Game 6 of the World Series is tonight, pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Houston Astros. So far, the games have been exciting, with records being set around home runs hit, runs scored, and length of game. Many expect that the championship won’t be decided until the 7th game, and neither team has shown signs of giving in to the other.
Success in baseball is a combination of both luck and skills. Many baseball analysts speak of the 5-tool player, describing someone who can hit, field, run, throw, and hit for power. Additionally, there is also the importance of a team hitting its peak performance at the right time with both pitchers and hitters able to sync up their successes.
Similarly, a combination of luck and skill are required to win in the world of IT. In this blog post, we look at the similarities between a championship winning baseball team and a leading IT team.
- Similarity #1: Forward Thinking Management: A baseball team’s success starts with the leadership of the manager, who understands the strengths of the team. In IT, success starts with the leadership of the CIO. Without the right forward thinking towards emerging technology and strategic need, an organization risks falling behind the competition.
- Similarity #2: Building a Team: Many championship teams have a combination of skilled veterans, young talent, specialists, and generalists leading the way. Whether it is the pitcher who knows how to squeeze out of a bases loaded jam or a young player who performs without pressure, all members are needed to win. Similarly, IT teams require a variety of team players, from the IT generalist to the DevOps specialist to the specialized coder. Without each, projects deliveries are delayed and the organization falls behind.
- Similarity #3: Support is Key: A winning team also includes important partnerships, which can be community organizations and fan support. Without either, word of the team’s success may not be as well known in the community, which results in less attendance at games. For IT organizations, support comes in the form of technology partnerships, collaboration with consulting firms, and buy-in from executive leadership. Without either of these three ingredients, organizations may not have the resources they need to succeed.
- Similarity #4: Stick to the Fundamentals: Finally, it’s all about sticking to the fundamentals. A baseball team cannot expect to be successful if the players do not field properly, hit in the clutch, or excel at pitching. In an IT framework, success also cannot be achieved if there is no understanding of modern fundamentals including cloud, DevOps, and subscription model usage pricing. IT organizations must seek to train and re-train their employees in order to keep up.
Do you agree with these concepts? Let us know in the comments section below and send our sales team an email at sales@perficient.com if you believe your IT team could use a strategy session to better compete in the marketplace. Best of luck to both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros tonight!
