Every team is made up of individuals with different behaviours, work styles, and strengths. Within these teams, subgroups naturally form, influencing how decisions are made, how work is executed, and how change is adopted. When the right balance of subgroups is present, teams are dynamic, adaptable, and high-performing. However, when key subgroups are absent, teams may struggle with collaboration, resistance to change, or stagnation.
Shadowmatch’s Team Analysis Functionality provides insight into which behavioural subgroups exist within a team, where gaps may be limiting progress, and how to optimise team structure for success.
Understanding Team Subgroups & Their Roles
Shadowmatch identifies distinct behavioural subgroups within teams, each playing a critical role in the organisation’s overall success. Some subgroups drive progress, change, and innovation, while others provide stability, problem-solving, and structure.
✅ The Anchor Group – The stabilising force in a team. These individuals provide consistency, structure, and guidance, making them ideal for managerial and leadership positions. When managers or team leaders fall within this group, it strengthens the team’s stability and direction.
✅ The Problem-Solvers – These individuals excel at identifying and resolving challenges. Their ability to tackle issues head-on ensures continuous improvement and adaptability. A lack of problem-solvers can leave teams stagnant and unable to overcome obstacles effectively.
✅ The Action & Task Group – Focused on execution and efficiency, this subgroup ensures that plans are implemented effectively. Without this group, teams may struggle to turn ideas into action.
✅ The Adventure & Change Group – These are the innovators and risk-takers who challenge the status quo and push the team towards progress. If absent, the team may become resistant to change, leading to stagnation and difficulty in adapting to new strategies or organisational shifts.
✅ The People Group – Relationship-driven individuals who enhance communication, team cohesion, and workplace morale. If missing, teams may struggle with collaboration, leading to poor engagement and low synergy.
✅ The Cautious Group – This subgroup assesses risks and ensures decisions are well thought out. While caution is beneficial, if this is the dominant group without balance from other subgroups, it can lead to hesitation and resistance to progress.
✅ The Independent Group – Individuals in this group prefer autonomy over collaboration. While independence is valuable, if too many team members belong to this subgroup, it can lead to a lack of cohesion and difficulty in team-based initiatives.
Why Balanced Subgroups Matter for Team Success
An optimal team structure contains a balance of subgroups, ensuring that both stability and progress coexist. When critical subgroups are missing, the following challenges arise:
❌ Resistance to Change – Without adventurers and problem-solvers, teams may cling to old methods, slowing progress and innovation.
❌ Lack of Collaboration – If the People Group is absent, communication breakdowns occur, leading to disconnected teams and reduced efficiency.
❌ Ineffective Leadership – When managers and team leaders are not in the Anchor Group, the team lacks stability, direction, and strong decision-making.
❌ Stagnation & Missed Opportunities – Without risk-takers and action-driven individuals, teams become too cautious or slow-moving, making it difficult to seize opportunities or adapt to industry changes.
Building High-Performing Teams with Shadowmatch
With Shadowmatch’s Team Analysis, businesses gain clear insights into the behavioural composition of their teams, identifying which subgroups are present, which are missing, and how to optimise team balance.
✔ Ensure managers and leaders are in the Anchor Group for stronger team dynamics and stability.
✔ Balance risk-takers with problem-solvers to ensure both innovation and structured decision-making.
✔ Fill missing subgroups through recruitment, coaching, or restructuring to create a well-rounded, high-performing team.
By leveraging behavioural data, organisations can reduce resistance to change, improve collaboration, and drive long-term success.
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