Creating a Bespoke Culture

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the concept of a "bespoke culture" has become increasingly significant. But what does it indeed mean to create a bespoke culture, and how does it differ from traditional company cultures? Through a discussion with Valentina Gissin from Garner Health, we gained valuable insights into the practice of designing a culture tailored to a company’s unique mission, values, and goals.

What is a Bespoke Culture?

A bespoke culture is specifically designed to align with the company’s mission, its employee value proposition, and the objectives it aims to achieve. Unlike traditional cultures, which may follow a more generic or inherited set of values and practices, a bespoke culture is purposefully crafted to fit the unique needs and aspirations of the organization. As Valentina explains, at Garner Health, the culture is deeply intertwined with their audacious mission to transform the healthcare economy. This mission shapes every aspect of their cultural tenets and the behaviors they expect from their team.

The Core Values of a Bespoke Culture

At Garner Health, the bespoke culture is built around four fundamental values that directly flow from their mission:

1. Mission First: This value emphasizes prioritizing the company’s mission over individual self-interest. Employees are encouraged to align their actions and decisions with the mission, ensuring that every effort contributes to the overarching goal.
2. Expect Extraordinary: Garner Health sets a high bar for talent and work quality. This value drives the pursuit of excellence, where employees are challenged to deliver exceptional work and continuously push the boundaries of what they can achieve.
3. Courageous Communication: Honest and open communication is critical in Garner’s culture. This value promotes radical candor, where feedback is given and received with empathy and courage, regardless of hierarchy. It ensures that issues are addressed promptly and constructively, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
4. Supportive Community: Trust is the foundation of Garner’s culture. By building a supportive community, the company ensures employees feel they belong and are empowered to contribute to the mission. This value is significant in a hybrid work environment, where creating meaningful connections requires intentional effort.

What Does a Bespoke Culture Look Like in Practice?

In practice, a bespoke culture like that of Garner Health manifests in various ways:

• Mission Alignment in Decision-Making: Every decision at Garner is filtered through the lens of their mission. Whether prioritization or trade-off discussions, the mission is the guiding star, ensuring that all actions contribute to the company’s goals.
• High Standards for Talent and Work: Garner’s bespoke culture sets an extraordinarily high bar for hiring and work quality. The hiring process is unconventional, focusing on auditions rather than traditional interviews to ensure that candidates have the skills and align with the company’s cultural expectations.
• Radical Candor in Communication: Courageous communication is practiced across all levels of the organization. Junior employees are encouraged to speak up, even if it means challenging senior leaders. This practice fosters a culture of trust and openness, where the best ideas can surface regardless of the source.
• Investment in Supportive Practices: As a hybrid company, Garner invests heavily in creating touchpoints for remote employees to feel connected and supported. This includes in-person meetings and training for managers to support their teams in a virtual environment effectively.

Challenges and Evolution of a Bespoke Culture

Creating and maintaining a bespoke culture has its challenges. At Garner, one of the early hurdles was ensuring that new hires were skilled and fully aligned with the company’s cultural expectations. Traditional interviews proved inadequate, leading to the adoption of more effective methods like case studies and discussion groups.

As the culture evolves, the long-term goal is to make it a strategic differentiator for Garner Health. The culture aims to be so well understood and embodied that it attracts the right talent and drives the company’s success.

Advice for Building a Bespoke Culture

For other HR leaders looking to make a bold cultural shift, Valentina offers practical advice: start with your company’s mission and the specific behaviors needed to achieve it. Identify the key traits that make your top performers excel and use these insights to shape your culture. It’s also essential to ensure that your culture is lived, not just written, by embedding it into every aspect of your business operations.

In conclusion, a bespoke culture is more than just a set of values; it’s a strategic tool that can propel a company toward its goals. By intentionally designing a culture that aligns with your mission and values and continuously refining it through practice and feedback, you can create an environment where your people thrive, and your company succeeds.