Let's get down to business: How to implement ITSM, part 7

We have taken the first planning step and set ourselves SMART goals for our service management implementation. Now it's time to turn all the plans and concepts into reality - we're getting down to business.

An orderly introduction with a sense of proportion is critical for the success of this project phase. No plan, no matter how good, can be implemented one-to-one. Active support from all employees involved and affected is essential. New ways of working are tedious and uncomfortable at first. Employees must be guided and encouraged to persevere through this phase and learn the changed processes so that they become normal.

The previously planned short-term successes and potential benefits must be consciously communicated so that the motivation to remain actively involved in the project is not diminished. Medium-term successes promote confidence in your project and convey the feeling that the processes introduced are working. Intensive communication combined with flexible and professional project management helps to ensure that all necessary measures are coordinated.

A culture of the open door

Many questions only arise now that your employees are starting to actually work in their process roles. It is therefore important to provide intensive coaching during this phase and not to leave the responsible process owners, process managers and process employees alone. Provide your employees with targeted support during this critical phase if you don't want your teams to fall back into old ways of doing things and dismiss your project as typical "consultant's cupboard goods".

In order to ensure the necessary support at all times, an open-door culture and constant, honest exchanges have proven their worth. Make it exciting for your employees to take on the new challenge - the project must be fun overall, even if it often means extra work and uncertainty at first.

The project team is particularly challenged to promote this culture. Nobody can expect everything to go as planned from the outset. You must actively support your employees, protect them from the worst failures at the beginning and then gradually release them into their new freedom. This includes praising small successes, but also reacting with understanding in the event of failures. Success will only come with practice, so it is important to encourage and challenge in a well-placed manner.

Criticism as potential for improvement

In addition to a helping hand, it is also necessary to implement the new procedures and processes in the face of resistance. This requires the special involvement of the management team already established in step 2. From the outset, it is important to measure the performance of the new processes and adapt them as necessary. Encourage your employees to actively participate in continuous improvement. Critical comments must also be taken seriously. However, communicate clearly how you will accept criticism - namely as potential for improvement, not as an accepted reason for not adopting the new process.

Just like the previous step PLAN and the following two phases CHECK and ACT, this part of the service management project will repeat itself during the implementation. In this way, you can ensure that all processes are gradually introduced and securely anchored in the organization.

Planning is not easy - and implementing it is even more difficult. That's why we're happy to assist you with all the necessary steps of your ITSM implementation. Our experienced consultants have successfully supported countless companies in the introduction of service management in over 20 years. Feel free to contact us!

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

A plan is needed: How to implement ITSM, part 6

Know where you stand: How to implement ITSM, part 5

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

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

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

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