The Edgewalker Organization is a high-energy organization that seeks to be on the cutting edge. It thrives on the next new thing and may have a disregard for the past or for tradition. The organization is committed to high integrity and to making a positive difference in the world. There are systems in place to support the institutionalization of these values. It is a fun-loving, creative place to work, and rules are kept to a minimum. Risk-taking is encouraged and rewarded.

The Flamekeeper Organization is very committed to the founder’s vision and values. This kind of organization makes all major decisions based on its mission and purpose. A strong sense of stewardship permeates the culture, allowing the organization to carry into the future the best of the past, while also remaining adaptive and nimble. It is common to hear stories about the organizational history and the founder’s start-up vision, and these stories often arise to remind the organization about the direction it should head in the future. The values of the organization are clearly stated, and employees are able to articulate them clearly and to give examples of when actions have been in alignment with these values.

The Hearthtender Organization is an organization that focuses on getting the day-to-day work done in an efficient way. There is a strong sense of service to customers and to each other, and a concern for peoples’ feelings. The organization tends to focus on what needs to happen in the present, and either doesn’t have time to look toward the future, or does not have a natural propensity for planning for the future. In general, people are detail oriented, and are comfortable with systems that make the work flow smoothly. The organization is likely to resist change that will be disruptive to the daily work.

The Placeholder Organization is an organization that is focused on the past, and holds a shared perception that the past was better than the current state of things. This type of organization tends to resist change, most likely because some previously implemented changes made things worse instead of better. People may be overloaded with too many changes and not able to handle any more at this time. If the organization is in a very stable environment, a Placeholder Orientation can help the organization to preserve those things that made it successful.

The Guardian Organization is an organization with a protective mentality. This mentality may be a result of offering products or services that prevent problems from happening, or that protect people when the problems do occur. This type of organization often uses fear of something negative happening as a motivator. A Guardian Organization is quite cautious in its decision-making and tends to be very risk-averse.