Skip to main content

Big Bang - DevOps

Image
By
I learned about ‘The Diffusion of Innovation Theory’ in a DevOps Foundation training course.  I wanted to get my DevOps certification but more than that to learn about what makes a DevOps initiative successful.   When I mentioned the Diffusion of Innovation Theory to a coworker he said “It sounds like Sheldon talking to Raj on “The Big Bang Theory” TV series.  Although the name sounds Big Bangish the usage of this theory could be the real difference for success in any transformational change including DevOps.

To start let’s begin with the definition of DevOps. DevOps is a professional and cultural movement that that stresses communication, collaboration, integration and automation in order to improve the flow of work between software developers and IT operations professionals. Improved workflows will result in an improved ability to design, develop, deploy and operate software and services faster. That’s where this “Big Bang” or Diffusion of Innovation Theory comes in.   DevOps is a culture shift.

DevOps is a cultural movement that requires us to shatter the silos and to quickly integrate our teams to increase the flow of work from idea to end of life for the strategy, development, deployment and the sustaining of service over their life. Adoption of a new idea, behavior, or product (i.e., ‘innovation’) does not happen simultaneously in a social system. It is a process whereby some people are more apt to adopt the innovation than others.  Researchers have found that people who adopt an innovation early have different characteristics than people who adopt an innovation later.  Learning what those characteristics are and then how to apply the proper technique for each will help with the management of organizational change.

The Diffusion of Innovation is a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread.  While most of the general population tends to fall in the middle categories, it is still necessary to understand the characteristics of a given target population. When promoting an innovation there are different strategies used to appeal to the different adopter categories.

• Innovators – want to be the first to try the innovation. They are venturesome and interested in new ideas. These people are very willing to take risks and are often the first to develop new ideas. Very little, if anything, needs to be done to appeal to this population.
• Early Adopters – represent opinion leaders. They enjoy leadership roles and embrace change opportunities. They are already aware of the need to change and so are very comfortable adopting new ideas. Strategies to appeal to this population include how‐to manuals and information sheets on implementation. They do not need information to convince them to change.
• Early Majority – rarely leaders, but they do adopt new ideas before the average person. That said, they typically need to see evidence that the innovation works before they are willing to adopt it. Strategies to appeal to this population include success stories and evidence of the innovation's effectiveness.
• Late Majority – skeptical of change and will only adopt an innovation after it has been tried by the majority. Strategies to appeal to this population include information on how many other people have tried the innovation and have adopted it successfully.
• Laggards ‐ bound by tradition and very conservative. They are very skeptical of change and are the hardest group to bring on board. Strategies to appeal to this population include statistics, fear appeals, and pressure from people in the other adopter groups.

When promoting an innovation to a target population, it is important to understand the characteristics of the target population that will help or hinder adoption of the innovation. The Diffusion of Innovation Theory could be the “Big Bang” that you are looking for to ensure the success of your DevOps initiative.



And ITSM Academy classes: http://www.itsmacademy.com/devops
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Four Service Characteristics

By
Recently I came across several articles by researchers and experts that laid out definitions and characteristics of services. ITIL provides us with a definition that can help drive the creation of value-laden services: A means of delivering value to customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs and risks. An area that ITIL is not so clear is in terms of service characteristics. Several researchers and experts put forth that services have four basic characteristics (IHIP): Intangibility—Services are the results of actions not things. They have no physical presence and represent a logical set of elements. One way to think of service is “work done for others.”  Heterogeneity—Also known as “variability”; services are unique items because of the mechanisms used to deliver services, which is people. Because the people element adds variability, the service is variable. This holds true, especially for the value proposition—not eve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What Is A Service Offering?

By
The ITIL 4 Best Practice Guidance defines a “Service Offering” as a description of one or more services designed to address the needs of a target customer or group.   As a service provider, we can’t stop there!   We must know what the contracts of our service offering are and be able to put them into context as required by the customer.     Let’s explore the three elements that comprise a Service Offering. A “Service Offering” may include:     Goods, Access to Resources, and Service Actions 1. Goods – When we think of “Goods” within a service offering these are the items where ownership is transferred to the consumer and the consumer takes responsibility for the future use of these goods.   Example of goods that are being provided in the offering – If this is a hotel service then toiletries or chocolates are yours to take with you.   You the consumer own these and they are yours to take with you.      ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the difference between Process Owner, Process Manager and Process Practitioner?

By
This article was originally published in 2015. With the Introduction of ITIL 4, some of this best practice has changed. See  ITIL 4 and the Evolving Role of Roles . Updated Definitions in ITIL 4: Process Owner: In ITIL 4, the concept of 'processes' has expanded into broader 'practices.' Consequently, the Process Owner is now often referred to as the 'Practice Owner.' This individual is accountable for the overall design, performance, integration, and improvement of a specific practice within the organization. They ensure that the practice achieves its intended outcomes and aligns with the organization's objectives. Process Manager: Now commonly known as the 'Practice Manager' in ITIL 4, this role is responsible for the day-to-day management of the practice. The Practice Manager ensures that activities are carried out as intended, manages resources assigned to the practice, and oversees the practitioners performing the work. Process Practit...
Post a Comment
Read more