Getting the Basics Right

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We often forget that not everyone is like us. We live in the world of best/good practice but forget how many organizations struggle with the foundational aspects.

For these companies, I have 2 pieces of advice:

1. When you buy a tool, any of the tools, make sure you invest in the process side. Small things like roles and responsibilities (raci) are huge when getting started.

2. Improve incrementally. With finite resources, prioritize your efforts. It’s better to have two or three moderately-mature processes than 10 bad ones without adoption or resources.

Different View of Metrics

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I remember starting at a large firm, trying to get up to speed.

I ask for metrics and measures to help me understand current state.

I was directed to a peer (same title, “Director”) who was in charge of IT analytics.

I go ask my boss about him and the analytics group. The boss used a lot of (not nice) words to say two things:

1. The analytics were all “in the weeds” and unhelpful for enterprise decision-making.

2. The analytics were focused on what was easy to measure with the BI tool, not what was needed.

So, I go talk to the peer. We didn’t get very far because “that’s the way we always have done it “.

A question for you: how would you proceed from here?

This actual scenario plays out every day across the globe 🌎.

How can we improve? I think the answer – like with most areas – requires outside->in thinking.

Metrics and Reporting

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The topic of metrics and reporting is interesting in that everyone feels like they are an expert on the topic, but few organizations excel in this area.

We have all the tooling. That is not the issue. Consider how many BI tools every organization has, yet leadership is unhappy with the data/information available for decision-making.

This should tell us that we are measuring the wrong things.

The focus of metrics and reporting MUST be on how the data/information will be consumed.

Accumulating and displaying data/information is of little use if it does not aid decision-making.

So, start with what is needed for those decisions and start working through the other use cases.

Utterly Surprised

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It’s amazing to me how many organizations claim to have an Enterprise Service Management program but either have a poor CMDB or only have IT configuration items in the CMDB.

In order to have a legitimate Enterprise Service Management program, you must have a quality CMDB with enterprise configuration items. Plus, all stakeholders must be represented making it an “Enterprise CMDB”.

It’s that simple.

If your organization needs help becoming a true Enterprise Service Management program, let me know. Service Management Leadership can help.

Culture

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When people talk about the topics of governance, overcoming bureaucracy, continual improvement, etc, there is one key factor rarely discussed …

company culture.

We do not like to admit it, but we can have the best governance initiative and it will fail if the culture is not willing.

Going against the corporate culture will feel like running up the down escalator.

One important note: many times, there’s a disconnect between how leadership views culture and the actual culture.

As leaders, we must ensure all initiatives include addressing culture, in addition to the normal Organizational Change Management activities.