Have you seen the movie Moneyball starring Brad Pitt? It’s one of my favorites. Whether that is because Brad Pitt is my favorite actor or because baseball, my favorite sport, is heavily featured throughout the movie, I’m not sure. What I can tell you, however, is the movie’s focus on the intersection of data and baseball IS NOT the reason why I adore Moneyball.
Today, data rules the world. It has seeped into every aspect of our lives, from sports like baseball to major corporations, local retailers and even schools. Unfortunately, the datafrication—yes, I just made up a word—of baseball has hindered my love of the game. Long gone are the days when baseball fans focused on easy-to-understand stats like homers, runs batted in, batting average and wins. Since the introduction of Moneyball, the sport has shifted to less warm and fuzzy statistics like WAR (Wins Above Replacement), OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) and velocity angle.
While ceaseless chatter about data has led to a slight decrease in my passion for baseball, there’s no denying its usage has led to smarter team building. That’s why CEOs continue to look to data to help fill their teams and strengthen their bottom lines. It’s also the reason schools are increasingly turning to data to support learning and help guide students through their career journey.
On this episode of Purposeful Pitch, I talk to Bill Guest, President and Chief Solutions Architect at Metrics Reporting, a company dedicated to helping businesses solidify their talent supply chain management. He’s also a key player at Talent Innovation Network of West Michigan, or TalNet, a coordinated effort across the region to help accelerate innovation and talent systems. During our discussion, Bill and I take a deep dive on how data is not only improving how businesses identify and retain talent, but how schools and parents can use data to better guide children to the appropriate career path.
To learn more about Lambert’s Education & Social Impact practice, contact me at Joe DiBenedetto.