It can be frustrating to want to improve the way organizations function because of the struggle to drive sustained change. This frustration crosses all elements of IT management, whether it be in the way we develop and execute budgets, plan and manage our projects, implement service management, or even secure our systems. Here are three ways IT organizations attempt to drive process improvement:
1. Recruit Talent
While a viable option, it is fraught with risk. Finding individuals that have the expertise, attracting them to your organization, and then relying on them to not only have the expertise in the needed process discipline can be a tall order. It is also challenging to find individuals with leadership skills to drive that process discipline into the organization.
2. Hire Consultants
Typically, you can find a consultant or company that has the expertise required. They will study your organization, identify weaknesses, and recommend action plans for improvement. However, it can be difficult to provide the leadership necessary to drive the change in the organization because they are not part of the organization. Their report can be correct in every aspect, but the results do not measure up to the rhetoric.
3. Train the Staff
Organizations can rely on their own staff, working to augment their skills with training in the appropriate disciplines. The issue, however, is that without having seen an organization operate properly, training itself will not provide the needed management insight that only comes with real-world experience. The process improvement falls flat, not realizing the objectives that were expected.
Fortunately, there is an approach that has proven to be highly effective in driving sustained and positive process changes that the staff can embrace. The use of acceleration workshops combines the best of consulting and training to drive improved outcomes. The basic concept is that an instructor, who is also a true subject matter expert, works with a combination of staff on a unique training and implementation event — employees learn concepts, and then immediately apply those concepts to real-world needs of the organization while the instructor provides guidance and leadership. The output of acceleration workshops is deliverables that can be used by the organization in supporting the process implementation.
As an example, a Project Acceleration Workshop will be custom designed for the program leaders and project managers overseeing mission critical investments and major programs. The workshop design complements a growing trend that organizations must implement consistent management practices across their enterprise to reduce cost and improve customer satisfaction. The Project Acceleration Workshops are organized around your critical program/projects, and attended by the supporting program/project team, to analyze gaps within the management practices, formal documentation and reporting mechanisms. Areas of focus are, but not limited development of:
- Program Goal Statement
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- Program Requirements
- Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
- Acquisition Package
- Risk Plan
- Stakeholder Management Plan
- Other critical management disciplines.
In the area of cybersecurity, acceleration workshops may address areas as diverse as:
- Leveraging the National Cyber Security Workforce Framework (NCWF) to identify the optimal cybersecurity organizational structure and position descriptions
- Improving threat identification and analysis in the organization’s Security Operations Center (SOC)
- Establishing a cybersecurity forensics process for the organization
- Refining the organization’s cybersecurity testing and certification approach
- Establishing an organization risk management approach based on the NIST cybersecurity framework.
By focusing on a combination of staff training, deliverables that can support the organization, and pragmatic implementation support, acceleration workshops can accomplish what the name implies – more rapidly enabling an organization to improve.
