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Service Management Art offers readily available training programs, enabling you to take action on changes now. These programs are designed with you, your people and your customer in mind - and will contribute to your bottom line. |
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The 'Real' Solution Please.
So, the New Year has rung in. Our pockets are empty, we're getting impatient with winter, we're likely pulling out the last of the frozen leftovers from the holidays and the bliss of resolutions and merriment has run out. Did I mention tax season is around the corner?
Many people use the New Year to set a new target for themselves, eager to make 'an improvement'. Then, by the second or third week in January, the resolution is forgotten and the momentum is gone. Our focus shifts to the daily battles of life, and we fall into the same routine we've always had.
The problem is: we strive to make 'continuous improvements' but are extremely ineffective at doing so. The perception of improvement initiatives and actually doing it are two completely different things.
So how do we make resolutions that work?
Let's break down some popular resolutions:
1. "Be happier."
Is 'being happier' a tangible resolution? This is my definition of a fluffy resolution. Define what you want to be happier about. Is it in the way with which you interact with people? The way you perceive situations? Or perhaps by being more effective in balancing work and your personal life.
2. "I want to weigh what I did 5 years ago."
It is very difficult to control exactly how much you are going to weigh. However, you can influence your weight, and control the factors upon which your weight is based. It's important to strive for what you are capable of achieving, as opposed to what you 'fantasize' to achieve.
Dr. Phil wraps up this concept nicely with some key elements involved in making 'Resolutions a Reality'.
· Set a very specific goal
· Set a goal that has a measurable outcome
· Assign a timeline
· Choose a goal you can control
· Program your life with a strategy
· Identify small steps
· Create accountability
· Set your environment up to help you succeed
· Change your lifestyle
The same concept is applicable in our organizations when it comes to continuous improvement. Most organizations come up with many ideas for areas of improvement and label them as continuous improvement initiatives for the year. "Improve Customer Satisfaction" is comparable to the "Be Happier" resolution. Defining specific areas of improvement will be the key in successfully achieving your targets.
On the contrary, many organizations fail to recognize the need for improvement because they're comfortable with the way things are. Or, as Paul Wilkinson describes, organizations simply "Plan, Do," and then "Stop".
Service Management Art
Farah Remtulla |
N E W S
Launch of our new website!
We're pleased to announce the formal launch of our new website! We're offering a plethora of SMArt's services in a crisp new format, broken down into three "SMArt Moves": Training, Consulting & the Bookstore.
The SMArt Consulting section allows you to view specific Service Management Consulting Packages, and paints a clear picture of what we can do to make your life better.
Benefits:
- access information up front
- organize your projects more efficiently
- spend less time on extra research
- plan less meetings and phone calls
The SMArt Training section shows users our Service Management Training Courses, along with an interactive calendar that allows you to "shop now" for the courses and workshops you need. All course offerings include detailed descriptions and recommended 'audiences'. Utilize our experienced resources to determine a training plan that best fits your organization. Look for features that allows you to develop personal training plans and can link to online training for your organization.
The SMArt Bookstore is your one-stop shop for all the Service Management Resources you need from an IT Service Management Perspective. With a diverse selection, pricing that is aligned to the market, and consistent and timely delivery, the SMArt bookstore is definitely the place you want to shop. Look out for features such as our monthly book reviews and special product offers.
Our new website also provides the latest in research and development from our resources: (sign up! for) SMArt's eMagazine, access archived newsletters, whitepapers, presentations and much more.
Take a peek! We're proud of our new look and feel and invite you to explore how you can make "SMArt Moves" for your organization!
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Peter's Power Play
Top reasons why IT Service Management projects fail.
Everyone has a horror story about a project that failed. (to be honest... I love those stories!)) In my work as a consultant I often encounter the question: What do we need to do to make our IT Service Management improvement program successful?
Here is my top 3:
3. Too much focused on the tool.
We adore our tools and we all think that the tool will be the solution. It is not! It is actually a major reason why projects tend to fail. We put too much faith in our tools. Every time someone says: - Let's scan the infrastructure with a discovery tool, we can then put this info in a CMDB and we are done - I cringe. Have you ever thought about what to do with exception reports (and don't tell me you just accept them), what data is necessary and what not? Will it provide value to the service provisioning? So despite what your vendor says: 'The Tool' is not a perfect solution, but a path to disaster if not managed well.
2. An IT Service Management improvement program should be managed as a continual improvement program.
Comments we hear in the market: - we stopped our ITIL program, or we did ITIL last year - do not make sense at all. First of all: you do not implement ITIL, you use the best practice of ITIL to improve your organization. The activities as described in ITIL are executed right now in your organization, not at the most efficient and effective state they could be in, but you are doing it. So see the program as an way to improve. How does that become successful? By handing it over as soon as possible to the organization. The organization needs to learn how to do this themselves. So after two years of running this ITSM improvement program, the IT organization knows what to do themselves. They can walk the path of continual improvement. The program is there to make the organization successful.
1. ITSM improvement programs are 80% management of change.
If you do not understand that, please stop now. You are doomed to fail. It is not difficult to design a process, or implement a tool (just a lot of work). It is difficult to get people to change their behavior. Communication, Training, Awareness, Management Commitment, Involvement. Some simple words, but they pack a punch. Not enough focus on those items and the program will fail. You are transforming the organization to a service oriented organization (including culture).
If you are serious with your improvements: Hire a consultant with management of change experience. And listen to their advice.
If you just want to implement a tool and hope that things will change, good luck you will need it.
Change is an art!
Service Management Art
Peter Lijnse |
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BOOK REVIEW
New books available in our bookstore.
 Preparing for the V3 Foundations Course can be challenging, especially when trying to tie together the main concepts, functions and processes associated with the Service Lifecycle. By the same token, managers and executive looking for a concise understanding of the Service Lifecycle or the high level processes and functions associated with V3 may also find many of the materials available a little on the overwhelming. But never fear, for the ITSM V3 Pocket Guide is here - and its great!
The IT Service Management Pocket Guide is an excellent read for those interested in obtaining a high level understanding of the Service Lifecycle as well as those who are interested in obtaining an overview of the processes and functions associated within the lifecycle. The book is broken down into two sections:
Part 1
which focuses on the Lifecycle
Part 2
which focuses on the processes and functions within the Service Lifecycle
In Part 1, the pocket guide explores the Service Lifecycle and breaks out into each phase with a standardized approach covering an introduction, main concepts, key processes & functions and organization. In Part 2, the pocket guide summarizes all of the processes and functions along with their key activities, inputs & outputs and points of consideration. This allows readers to focus in on specific areas within the lifecycle or gain a quick overview of the entire V3 model in a concise easy-to-follow approach.
Please visit our bookstore for more information on these books!
Buy this book now! |
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TRAINING
Please have a look at our training calendar and website - www.servicemanagementart.com - for our offerings:
2 more ITIL Service Manager Courses this year.
Calgary:
Service Support: Apr 3, 10, 17, 24 and May 1
Service Delivery: May 8, 15, 22, 29, and Jun 5
Exam Review: Jun 12 and 19
Every session will be from 1 pm until 9 pm.
Dinner will be included.
The exams will be organized on Jun 25 and 26
(both mornings from 9 am to noon)
Vancouver:
March 3 to 7
April 7 to 11
May 20 to 23
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ITIL Service Manager Bridging Course v2 to v3
The ITIL Service Manager Bridging course v2 to v3 will be held in: Calgary on April 21 - 25, 2008
[Other locations to follow]
Special offer:
If you did your ITIL Service Manager V2 course with us,
you will get a 50% discount on this course!
For more information call:
403 219 4195 |
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Keep in Mind...
You can Unsubscribe to this monthly Email-Magazine at any time by clicking the 'unsubscribe - button' at the bottom of this page. But... don't miss out on all those amazing changes in the IT industry! Let us keep you posted.
Service Management Art Peter Lijnse
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