The ITIL^® Certification as a mountain peak: the path is the goal

Each of us pursues our small and large goals day after day. We want to achieve them as quickly and efficiently as possible, get to the top of the proverbial mountain quickly and enjoy the view. But isn't training and development also about growing with your experiences? Reflecting on what you've learned along the way? I think so - and only recently experienced a shining example of this during an ITIL certification.

Speed is not everything: every stage takes us further

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a personable and remarkable training participant. Coincidentally, she went through all the ITIL 4 training courses with me as the trainer. She immediately struck me by her positive, unbiased view of ITIL 4 - and by the fact that, as a long-time ITIL v3 Expert with extensive qualifications, she had chosen to take the new ITIL 4 modules one at a time. At first glance, I was puzzled by this. After all, the five-day ITIL Transitiontraining is an excellent way to get up to speed in the shortest possible time.

But the participant didn't want to be as quick as possible at all. She didn't want to quickly learn about the changes between the two versions and go her way with a Managing Professional certification. It was important for her to understand exactly what the new contents of ITIL 4 mean for her and her daily work. So she began her journey in the classic way with ITIL Foundation.

The basis is right: Start with the basic ITIL certification

In her role as a release manager, the participant's task is to bring together all the stakeholders involved and ensure that all areas proceed in a coordinated manner when implementing new services. That's why, she said, she had already really enjoyed the ITIL Foundation training. Even here, ITIL 4, with its Service Value System and associated components, focuses on taking a holistic view of all areas of service management. This means, for example, that departmental silos that have grown up in the past can be broken up and interlinked.

This aspect had already given her so much valuable input for her daily work that she enthusiastically embarked on a long journey: Instead of the Transition course, she went through almost the entire ITIL 4 certification scheme, attending every single course on the way to becoming a Managing Professional. Instead of taking the steep, fast route to the top, she opted for the winding path, so to speak, that leads all the way around the mountain to the top.

The journey is worth it: More eye for detail

In conclusion, the participant reported with satisfaction that she was able to draw relevant information for her everyday work from every training session. The topics from "Create, Deliver & Support" in particular had added value for her. These are particularly close to her operational day-to-day business, as they focus on the right framework conditions for defining, optimizing and delivering the best services.

To ensure fast service delivery and stable day-to-day business, the right environment and culture are also crucial, the participant affirmed. In this context, she found the "High Velocity IT" training particularly beneficial for her ongoing digitization projects. From "Drive Stakeholder Value", on the other hand, she was able to take away various recommendations around the joint "customer journey" - a fact that positively surprised her as an ITIL v3 expert.

She saw the strategy-driven content from the "Direct, Plan & Improve" and "Digital & IT Strategy" courses as the perfect complement to view the ongoing transformations from a higher-level leadership perspective.

Conclusion: Everyone must find their own way

It doesn't matter how fast we complete our journey, how quickly we achieve ITIL certification, or what type of training we choose. But it's always worth taking a look to the right and left along the way - just like when climbing a mountain. In order not to get bogged down, we set our sights firmly on the goal. But we should never forget to look around. That way, we can take more with us on our service management journey and generate added value for ourselves along the way.

Do you already know what your personal ITIL journey looks like? Then we have a map for you: In the SERVIEW "Knowledge Nuggets" you will conveniently hear the entire ITIL certification scheme in less than 4 minutes. Have a good journey!