ITIL Practitioner: Communication and IT Change Management

Clear and effective communication delivers greater understanding

At the heart of any successful business is great communication. Whether it’s between management and staff or different departments working together, clear and concise communications means that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.

Good communication is even more important when it involves dealing with customers and anyone outside the organization and it is a crucial element of delivering excellent customer service.

The increasing use of technology within all business relationships has highlighted the importance having not only excellent systems but also having an IT team capable of being able to communicate clearly and effectively outside of their team when the need arises to someone who, in reality, may have little or no knowledge of IT and its workings.

The issue lies with there being limited explanations, examples and real-life scenarios available to IT professionals to aid them in making the correct choices in communication.

Change management needs clear messages

The ITSM industry needs a transformation in the way in which technical aspects are translated by IT professionals to those internal colleagues and customers who have less technical understanding. ITIL^® Practitioner is bringing that transformation along with the skills and tools IT staff can use to eliminate much of the jargon which can make IT seem so impregnable.

One area where ITIL Practitioner gives real benefits to the ITSM industry is change management. IT is central to the success of change programmes - new services, new processes, etc. - and clear communication is vital to ensure that systems and procedures are correctly implemented, understood and followed. In this agile age, the expectation is that changes must be executed quickly, efficiently and without service interruption in order to meet customer demands, so there is every incentive to make sure that change communication is done effectively.

Change management is a key process in any IT organization wanting to meet the dynamic requirements of the business, and having witnessed the benefits of enabling IT professionals to address issues, explain processes or handle concerns of internal staff in a clear and concise way, there is no doubt that good communication improves efficiency and engenders a positive and cooperative culture. Do it right and all things are achieved more effectively. Do it wrong and the chances of losing customers, revenue and business significantly increase when IT services are impacted from a change gone wrong due to poor communication.

ITIL Practitioner holds the key to successful conversations

Much of the knowledge needed comes from the experience passed on through those who have put together ITIL Practitioner, providing clear and succinct explanations as to why communications done well is critical to successful delivery in ITSM. ITIL Practitioner will truly help IT staff to become better communicators of technical matters among themselves, as well as to internal staff and end users, which in turn can generate greater value from the IT department for the business.

The ITIL Practitioner guidance has broken down the best practice principles from other frameworks to give IT staff a complete picture on communication. Within it, all the scenarios, all the types of communication available and the tools to achieve clarity in their communication have been given in a context in which IT staff can learn and understand the benefits to be had.

So much about change management is linked to good communication; by getting communication right, people involved in the change management process understand it, engage with it and are aware of what is expected of them to change successfully. So whether it’s a change proposal being drafted, the minutes of a change advisory board meeting or a change notification to an impacted customer, ITIL Practitioner gives you the practical tips on how to outline relevant communication in a manner that meets the objectives of both the sender and recipients.

With clear, simple examples that IT staff can truly relate to, adapt and adopt in their own role, ITIL Practitioner will certainly provide the knowledge of how to choose the right way to communicate, contributing to building a successful and effective business.

See our ITIL Practitioner section for more information

Have you encountered difficulties when either communicating or understanding technical information when managing IT services? How did you work to ensure all parties and departments understood the requirements of the work? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments box below.