Companies talk a lot Team fit And Culture fitBut most do not have real equipment to do so. Instead, they rely on the intestine felt and testing-and-tact, which leads to frustration, conflict, and underperformance-especially in IT teams where various working style can create or break productivity.
I once employed two magnificent IT professionals-one had a troubleshooting talent, but abrasive in meetings, the other was careful and procedure-operating, but the time was required to make decisions. Both were great in their jobs, yet they continued to collide. Not because they were bad employees, but because they did not understand the working styles of each other.
Ray Dalo saw this problem first in Bridgewater Associates. Solve it? baseball cards-A system where each employee had a profile underlining his strength, weaknesses, communication style and decision -making process.
Imagine if every IT manager, network engineer, or Devops Lead had a quick-sequence card that told you:
Cognitive and work style strength -Are they a visionary architect or an execution-centered problem solving? Do they thrive in high pressure troubleshooting or prefer structured project tasks?
personality traits – Are they an independent deep thinker or an enthusiastic team player? Do they bring energy to churning sessions, or do they prefer detailed research before speaking?
Decision -making approach -Do they make quick, instinct-operated calls or do they need time to analyze every risk? Do they rely on their intestine or overcome data?
Communication Preferences – Do they prefer a brief message with clear action points, or do they need reference and expansion? Do they work best with face to face discussion or structured email?
Blind spots and weaknesses – Not as a negative, but as a way to continuously manage the dynamics of the team. Are they prone to overgrowth? Do they struggle with ambiguity?
Reliability rating – What are their proven strengths, as rated by colleagues? Who is for network safety deep dives? Who excels in stakeholder communication?
No more guess. There is no other disappointment. Now! Quick clarity How to cooperate effectively.
The best IT teams do not just have the right people – they have people who know how to work together. Dalio’s baseball cards approach can be a game-changer for IT leadership, project management and internal IT teams.
Is it not easy if you can see how your team works instead of finding it difficult?
