The company talks a lot Team fit and Culture suitablebut most people don’t have real tools to implement it. Instead, they rely on intuition and trial and error, resulting in frustration, conflict and underperforming, especially in IT teams, where different work styles can improve or disrupt productivity.
I have hired two great IT professionals in the past – one a troubleshooting genius but rubbed in meetings, and the other a slight, process-driven, but takes time to make decisions. They both are excellent at work, but they keep clashing. Not because they are bad employees, but because they don’t understand each other’s work styles.
Ray Dalio witnessed the issue firsthand at Bridgewater Associates. His solution? Baseball card– Each employee has an overview system outlining their strengths, weaknesses, communication styles and decision-making processes.
Imagine if every IT manager, network engineer, or DevOps Lead had a quick reference card that told you:
✅ Advantages of cognition and work style – Are they visionary architects or execution-focused problem solvers? Do they thrive in high-voltage troubleshooting or do they like to work on structured projects?
✅ Personality characteristics – Are they independent in-depth thinkers or enthusiastic teamworkers? Do they bring energy to brainstorming sessions, or do they prefer detailed research before speaking?
✅ Decision-making method – Are they fast, instinctively driven phone calls or do they take time to analyze all risks? Do they trust their guts or rely on data?
✅ Communication preferences – Do they prefer concise messages with clear points of action, or do they need context and detail? Do they work best in face-to-face discussions or structured emails?
✅ Blind spots and weaknesses – Not negative, but a way to actively manage team dynamics. Are they prone to over-analysis? Are they struggling with ambiguity?
✅ Reliability rating – Why proven advantages by peers? Who is the first choice for deep diving in cybersecurity? Who excels in stakeholder communication?
No more guessing. No more frustration. only Instant clarity About how to collaborate effectively.
The best IT teams don’t just have the right people – they know how to work together. Dalio’s approach to baseball card could be a game changer for IT leadership, project management and internal IT teams.
Would it be easy if you could see how your team works instead of having a hard time figuring it out?
