When
looking at ITSM best practices we need to look at the culture of our
organizations and understand how we would transform our organizations into
value-laden delivery mechanisms. A culture is just the "known environment
in which we live and work." Cultures are organic constructs--they are
grown and guided, not imposed or dictated. Every person, group and
organization has its own culture. The culture of an organization is really the
aggregation of the individual or group cultures found within the organization.
As a result if the culture of an individual, group or organization is not an
environment focused on delivering value to customers, then transformation
should occur.
So how
do we go about transforming our cultures? We can look to some of the liberal
arts for assistance in this. From the study of sociology we find the concept of
"memes".
meme--an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a
culture.
Many of
you might be familiar with the term "meme" as being a funny picture
or phrase reused across social media. The term "meme" has a much
deeper meaning and function than a picture of a kitty with a humorous statement
associated to it. "Memes" are modes of transferring cultural behavior
from one person to another. "Memes" are a very effective way of
transforming ourselves, our cultures and ultimately our organizations.
Based on
the definition, ITSM best practices are in fact a type of "meme".
They are a means or mode of transferring an optimal way of approaching the
delivery of value through IT Services. So we should be looking at ITSM best
practices not just as a set of practices, rather as a means of cultural and
behavioral transformation. As a "meme" ITIL and ITSM best practices
help us to instill desired behaviors and actions that result in optimal
outcomes for our customers. Because "memes" are a means of behavioral modification we
should not forget that a bit psychology and sociology (from which the idea of
"memes" originate) would be helpful in managing the transformation of
our cultures and organizations. This
helps us remember that when using ITSM best practices we are really talking
about people and their behavior, not just a set of activities or processes.
So as
you progress through an ITSM implementation initiative or effort, do not forget
about the people. Use ITSM Best practices as a "meme" to help
transform those people and your organization.
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