It’s been quite a year in the world of politics, hasn’t it? We’re leaving the EU, David Cameron isn’t even an MP any longer, and now we have a General Election. Busy times for Laura Kuenssberg, and times of consequence both within the UK and beyond.
If the world of politics in this country has had its volatility, the world of IT keeps on being disruptive. We rely on it ever more, but it keeps changing. Both opportunities and risks abound. How do we respond? What are the implications for the world of managing services (with or without the IT!)?
itSMF UK engages with these subjects. Let’s say you want to understand more about what DevOps and Agile could or should mean for you as a service delivery manager. There are a variety of channels available. For example, you could try sessions at Conference, or masterclasses if you want something more in-depth; and the Service Transition SIG’s award winning Two-Speed Transition paper offers a practical perspective to refer to in your own time. If you need the bigger picture of where you should be focusing at the moment, read Barclay’s January blog on Digital (Service) Transformation for The ITSM View.
Is that the end of the story? We think not. Such a fluid landscape demands attention and engagement, even if your full attention is on a subject that doesn’t necessarily mean you have all the angles covered. Think back to July when political leaders on both sides of the referendum debate didn’t seem to know how to react to a result that they had neither expected nor planned for.
Something that the itSMF UK board have been thinking about for a while is how we could encourage a wider contribution in this area, one that helps to define a distinctive service management perspective on leadership. This was crystalised at the last Member Forum meeting. Duncan Watkins asked a pertinent question and lively discussion ensued. The upshot was general interest in a potential new Special Interest Group that focuses on questions like “what’s the next big thing ?”
What might such a Leadership (or Strategy) SIG look like? There are a number of areas that could be addressed:
- PSMF makes explicit the need for leadership at a personal level as one of a service management professional’s competencies. What does this mean?
- What leadership are we providing to young people in providing educational stepping stones that allow them to choose service management as a career?
- What are the areas where a distinctive service management contribution to thinking is needed and how can the questions involved be framed (the horizon scanning that the Member Forum focused on)?
Do you think this is the right scope? Are you interested in being involved? Please do get in touch with your thoughts.
Meanwhile I’ll be registering for a postal vote for the General Election as I’ll be down in London for SITS and the PSMF Awards Dinner. Don’t forget to register as well if the same applies to you! Hopefully I’ll see you there.
Richard Horton
Richard Horton is Head of IT Service Management at NIHR RDNCC. He is a former itSMF UK Director with a history of running itSMF groups and events, and is the current vice chair of itSMF International.
