Once upon a time, at a fancy resort on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there were seven business leaders. These were no ordinary business leaders but executive operators from various departments of a large corporation:
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- Developers
- IT
- Security
- Sales and Marketing
- Finance
- Revenue
- The CEO
They were all on a corporate retreat to bond with the goal of creating new strategies for their company when, one fateful day, while out on a team-building exercise, their boat was caught in a terrible storm. It wasn’t unlike the market conditions the company was facing back on land. Unable to battle the elements to make their way back to the resort, they were washed ashore on a deserted island. Stranded, these executive operators – now castaways – had to find a way to survive until they could be rescued.
Instead of working together, they each retreated to their own corner of the island, refusing to collaborate, convinced that their department was the most important function on the road to survival and rescue. With this mindset, the roles of each operational department quickly took shape:
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- The DevOps team used their technical skills to build a GPS device to help them navigate their way back to civilization.
- The IT Ops team began building a shelter where they could stay to keep dry and warm.
- The Security Ops team started working on a communication system to send a distress signal.
- The Sales and Marketing Ops teams offered their skills to develop a catchy slogan to attract the attention of passing ships if one was to appear.
- The FinOps team tried to keep track of time and resources across the island.
- The RevOps team was busy brainstorming ways to create a feasible rescue plan.
The CEO attempted to manage the distraught team’s morale and keep them motivated.
Unwilling to divert their attention from their own efforts to share resources or ideas with their colleagues, the castaways hoarded their own supplies and spent their time fiercely protecting their department to ensure success for their specific task.
Despite their individual efforts, progress was slow, and tensions began to rise. The IT ops team wanted to use the limited resources for communication equipment, while the DevOps team argued that shelter was a more pressing need. The FinOps team wanted to preserve the resources, while the RevOps team argued that they needed to invest heavily in rescue-generating activities.
Days turned into weeks, and the castaways were still stranded. They had managed to survive, but their situation was bleak. They were running low on food and water, and morale was at an all-time low. It was then that the CEO had an epiphany.
She realized that they would never be rescued if they continued to work in silos. They needed to come together as a team and collaborate if they were going to get off the island. She called an all-hands meeting in the island’s center to propose a plan to the castaways. She described the proposal, which would pool all their resources and work together to build a raft that would take them off the island. The arguments continued initially, but the CEO ultimately led the group to develop an integrated plan. They realized that they could achieve their goals much faster if they worked together.
As they worked together to build the raft, the castaways began to see the benefits of working as a team. They realized that by pooling their resources and sharing their knowledge, they could achieve more than they ever could on their own. They overcame their differences and worked towards the common goal of building a raft that would take them off the island.
In the end, the castaways were able to build the raft and set sail back to civilization. Halfway to their destination, they were rescued by a passing ship and ultimately returned to their corporate offices with a newfound respect for collaboration and teamwork. They all realized that while their individual roles were necessary, they could only achieve their goals by breaking down the silos and working together.
They implemented a similar approach in the office, working collaboratively across departments. The DevOps, SecOps, and IT Ops teams worked together to optimize their systems. The Sales and Marketing teams collaborated with DevOps and IT Ops to ensure customers were given the best experience possible. All Ops teams were open with their budget and resources, so the FinOps and RevOps teams would ensure everything ran smoothly, supporting business outcomes with profitability in mind.
They learned that the real power of a team lies in collaboration and that breaking down silos is essential for success, no matter where you are and what you are trying to accomplish.
The lesson for you in this story is that you don’t have to get to the point of being a separate group of castaways to where your business is running on a deserted island, out of touch with the rest of the world, your target market, and your customers. This story demonstrates that, by working together and breaking down silos, even the most impossible tasks can be achieved. Whether stranded on a desert island or running a successful business, teamwork, and collaboration are the keys to success.
With deep roots in platform engineering, the team at Taos has the experience needed to develop strategies and implement a comprehensive program for all aspects of operations—from DevOps to DataOps and AIOps to RevOps—helping organizations like yours break down the silos and bridge the gaps between all your operational departments. An integrated platform engineering services program developed with Taos will help you optimize your processes, reach your desired business outcomes, and drive success in a business environment, even if we don’t know exactly what the next storm of Ops will look like.
Learn more about Taos Platform Engineering Services.