Tag: Stephen Mann

Fresh Links Sundae – December 22, 2013 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. Often they are from the people whose work I admire or resonate with me. I hope you will find these ideas thought-provoking at the minimum. Even better, I hope these ideas will, over time, help my fellow IT pros make better decisions, be awesome, and kick ass!

On the surface the two IT management approaches, DevOps and IT Service Management (ITSM), may seem dualistic in nature. In a recorded podcast, Troy DuMoulin and Chris Dancy discuss how DevOps and ITSM are undoubtedly co-dependent to each other and indivisible. PR 52 – Dev&Ops: Defining Value From Two Sides Of The Same Coin (Troy’s Blog)

Many organizations have global operations these days, and some of them deploy IT service desks with multi-language and multi-geography capability. Stephen Mann discusses some of the technology and process challenges of those global IT service desk operations, as well as good practices to consider. Multi-Geography or Multi-lingual (IT) Service Desk Good Practice – Part 1 Multi-geography or Multi-lingual (IT) Service Desk Good Practice – Part 2 (HDIConnect)

There are a number of ways to implement IT Service Management within your organization. Ryan Ogilvie shows us the approach of taking a closer look at where you are now and determining what gaps you may need to fill to move ahead. Service Management Getting Back to Basics – Part 1 – Your IT Teams Service Management Getting Back to Basics – Part 2 – Increased Number of Incidents with No Driver Service Management Getting Back to Basics – Part 3 – No Failed Changes, Incidents You Say? Service Management Getting Back to Basics – Part 4 – Critical Incidents vs Number of Emergency Changes Service Management Getting Back to Basics – Conclusion – Wrapping it Together (Service Management Journey)

Many IT organizations have developed an extensive set of metrics to track and to measure performance. While measurements are necessary, Michael Scarborough reminds us the importance of structuring the measurements for overall effectiveness. CSFs and KPIs: How Many Does Your Organization Manage? (Global Knowledge Training Blog)

Statistics have shown that the large projects requiring years of implementation or millions of budget fail significantly more often than the regular, smaller projects. Pearl Zhu explains why big project can be more fragile and how to improve overall IT project success rate from the enterprise architecture perspective. Why is Big Project more Fragile (Future of CIO)

As 2013 draws to its conclusion, Andrew Horne summarizes five of CEB’s most popular topics from this year and highlight what they mean for the IT organizations in 2014. Five Lessons from 2013 (And What They Mean for 2014) (CEB’s IT Blog)

As organizations scale up the use of Agile, it can become difficult for teams to establish a shared understanding because everyone can work on multiple products or be geographically disparate. Dennis Stevens believes that you don’t have to sacrifice shared understanding for growth, and he explains how organization can still effectively scale up Agile. How to Achieve Shared Understanding When Scaling Agile (LeadingAgile)

Today’s work reality, with the perceived decline in job security and the erosion of corporate loyalty, can make it difficult for organizations to manage its talent pool. Marshall Goldsmith talks about the trends that have shaped the workplace and suggests seven approaches for an organization to retain its high performers in turbulent times. Retain Your Top Performers (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)

We have learned from experience that being present and active engagements are essential in building relationships. When interacting with others in the digital space, the required “presence” can be difficult to achieve. Ted Rubin outlines the techniques we should consider when trying to build an effective relationship without being physically present. How to Look People in the Eye Digitally (Ted Rubin Straight Talk)

Taking a big idea from inception all the way to execution can be a complex process that requires much hard work of planning, adjusting, and, sometimes, retreating and starting over. Nilofer Merchant shares her experience and perspectives on how to strategize approaches for launching a new endeavor. How to Tackle The New Thing (Nilofer Merchant, LLC)

Fresh Links Sundae – November 24, 2013 Edition

Enterprise IT organizations face many challenges in providing the required technology services while maintaining sound budgets and exercising the necessary governance. Stephen Mann suggests that integration of ITGRC and ITSM practices can help. A six-step, integrated approach to ITGRC and ITSM (ISACA Now)

Rob Ford believes that mature Capacity Management can be difficult to achieve but can provide enormous value to an organization. In a three-part series, he suggests an approach for implementing mature Capacity Management. Connect with the business and achieve mature Capacity Management [part 1] Connect with the business and achieve mature Capacity Management [part 2] Connect with the business and achieve mature Capacity Management [part 3] (ITSM Portal)

Proper change control in IT requires us properly evaluate the critical level of a change request. Ryan Ogilvie explains why it is necessary to have a clear understanding on what constitutes an “Emergency” vs. an “Urgent change” in order to ensure that changes are being prioritized correctly. Change Management and the “Gencies” (Service Management Journey)

For many IT organizations, the importance of technologies requires them to keep the critical IT services flowing without disruption. With the fast-pace of technology changes, Robert Stroud explains why it may no longer be enough to just keep the lights on. Are You Keeping the Lights on or Driving Change? (Service Management)

Today’s IT profession is remarkably different from what it was years ago. Scott Robinson explains why the modern IT professionals need to be more proficient, more creative, and more forward-thinking than ever. Geek mystique isn’t what it used to be (TechRepublic)

The term of “Internet of Things” describes a growing trend of everyday objects and devices sending and receiving data over the Internet. Andy White discusses how these super-connected devices can affect how we use the data we can collect and what this means for IT service and support. The Internet of Things, Big Data and ITSM (The ITSM Review)

The Healthcare.gov system can be viewed as a big data implementation, with data being collected on a population across the entire country and integrated with many other federal/state systems. Robert Plant suggests that there are four lessons we can learn from this vital technology project. Lessons for Big Data From President Obama’s Healthcare Implementation (Big Data Republic)

After attending the 2013 Building Business Capability Conference, Laura Brandenburg discusses her experience and the takeaways she learned from the conference. Next Generation Business Analysts – The Opportunities In Store For You (Insights from BBC 2013) (Bridging the Gap)

After coming back from a recent sabbatical, Karen Armon discusses her experience and her new outlook as a result of her recent absence. The Purpose of A Sabbatical (Market One Executive)

Many of us have been taught to set goals and to strive for achieving those goals. In his new book, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Scott Adams talk about using systems instead of goals. He further expands on the idea and explains why having a consistent system can be more helpful. Goals vs. Systems (Scott Adams Blog)

Fresh Links Sundae – August 11, 2013 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. Often they are from the people whose work I admire or resonate with me. More importantly, I picked these articles to help my fellow IT Professionals be more successful. With these ideas, I hope they can help my fellow IT pros make better decisions, be awesome, and kick ass! I hope you will find them thought-provoking or something of value.

After completing a recent web application project, Bob Lewis shares with us the lessons he learned and how those best practices can also be applicable when it comes managing data and application architecture projects. Lessons learned from code diving (IS Survivor Publishing)

Together with CSI, Paul Wilkinson believes that problem management is one of the core capabilities that IT organizations needs to develop. He explains why problem management is also an excellent risk management capability. Problem management: Especially Now! (ITSM Portal)

As the workplace becomes more collaborative and knowledge-intensive, Andrew Horne believes that IT should interact more directly with individual employees to identify their needs and to generate innovations. He outlines five questions to ask in order to determine whether your IT organization is on the right track. Do You Have A C-Suite Problem? (CEB’s IT Blog)

Based on a recently published report from HDI and Robert Half Technology, many technology leaders believe that user demand for anytime, anywhere IT service/support is one of three major trends driving how IT provides services. Stephen Mann adds his observation that how IT services are perceived and consumed by business users/consumers/customers is just as essential as how IT delivers the services. The Future of the IT Service Desk…or whatever it becomes (HDIConnect)

When it comes to the concept of DevOps, there are a number of definitions of what DevOps is or should be. Phil Whelan interviewed John Arundel for his thoughts on DevOps, and I thought John’s candid perspective was very educational. John Arundel on DevOps (ActiveBlog)

Leveraging the findings from the recently published 2013 State of DevOps survey, Aliza Earnshaw gives us five measurements to consider if you are just starting to implement DevOps. 5 KPIs that Make the Case for DevOps (DevOps Blog)

While there are foundational characteristics that every mentor possesses, Len Lagestee recalls four outstanding traits from the mentors who have made a difference in his life. Four Characteristics of Memorable Mentors (Illustrated Agile)

Inspired by George Saunders’ recent graduation remarks to a group of students at Syracuse University, Mitch Joel believes that, in business, we can still be kind. Random Acts Of Business Kindness (Six Pixels of Separation)

While good bosses care about getting important things done, Jeff Haden also believes that exceptional bosses care about their people. 10 Things Extraordinary Bosses Give Employees (Inc.com)

How do great leaders encourage leadership development within his/her own team? Marshall Goldsmith recommends that the best ways top executives can get their leaders to improve is to work on improving themselves. To Help Others Develop, Start With Yourself (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)

A bonus download…

Len Lagestee has combined 9 blog posts walking through an Agile Leadership Engagement Model by making them available in one convenient document. Enjoy the reading. Introducing the Agile Leadership Engagement Model E-Book (Illustrated Agile)

Fresh Links Sundae – May 12, 2013 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. They maybe ITSM related or not quite. Often they are from the people whose work resonates with me, and I hope you will find them at least thought-provoking or something of value.

Note: After a successful planning and go-live of ISACA LA Spring Conference 2013, I am ready to get back into blogging and sharing excellent contents. I cannot say enough fabulous things about the people I have collaborated with during the spring conference. It was truly a labor of love – the love for our ISACA LA Chapter members and supporters. Until next year…

As part of his 18 IT Critical Success Factors analysis, Bob Lewis explains that it’s essential to have a competent service desk and a culture of architecture and why they matter. IT critical success factors #11 and #12: What’s needed for architecture, and why the service desk matters so much. (IS Survivor Publishing)

A recent Forrester report discusses a perceptions gap where IT professionals believe that they do a better job than their business colleagues think they do. Stephen Mann elaborated further on the report findings and suggests why IT needs to measure its success at the point of IT consumption, not at the point of IT creation. People In IT Love Stats But They Probably Won’t Love These (Forrester Blogs)

Based on a recent study of the corporate IT function, it states that business leaders want a 20% increase in employee productivity to meet their goals, but 61% of employees believe that IT does not fully enable them to be productive. Andrew Horne suggests two approaches for solving the problem. IT’s Biggest Blindspot (CEB’s IT Blog)

One of the 12 principles behind the Agile Manifesto is “Build projects around motivated individuals.” Matt Block suggests ways to find motivated individuals and avoid demotivating them once they are on-board of your project. Build Projects around Motivated Individuals (Development Block)

Use case is a common business analysis technique that captures requirements for a software application. Laura Brandenburg gives an introduction on the “Use Case” concept and how it works. What is a Use Case? (Bridging the Gap)

Employees usually don’t leave jobs; they leave bosses who the employees feel are not helpful or supportive. Jeff Haden outlines qualities a terrific boss should practice. 8 Ways to Be a Truly Memorable Boss (Inc.com)

When organizations or individuals achieve success, it can be more difficult to innovate, with a loss of sense of urgency. Seth Godin argues that the loss of urgency can be generally a desire to avoid accountability. Urgency and accountability are two sides of the innovation coin (Seth’s Blog)

When it comes to career or personal growth, great starts are delightful to have but we don’t always have them when we begin the journey. Anna Farmery talks about ways you can still have a different, great outcome, even without a great start. How to Make a Mistake …and Still Win (The Engaging Brand)

Sometimes we cling to a false sense of self-identity and resist changes. Marshall Goldsmith gives an example of such resistance to changes and what we can do to lead to a better outcome. An Excessive Need To Be Me (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)

For some time, many managers have come to believe and adopt empowering management practices that can be counter-productive. Bruce Tulgan discusses some of those practices, why they can be counter-productive, and what a manager can do to empower his or her directs. It’s Okay to Be the Boss: Be a Great One! (JobDig)

Fresh Links Sundae – April 7, 2013 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. They maybe ITSM related or not entirely. Often they are from the people whose work resonates with me, and I hope you will find them at least thought-provoking or something of value.

Referencing to a recent survey, Stephen Mann discusses some key data on software asset management (SAM) tools and outlines several tactics for addressing SAM initiative challenges. Software Asset Management in 2013: State Of SAM Survey Results (Forrester Blogs)

Because not every responsibility can be assigned to just one single manager, governance within an organization is needed to tackle complex decisions that span across departmental boundaries. Bob Lewis explains what in IT needs governance and the two critical success factors for governance. IT’s next two critical success factors are about governance (IS Survivor Publishing)

Following up on a previous article [http://www.theitsmreview.com/2013/02/improvement/] on service improvement, Rob England outlines six premises for performing improvement as part of business-as-usual (BAU) and how they can help organizations on just about any service improvement initiatives. BAU improvements (The ITSM Review)

With the fast changing employee needs and technologies, having one monolithic application to address many diverse needs may not always be feasible. Andrew Horne suggests three potential approaches for addressing the application usability challenges. Three Tips to Solve IT’s Usability Problem (CEB’s IT Blog)

In an four-part series, Torsten Volk talks about the basics (Part 1) of Software Defined Data Center (SDDC), its core components (Part 2), challenges and controversies (Part 3), as well as the current state of technologies in making SDDC a reality. The Software Defined Datacenter: Part 4 of 4 – Where We Are Today (EMA Blog Community)

Business processes are everywhere, and most organization’s processes are largely unmapped. Laura Brandenburg outlines five processes that are always worth documenting. 5 Processes Worth Mapping (Bridging the Gap)

Although new technology can sometimes minimize or eliminate the mundane or the repetitive tasks that don’t add value, Anna Farmery believes that we should not fear and instead should focus on fulfilling the human element of our business role even more. Dealing with Fear of Unemployment From New Technology (The Engaging Brand)

While everyone has their own definition of success, real success is rarely possible without building great relationships. Jeff Haden lists nine actionable approaches for building mutually beneficial relationships with others. 9 Habits of People Who Build Extraordinary Relationships (Inc.com)

Although many dislike meetings, they are still an important aspect of an organization’s operations and decision-making process. Seth Godin provides suggestions on minimizing some unproductive meeting behaviors. A field guide to the Meeting Troll (Seth’s Blog)

Reflecting from the working sessions with a number of accomplished leaders and professionals, Marshall Goldsmith explains why now is a great time to plan the rest of your life and how you can bring more contribution, more meaning and more happiness into it. Creating a Great Rest of Your Life (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)