The AlliedUP Co-op Blog

By Tammy Johns
Strategy and Talent CEO, Mom, GaGa, and Blue Jays Fan

It’s World Series Season!

Today, the Toronto Blue Jays are facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and getting a team to the “Big Show” takes persistence, training, and a few good breaks — along with fans who’ve spent decades believing it’s possible. But behind every great team is something just as important: a proven system for growing talent.

After all, professional baseball is big business, and talent strategy wins the day. I’ve been fascinated by baseball’s approach to talent since Billy Beane changed the game — and the conversation — with Moneyball. (In fact, I once wrote an HBR post about that very strategy.) This year’s showdown brings that idea full circle, thanks to one remarkable player: Trey Yesavage.

Trey is the product of the Blue Jays’ Talent Incubation System. In just over a year, the 22-year-old pitcher went from being drafted 20th overall in the first round to climbing through A, AA, and AAA — all the way to his major league debut on September 15th. Then came his postseason debut against the formidable New York Yankees, where he broke the Blue Jays’ franchise record for most strikeouts in a postseason game. As Blue Jays reporter Keegan Matheson put it, it was among the “greatest performances in [Blue Jays] history.” Yesavage struck out 11 batters and gave up no hits in 5⅓ innings pitched.

Luck? Hardly. That’s what a smart talent strategy looks like — and what we at AlliedUP call a Talent Incubator^™. Trey’s skill was undeniable, but the Blue Jays’ system gave him the time, support, and coaching to grow at each level until he was ready to compete — and win — at the highest level.

So, what exactly is an Incubator?

• For a parent, it’s a safe space where a fragile newborn grows strong enough to thrive.
• For a founder, it’s the support system that helps a startup become the next unicorn.
• For businesses, a talent incubator turns raw talent into confident, skilled workers.

Other industries have proven how powerful this model can be. GE, IBM, and McKinsey all pioneered talent incubator systems that built deep internal pipelines — and lifted entire industries in the process. GE became a global factory for operations leaders. IBM grew generations of technology, management, and sales innovators. McKinsey’s alumni populate the C-suites of Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

The 2023 American Opportunity Index reinforces why this matters. It shows that companies with strong talent-maximizing practices outperform their peers — even within the same industry. Talent outcomes, it turns out, are a choice, not a coincidence. And those choices pay off.

Top-quartile companies save millions by retaining workers. Among firms with largely low-wage workforces, high retention can mean $100 million in attrition-related savings compared to peers. In higher-wage sectors, that number rises to over $400 million in additional bottom-line impact.

That’s not just good HR — it’s good business.

For healthcare, this is especially critical. A Mercer Asset Management report estimates that 9.7 million individuals currently work in essential, lower-wage healthcare occupations such as medical assistants, home health aides, and nursing assistants. That number will need to grow to 10.7 million in the next five years. Yet, if current trends persist — burnout, early retirements, and slow replacements — the U.S. could face a shortfall of 3.2 million workers in these roles within five years.

As a board member and consultant, I’ve seen AlliedUP develop an innovative Talent Incubator^™ System to help bridge that gap. The model pairs classroom-trained professionals — medical assistants, imaging techs, and more — with healthcare provider partners eager to build a ready-to-work pipeline of vetted, coached, and supported talent.

If baseball teaches us anything, it’s that developing talent is a long game.

When done right, it’s a system that builds not just stars — but legacies. Here’s hoping it’s a home run.