ITIL 4 Managing Professional Certification Course: Create, Deliver and Support (CDS)

To begin this course, go to the main page ITIL 4 Managing Professional Certification Course.

2. Create, Deliver and Support (CDS)

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1. Types of organizational structures

Functional

Hierarchical, formal lines of authority, determine power, roles and responsibilities

Often based on functional areas like HR, IT finance, marketing etc.

Divisional

Based on markets, products, geography etc.

Each division may have profit & loss accounting, sales, marketing, engineering, etc.

Matrix

Grid of relationships

Pools of people who move across teams

Often has dual reporting lines (e.g. functional and product)

Can provide more speed and agility

Flat

Very little hierarchy

Removes decision making barriers, enabling fast decisions

Challenging to maintain as organization grows

 

2. Integrated/collaborative teams

Servant leadership:

  • Managers focus on the needs of the organization, not just their team
  • Managers serve and support the people they lead by ensuring they have the right resources and support
  • Often used with cross‐functional/matrix organization structure
  • Cross‐functional organizations use combinations of matrix and flat structures

If you’re thinking of moving to cross-functional servant leadership:

  • Use the ITIL guiding principles to help you decide
  • This will involve major organizational and cultural change
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Collaboration Cooperation Algorithmic tasks Heuristic work
Work together towards a shared goal/objective Separate goals can lead to silo working Follows a defined process, with established instructions Depends on human understanding and intervention
Shared and integrated goals Aligned goals Follow the rules Learn or discover what is needed
Everyone succeeds or fails together Individuals and teams succeed independently Clear inputs, outputs, instructions, branches etc. Needs flexibility, information, knowledge and experience
Goals and resources aligned in real time Cooperative, friendly, willing to share information Reassignment and handover between teams where needed Collaboration, swarming and DevOps often appropriate
Technology is necessary but not sufficient Technology is necessary but not sufficient People doing the work may recognise opportunities to improve how it is done. This should be part of their role New insights can be recorded for future use, moving some work to algorithmic (removing toil)
Needs respect, trust and transparency Less need for trust and transparency    
Everyone needs to understand how they contribute to the big picture Everyone needs to understand their own role    
Need to understand PESTLE factors for all stakeholders Need to understand PESTLE factors for own role    
Needs multi-channel communication (stand-ups, face-to-face, active listening, tool-mediated, etc.) Needs effective communication    

3. Team capabilities, roles, competencies

Traditional IT roles were technically focused in areas such as programming, business analysis, technical support, designers, etc.

Newer roles require more flexibility and regular change

Many IT and ITSM roles now require business skills such as:

  • Ability to manage and motivate a team
  • Relationship management
  • Negotiation
  • Supplier and contract management

Professional ITSM competencies:

  • Communication skills
  • Market and organization knowledge
  • Management and administration
  • Leadership
  • Business and commercial skills
  • Relationship management skills
  • Developing innovation
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Developing a broad set of competencies:

  • Specific training ‐ business analysis, programming, ITIL etc.
  • Job descriptions that include full technical and non‐technical skills
  • Recognizing non‐IT experience (team management, procurement, etc.)
  • Including ‘soft’ skills like communication and leadership in role descriptions
  • Performance management, rewards and appraisals reflect full range of skills
  • Opportunities for training and development in all areas
  • Encouraging CPD (Continuing professional development)
  • Role‐based models, based on job descriptions, with career paths
  • Competency based models focussed on generic capabilities
  • Hybrid role and competency based models combining both

Go back to ITIL 4 Managing Professional Certification Course for the other chapters if you completed this Create, Deliver and Support (CDS) chapter.

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