a large software company, wasn’t always easy. Old habits, even positive ones, can be difficult to break. Daily “urgent” tasks often make us postpone deeper, strategic discussions. We easily delay reflecting on who we are and what truly matters to us. I wish I could say we codified our culture right after defining our mission and vision. But that wasn’t the first thing we did. The reality, as is often the case, had other plans.

So, how did our unique organizational culture come about? It turns out that it largely emerged organically, driven by several key factors (described in the next paragraphs).

Our mission—making a significant contribution to solving medical problems—naturally necessitated a focus on research, development, and experimentation (R&D). Without it, we wouldn’t get anywhere. Thus, the first of our key values, “Ideas” (defined as Ingenuity and Innovation), appeared almost spontaneously. From the outset, we supported the team in scientific work, publications, participation in conferences, and industry challenges. This attracted a group of people to Graylight for whom innovation, creativity, and continuous development are fundamental.

We are not alone in this. Research confirms that organizational culture is one of the strongest drivers of innovation. As Gallup indicates, companies that purposefully cultivate an environment supporting idea sharing and experimentation are more likely to achieve breakthrough results.² What’s more, Harvard Business Review emphasizes that a “culture of curiosity” is directly linked to a company’s ability to adapt and introduce novel solutions ³. Our investments in the scientific development of the team are therefore not only support for individual ambitions but also a strategic action for the entire organization.

Since the beginning of Graylight Imaging, we’ve monitored team morale through our annual “Happy Team” survey. Consistently, one of the most highly rated aspects is our atmosphere. At GLI, we simply like each other, and even when facing very difficult tasks, we can find joy in working together. However, this good atmosphere doesn’t come solely from integration but primarily from partnership. We ask the team for their opinions, we give them choices, and team members have a real impact on many decisions. Monthly Q&A meetings with the Board are a space where everyone can ask any question or share an opinion or idea, and importantly, these ideas don’t end up forgotten. Many of them, such as the initiative to codify our “Culture Book,” are actually implemented.

In partnership, two sides and a principle are key: “You get a lot because you give a lot.” I have a strong feeling that at GLI, we all give our maximum. That’s why the values of “Partnership and Impact” emerged as a natural part of our DNA. Studies like those conducted by Ryan and Deci within Self-Determination Theory show that autonomy, a sense of competence, and belonging (which are strongly linked to partnership and impact) are fundamental to employees’ intrinsic motivation and engagement. ⁴ When people feel that their voice matters and their work is appreciated, their commitment and loyalty grow.

And finally, “Accountability.” Here again, we return to our mission. Every Graylight team member feels that we are part of something big, which carries enormous responsibility—not only in the medical context but also in business. You cannot work on solutions that have a real impact on people’s health and lives without a deep sense of responsibility. At GLI, we understand it broadly: each of us is responsible for our tasks, for how we represent the company externally, and for the atmosphere we create internally. We treat each other as mature, responsible individuals.

Professor Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School, in her research on psychological safety, emphasizes that a culture where people feel responsible yet also safe to admit mistakes and learn from them is crucial for achieving high performance, especially in complex and risky fields like medicine.⁵ A sense of shared responsibility for the company’s mission is a powerful motivating factor.

So, how did we formally write down our culture? Together with leaders, through a series of workshops, we thoroughly analyzed what was important to us and our teams. We overlaid this with the results of the “Happy Team” survey, listening to the voices of our employees. It turned out that our values were clear and distinct—we just needed to name them and write them down.

Thus, our Culture Book was created. We decided to add a very important section: “How We Work.” Why? On one hand, we want everyone to uniformly understand our culture and the values behind it. On the other hand, we want to make it as easy as possible for new people joining Graylight to quickly adapt and understand our way of being and operating. As SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) indicates, a well-defined and communicated “culture book” can significantly improve the onboarding process, increase operational consistency, and strengthen the company’s identity, especially during periods of growth. ⁶

Building organizational culture is a continuous process, not a one-time project. At Graylight Imaging, we are proud of the journey we have taken—from being intuitively guided by our mission, through the organic formation of values, to their conscious codification. Our culture, based on ideas, partnership, impact, and accountability, is the foundation that allows us not only to achieve ambitious business goals but, above all, to create a workplace where everyone can fully realize their potential.

Sources

2. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/324103/create-culture-innovation.aspx
3. https://hbr.org/2018/09/the-business-case-for-curiosity
4. http://selfdeterminationtheory.org/
5. https://hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6460
6. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/onboarding