Is your Enterprise Service Management (ESM) initiative stuck? Does it feel like no one wants to talk about, much less support, ESM? Do you feel like you’re on an island? If these questions resonate with you, your ESM initiative may be a victim of a fear of collaboration.
Collaboration is when two or more people work together to achieve a common goal. Successful collaboration involves sharing responsibilities, supporting each other, and sharing risks. When people collaborate, they invest in the success of each other, and work as a team to overcome challenges to achieve shared goals.
Successful ESM requires collaboration. But to many, being asked to collaborate is intimidating. It’s uncomfortable. In some cases, it is counter to the culture of the organization. In other cases, it’s a threat to an individual’s sense of control, self-worth, or identity.
Collaboration can be downright scary.
Why are people afraid of collaboration?
People are often afraid of collaboration for several reasons. These reasons range from psychological, cultural, and organizational factors – factors that create obstacles to the effective collaboration needed for successful ESM.
This article from Harvard Business Review discusses the “blind spot” many leaders have when asking their teams to collaborate. Leaders often overlook the experience teams may have when invited to collaborate, such as when asked to divulge information, break down organizational silos, share resources, sacrifice autonomy, or even relinquish responsibilities that define them as a group. Rather than embrace the opportunities and successes that come with effective collaboration, some teams take on a defensive posture to protect their team identity, legitimacy, and sense of control.
An ESM initiative may encounter other barriers to collaboration. Some people fear appearing incompetent or weak when admitting gaps in their knowledge, especially in high performing organizations. Others are concerned about being indebted to others or having to reciprocate in the future, which can make collaboration feel transactional rather than mutually beneficial. In workplaces that highly value individual achievement and self-reliance, people may feel pressure to solve problems on their own. Collaboration can be seen as a weakness, discouraging people from reaching out for help or engaging.
Why good ESM is critical to success in the digital economy
Why is having and practicing good ESM so important for organizations now?
Having reliable and responsive technology solutions is critical for business success in the digital economy. The digital economy moves at digital speeds. Understanding the organizational value streams – how work and value flow through an organization – is foundational for reliable, repeatable, and trustworthy digital interactions. Since technology is a critical factor in underpinning and executing organizational value streams, having a mutual understanding of the outcomes and value the organization wants to achieve is required. Good ESM enables and embeds that mutual understanding across the organization.
The customer experience will be significantly influenced by the interactions of customers with technologies provided by the organization. Those interactions must be frictionless, intuitive, and responsive – and in many cases, will not involve a human from the organization. Good ESM enables organizations to understand and continually improve how the technologies underpinning organizational value streams that face the customer.
Good ESM requires good collaboration
As I’ve stated before, ESM is not “ITSM for the rest of the organization”. ESM is holistic, organization-wide approach focused on value delivery, collaboration, and continual improvement, rather than just technology deployment. Good ESM is a strategic initiative that requires proper planning, leadership, and a focus on real business outcomes.
The focus of ESM must be on value streams and business outcomes, not implementing tools. Good ESM is achieved by aligning workflows and processes with organizational value streams and regular engagement among colleagues from across the organization to understand priorities and pain points and identify opportunities for improvement.
Good ESM relies on shared processes, increased collaboration, and improved communication across departments. This holistic approach enables organizations to leverage the full talents and competencies of the entire workforce, leading to better outcomes.[i]
Overcoming the fear of collaboration
While there is no “instant fix” that results in collaboration, there are some significant steps an organization can take to enable and motivate the collaboration required for ESM.
First, an ESM initiative requires executive sponsorship and a champion. Since good ESM requires a holistic approach, executive sponsorship is critical for helping tear down organizational silos. Equally as important is having an ESM champion. The champion not only represents the initiative at the senior levels of the organization but must also convey the vision for ESM. It must be emotionally compelling. Logical arguments alone are insufficient to overcome the deep-rooted emotional responses as discussed earlier.
Leaders must talk openly about the importance of psychological safety and make it an explicit team goal. Leaders should model inclusive leadership by actively soliciting input, showing vulnerability, and being approachable about mistakes. Associates have to feel safe to ask questions, experiment, and make mistakes.
The goals, expectations, and roles of the ESM initiative must be clearly communicated from the start. Leaders must define clear, mutual objectives so that everyone is working toward the same outcome. Regularly schedule check-ins to clarify any misunderstandings and to maintain alignment as the ESM initiative evolves.
Finally, having the right person lead the ESM initiative – and having the right people engaged – is key. Build an ESM team environment where team members feel safe to voice ideas and concerns without judgment. Encourage empathy and understanding among team members. Celebrate and reward knowledge sharing, but just as importantly, celebrate the learning that comes from failures.
Move toward a collaborative ESM initiative
Here are some suggestions for overcoming collaboration challenges and getting your ESM initiative moving in the right direction.
- Establish the shared purpose – Why is ESM so important for the future of the organization? In his book, Start with Why, Simon Sinek wrote “people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.” [ii] Without the strong and compelling “why”, ESM efforts will not return the expected benefits.
- Have a plan – ESM is not just extending the ITSM tool across the enterprise. ESM must be seen as a business strategy, not just a technology or IT initiative.
- Make collaboration a personal objective – Start actively listening to others’ ideas and perspectives with empathy. This creates a foundation for trust and respect, which will open the door for more meaningful interactions and collaboration.
Effective service management is a key to success in the digital economy. But the future of service management is not within the IT department, but within the enterprise. Good ESM requires good collaboration across an organization to realize success.
[i] https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/20429/626830
[ii] Sinek, Simon. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Portfolio, 2009
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