The year was 2001. The leadership of a fledgling itSMF USA chapter knew that it was time for a USA itSMF National Conference.
As a member of that initial leadership team, we overcame many challenges in order to put on that first conference, including the events of September 11, 2001. But overcome we did, because we knew it would be a game-changer.
And so it was. And 15 years later, it still is.
This conference brings together some of the best, brightest, and most experienced thought-leaders in the industry.
I had the honor and privilege of speaking and that first conference... and every year since! The only explanation I can provide for that "streak" is that I'v always focused on what I felt was THE important topic for the time.
This year, the topic I selected is "Power of Execution" because it's time to stop thinking about Service Management and to really start doing it. And doing it well.
My topic was inspired by a presentation given last year by my friend, David Cannon, VP, Consulting Director serving Infrastructure & Operations at Forrester. In his presentation, David shared the "state of the industry" and demonstrated though Forrester research that adoption and maturity of processes beyond a handful of Service Operation and Service Transition processes was woefully inadequate and that overall ITSM Maturity across the service life cycle was quite low, at best.
Why? After all this time, why have more companies not fully realized the benefits of a full service management life-cycle adoption?
The simple answer is that, even though awareness is at an all time high and countless people have been "trained" on ITIL and other Service Management best practices, they have not put them into practice!
The presentation I have prepared for you examines the most common things that get in the way of progress and provides the means to overcome them.
Knowledge alone is not power. Knowledge is only power when it is put into practice. In other words, "to know and not to do is not to know".
So, I encourage you to join me at Fusion15 in New Orleans and to meet and learn from some of my friends and others I most respect within the ITSM field, such as (just to quickly name a few) Stuart Rance, Michael Cardinal, John Clark, John Custy, Chuck Darst, Phyllis Drucker, Manley Feinbergh, Suresh GP, Rick Joslin, Kirstie Magowan, Anthony Orr, Jeff Rumberg, Buff Scott, Eddie Vidal, and Teresa Mount. The list goes on and on!
To learn more about this amazing conference, go here: http://www.servicemanagementfusion.com/
And I sincerely hope to see and meet you there!