Whether you're an IT professional interested in a career in DevOps or a manager for an organization bent on transitioning to the software development methodology, making the move to DevOps may just be a matter of changing your mindset. DevOps, experts say, isn't as much of a role as it is a concept. The recipe for success lies in fostering teamwork and collaboration.

"It all comes down to how people work together," says Evan Powell, CEO and cofounder of StackStorm, an open source platform for event-driven automation. People need to work well together within their own teams. But more importantly, cooperation and communication must extend beyond group borders.

"DevOps is really about breaking down silos and accomplishing a culture of shared goals,'' says Jonathan Fletcher, an enterprise architect and DevOps lead at Hiscox, an international specialist insurer. It's not enough to have the techical chops: Soft skills matter.

Esther Shein is a freelance writer and editor specializing in technology, business, and education. Her work has appeared in several online and print publications. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of Datamation. She was also a senior writer at eWeek (formerly PC Week) and worked at The Associated Press. She is a member of the Internet Press Guild.