The Anchor Playbook
The Shield
Pivotal/Tanzu Labs
WEARS THE FIREFIGHTER HAT AND CREATES A BUBBLE FOR THE TEAM
Sometimes the anchor may want to handle blockers and interruptions, especially if these tasks create distractions.
In many cases anchors are expected to protect the team from inefficiencies caused by near-term blockers, interruptions, and unreasonable requests. They tend to be the one who attends strategic technical meetings and fields questions, especially on an easily-distracted team.
Responsibilities
- Keep the project stakeholders informed of issues and action items
- Create psychological safety for the team
- Stay firm when others get off track
- Think strategically about stakeholder enablement
- Advocate for the team
- Point out risks and harmful behaviors
Considerations
- Anchors work against unrealistic expectations and create safety for team members to not be afraid
- Shielding efforts sometimes result in the anchor acting similarly to a project stakeholder or sponsor
Challenges
- On projects that require frequent, tough conversations, the anchor may experience greater risk of burnout
- Hard to test for resiliency against difficult situations