The Leading Coalition: How to Implement Service Management, Part 2

The Leading Coalition: How to Implement Service Management, Part 2

A powerful sponsor within the organization is essential to the success of a service management implementation. However, a strong team around this sponsor is just as critical - because one person alone cannot manage a project of this size.

To successfully implement service management in your organization, building a compelling coalition is essential. That's why today I want to talk about the importance of a leading coalition. This must be composed in such a way that it can master three challenges: the continued operation of the service management project even if there is a change in top management, the credibility of the project, and the long duration with its massive project impact.

Why every service management implementation needs a leading coalition

We can say from experience that a service management implementation will only succeed with a leading coalition. A leading coalition is a team that is strong enough to carry and drive the change process throughout the entire period. It is positioned and composed in such a way that it can master the challenges mentioned above in particular.

That is, it unceasingly drives the service management implementation and keeps the project from being cut - even if the CIO, the sponsor or, in the worst case, both (not infrequently in one person) leave the company.

In addition, credible coalition members ensure that the service management implementation receives the necessary priority and attention. After all, if credibility is lacking in a change project like this, it is highly likely to be driven by middle management alone and immediately discontinued when "more strategic projects" come on the scene.

Third, a project the size of a service management implementation takes a long time. The long duration requires many and serious changes, and has an impact on tools, responsibilities and roles. Especially in large, multinational corporations, a service management implementation is also extremely complex. All of this means that ITSM implementation can only be successful in organizations where you can find many driving forces to push through the change. A leading coalition thus becomes the driving force behind the entire change that is being sought.

What team composition does service management implementation need?

The leadership team must have a unified view of the urgency and goals of change in order to represent them consistently and credibly. The right composition of the coalition is essential here. It should cover different characteristics:

  • Strong leaders who champion change
  • Good representation of all stakeholder groups, taking into account all important factors
  • High reputation, respect and trust
  • Proven experience that not only builds confidence, but also supports the implementation itself

The roles represented should also be distributed as broadly as possible. In addition to the sponsor, who assumes the leadership role and is thus also the "owner" of the change, there should be advocates who support the sponsor from the top management. The so-called agents act as implementers. In the best case, they enjoy respect and credibility among the broad mass of the workforce so that the service management implementation can be driven holistically. The so-called targets act as the fourth role. This basically includes everyone who is affected by the changes resulting from the ITSM implementation.

Strong coalition, strong partners for ITSM implementation

As the name coalition implies, it is a group of people. It takes more than a single champion or sponsor, no matter how enthusiastic, persuasive or powerful. Still, it can be difficult to integrate your organization's diverse interests and characters into a strong leadership team. That's why we recommend that you let our years of experience in this area help you give your service management project the best chance of success. Trust in our expertise and let us advise you. You will see: Our experience of over 20 years makes all the difference.

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Would you like to find out more about implementing service management? Then read the other parts of our series!

Persuasion is everything: How to implement Service Management, Part 1

The vision as a guiding star: How to Implement Service Management, Part 3

Empowerment as a game changer: How to implement ITSM, part 4

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