The Anchoring metaphor was first used by Edgar Schein (2006) when writing about the nature of careers. I wish to expand on the metaphor used by Schein. In making use of this metaphor, it is important to note that there are two kinds of anchors. The first is the so-called Bottom or Ground Anchor. This is the large and very heavy anchor that most of us non-nautical folks envision. The bottom anchor consists of a shaft with two arms and flukes at one end and a stoke mounted at the other end. This type of anchor digs into the floor of the sea once the boat begins to move and provides tension on the chains connecting the anchor to the boat. More simply, a ground anchor can be a slab of concrete to which a ship is attached when moored. These anchors are meant to be permanent. Similarly, some Essentials in an organization are meant to be permanent. These Essential ground anchors are often associated with the mission and values of the organization. They are rarely modified—and are never to be discarded!
The second kind of anchor is called a Sea Anchor (also called a drift anchor or drogue). It typically is not as heavy as the bottom anchor and is often shaped like a parachute or cone with the larger end pointing in the direction of the boat’s movement. The sea anchor helps to orient the boat into the wind and slows down (but doesn’t prevent) the boat’s drift. This anchor provides flexible anchorage in the midst of tidal action as well as shifting wind. The sea anchor is used when the boat is no longer near the shoreline and the sea floor is located many fathoms below. The sea anchor contrasts with the ground anchors in that it is intended not to hold a boat in place but rather to align the boat with the wind and tides. The sea anchor slows down movement of the beat in any one direction.
Some of the Essentials in an organization operate like sea anchors. They similarly provide alignment and direction for an organization or society. They provide guidance and parameters for the organization as it shifts gradually with changes in the environment that surrounds a specific issue. It is important to note that the process of Polystasis operates like a sea anchor—as does the process of Allostasis. While homeostasis is based on the assumption that there is a permanent baseline (ground anchor) to which we continually adjust, both Polystasis and Allostasis suggest that the baseline (like the surface anchor) is shifting while also providing direction and some continuity. Benefits are inherent in both the ground and sea anchor. An Essential Lens can help us focus on the appropriate use of each type of anchor/intention.
I wish to take this analysis one step further. I suggest there is something fundamental operating in organizations. These are organizational patterns. I propose that both bottom and sea anchors operate in the maintenance of patterns in the lives of our organizations. The diverse ways in which patterns are established, reinforced and provide energy in our organizations tend to organize around several anchors. Some of these patterns and anchors are unyielding. They operate as bottom anchors and are firmly implanted in some organizational (or even societal) sea floor. These bottom anchors may be based on a set of strongly held collective values, beliefs, hopes, fears–or even shared myths.
