When properly anchored, a boat will rise and fall with the tide, perhaps drift a bit with the current and shift directions with the wind. But when turbulence comes -- for example, a major storm or flooding -- failing to adjust the line to the anchor or ensure that it is strong enough can be disastrous. If it is anchored too tightly, the boat is likely to sink; if the line isn’t strong enough, it will break away.
People are much like boats in this regard. We each have our own personal and professional anchors. They allow us to adjust with the shifting tides in our lives, to drift with the currents of change. And, they provide us with a sense of security and stability. While different people may have some anchors in common, there are also significant differences both in what our individual anchors are and in our relationship to them. At the personal level, anchors may include family, friends, home, religious or spiritual practice, hobbies, etc. In the workplace, title, tenure, salary, relationships with co-workers, and the work that is done are among the anchors that people may count on.
Just like a boat’s anchor, much of the time, the things that are anchoring us are below the surface. We’re not thinking about what is guiding our thoughts, our decisions, our actions. We are not thinking about what is giving us a sense of stability and security. We are just doing what we do in the way that we do it. Then turbulence hits. It may take the form of a pivot in the strategic direction of the company, new technology, a turn-over in leadership, changes in the organizational structure or new policies and procedures. In one case, I witnessed the turbulence came not with the move of a company to a new office location; it came with the edict that personal photographs (e.g., loved ones, pets) could no longer be posted on cubicle bulletin boards when the company moved into its new location.
When planning a change, remember, everyone is anchored! If your change is to succeed, you need to pay attention to the anchors. Which ones does the organization need to let go of? Which does it have to loosen, or tighten? Which anchors will remain unchanged? What new anchors will be needed? Your planning should address how and when any anchor changes should take place. Most change management methodologies don’t pay attention to anchors in this way; it is important -- especially during major change -- that you do.
Create an inventory of your organization’s anchors. This is best done during times of relative stability. You might conduct a survey or use focus groups. You’ll find that certain elements of your organizational culture anchor people. Look at the ways in which different aspects of your facilities, organization design, technology and policies and procedures provide people with a sense of stability. Personnel, including both the people and how they relate to others as leaders, managers and co-workers may serve as anchors. Just as there is an overarching organizational culture and subculture, you will find that there are some anchors that are strong across the organization while others serve specific locations, or functions, or groups of employees. You can probably name some of the organization's anchors now -- others will surprise you.
There is a distinct type of anchor known as a “sea anchor.” It is deployed on the open water during turbulence. The sea anchor floats below the surface of the water and keeps the bow or stern of the vessel facing into the waves, preventing it from capsizing. Once you have inventoried your organization’s anchors, determine which are sea anchors. For some organizations, their values are strongly held; they are sea anchors. For other organizations, the values are words on a wall. Again, sea anchors may be organizational or more limited.
As your change is planned and rolled out, anchors should be an essential element of your communications. What anchors are being affected? Why? How? When? You should also communicate what anchors are being maintained. When people feel that their world is being turned upside down and inside out by change, calling out the anchors that remain untouched helps to restore a sense of stability, reducing the overall impact of the change.
During change, some anchors can provide steadiness. Others can sink the ship. Know which is which, and pay attention to them all.
