In organisations and professional ecosystems, a number of people specialise in doing the liminal work – what tends to fall between the cracks. They drive continuous improvement, catalyse change, absorb shocks, and build more coherent cultures. They manage stakeholders, align strategy, and operationalise processes. They juggle emotions, mental models, protocols, incentives and technological systems. They weave together teams, organisations, sectors, communities and ecosystems. They work as strategic project lead, chief culture and improvement officer, business transformation manager, head of innovation, chief of staff, and in many middle management roles – interim or in-house, and often de facto. We call them shapeshifters. 

Shapeshifters are present in most organisations and professional environments. However, there is no consistent discourse or models around their role: no standard position descriptions or KPIs, no recognisable job titles and career pathways, no specific training opportunities, no unified industry forums or advocacy bodies. 

As a result, shapeshifting is often experienced as shapelessness, leading to invisibility. Shapeshifters tend to experience loneliness and self-doubt. They feel undervalued, under-recognised, or confusing to those around them, even themselves. This affects shapeshifters’ capacity to get things done, access resources, and sustain their work.

We created Shapeshifters Group to give shapeshifters voice and visibility. 


(Shapeshifters Group Inc. is now an official Incorporated Association)

Shapeshifters Group

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Teams

Offices