How can you encourage your service desk team to take ownership of their responsibilities?
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If you work in IT, you know how important it is to have a service desk team that can handle customer requests, resolve issues, and provide support efficiently and effectively. But how can you motivate your service desk team to take ownership of their responsibilities and deliver high-quality service? In this article, we will share some tips and strategies that can help you foster a culture of ownership and accountability among your service desk staff.
One of the first steps to encourage ownership is to make sure that your service desk team knows what their roles and responsibilities are, and what is expected of them. You can do this by setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals, providing regular feedback, and aligning their tasks with the overall IT strategy and vision. By defining clear roles and expectations, you can help your team understand how their work contributes to the success of the organization, and what standards they need to meet.
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Neeraj Kukreja
Founder Valintell Solutions, Shelloak Solutions
Setting clear expectations through SMART goals, regular feedback, and alignment with the broader IT strategy is foundational to team ownership. It not only empowers each team member by defining their role but also ensures a collective understanding of how their efforts contribute to the overall success of the organization. #TeamEmpowerment
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Gaurav Goel
Sr. Vice President at Jio
Being proud of their work encourages people to take ownership beyond their defined SOPs (standard operating process) and take care of fringe scenarios that are not captured in standard workflows. To be proud of their work, people need to be aware of the larger vision of their employer and how they help the customers with their services. Being exposed to the best aspects of the company (it could be infrastructure, case studies, industry recognitions, achievements, customer testimonials, peer recognition, commitment to sustainability, corporate social responsibilities etc.) is essential to build this pride. And above all they must believe that going above and beyond would be supported by the organization (this belief comes from experience).
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Satyendra Uttarkar
IT Infrastructure Cloud and Network Services at Tech Mahindra
SD is like a face of the IT organizations. We have to empower them and respect their role. In most organizations SD function is taken for granted, they need to be well supported by each function with clear ownership and role demarcation. It is possible only if SD function gets extreme sponsorship from top.
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Another way to encourage ownership is to empower your service desk team to make decisions and solve problems on their own, without relying on micromanagement or escalation. You can do this by providing them with the necessary tools, resources, and training, as well as creating a supportive and collaborative environment where they can share ideas, learn from mistakes, and celebrate achievements. By empowering your team to make decisions, you can boost their confidence, creativity, and satisfaction, as well as improve their productivity and performance.
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Johnathan Lightfoot
Inspiring Leadership through Faith and Technology | Ordained Minister, Professional Speaker and IT Executive
A Decision-making Framework offers a structured method for service desk teams to make consistent choices. Benefits: Uniformity: Provides even service quality across team members. Confidence: Reduces hesitation, promoting swift decisions. Efficiency: Offers a quick reference, aiding decision-making under pressure. Objectivity: Helps counter biases, ensuring impartial choices. Implementation: Identify Challenges: Pinpoint regular decision points. Set Guidelines: Root them in best practices. Engage Team: Incorporate their on-ground insights. Train: Use real scenarios for practical understanding. Update: Regularly refine based on feedback.
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Domenico Daelli
Head Of Information Technology at Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Growth mindset. IT Leaders should incentivize and promote a growth mindset, identifying the talents that have interest in any technology or area (Cyber, Infra, Data, Apps) and ensure that the Service Desk Engineers can grow by learning. This will make the service desk better, enable the engineers to take decisions at the service desk level and also prepare the next level of professionals for the company.
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Ashish Bansal
Global Technology Strategy Leader | Shared Service Center Pioneer & Digital Transformation Catalyst | Delivering Digital Success at scale in Large Enterprises
In the fast-paced world of IT, empowering your service desk team to make decisions is paramount. Let me share a story from my time as an IT Strategy leader. One of our team members noticed a recurring issue that was impacting user experience. Instead of waiting for approval, they took initiative and implemented a solution that not only resolved the problem but also boosted team morale. This exemplifies the value of empowering your team to take ownership and make decisions. By fostering a culture of trust and autonomy, you'll unlock innovative solutions and foster a more engaged service desk team.
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A third way to encourage ownership is to recognize and reward your service desk team for their efforts and results. You can do this by giving them positive feedback, appreciation, and recognition, both individually and as a group, as well as offering incentives, bonuses, or career development opportunities. By recognizing and rewarding your team, you can reinforce their sense of ownership, loyalty, and engagement, as well as motivate them to keep improving and delivering excellent service.
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Ashish Bansal
Global Technology Strategy Leader | Shared Service Center Pioneer & Digital Transformation Catalyst | Delivering Digital Success at scale in Large Enterprises
In the world of IT support, ownership is the cornerstone of success. I've seen firsthand the power of recognizing and rewarding your service desk team. A few years ago, our service desk faced a daunting crisis. A major system outage threatened to disrupt our operations. But one of our team members, X, took immediate ownership. She worked tirelessly, coordinated with other teams, and resolved the issue swiftly. We celebrated her heroics with a 'Service Star' award and a well-deserved bonus. The impact was astounding. Not only did X feel valued, but the entire team saw the importance of taking ownership. Recognition and rewards aren't just tokens; they're powerful motivators that drive a culture of responsibility and excellence.
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Johnny Schilleci
Regional Director of IT | IT Business Management
Encouraging service desk teams to take ownership of their tasks is about fostering a culture where accountability is valued and rewarded. Empowerment is key. By giving team members the autonomy to make decisions, they feel invested in the outcomes. Regular training sessions help them feel prepared and confident. Acknowledge achievements publicly to show that their efforts don't go unnoticed. When they propose solutions to recurring issues, support them to implement these improvements. This not only boosts morale but also improves service quality. It's a shared journey toward excellence, and each step taken is one that benefits the whole team.
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Goldi Kunal
Senior Director at LTIMindtree
Positive reinforcement works best and most. And positive reinforcement demands timely and apt encouragement. Celebrate small and big wins. Celebrate the doers rather than focusing on small mistakes and dwelling too much on the mistakes. It works ! Give feedback to those who falters but even then find positives in them and spend time in encouraging those positive traits.
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A fourth way to encourage ownership is to communicate and collaborate with your service desk team regularly and effectively. You can do this by keeping them informed of the latest updates, changes, and challenges, as well as soliciting their input, feedback, and suggestions. You can also use various communication channels and platforms, such as emails, chats, calls, or meetings, to facilitate dialogue, interaction, and cooperation among your team members and with other stakeholders. By communicating and collaborating with your team, you can foster a culture of transparency, trust, and teamwork, as well as align their goals and expectations with the IT strategy and vision.
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Prashant Singh
💡LinkedIn Top Voice | Leadership | People Manager | Customer Success | Podcast Host | SAAS |
One time at work when I was ramping up my customer facing teams to my shock the results were pathetic as lack of ownership was so evident. When done the root cause analysis, it was no surprise to learn the team is new and still seems to be in the NORMING phase. What I did: - Communicating teams what is expected out of them and documented the process with RACI matrix followed by session for them to ask questions. - Asked team to volunteer weekly to document challenges they facing address so that I can get it addressed. - Introduced a peer recognition plan for folks who elevated customer experience coz they demonstrated ownership & curiosity. - Encouraged open door policy so that anyone can come to me and ask questions if they have any.
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Jerry Young, MBA
Head of Software Development at Republic Finance
A smooth transition to support should include certain artifacts, such as a user guide, architecture diagrams, and a set of FAQs. Utilizing tools like Confluence or ServiceNow can greatly assist in storing and organizing these artifacts effectively. Additionally, it's essential to conduct a formal hand-off meeting to address any initial questions or concerns. Following the hand-off, you should anticipate your service desk team taking ownership of these artifacts and continuously updating them as they encounter new scenarios. By implementing these practices, you can quickly identify team members who take ownership of tickets and those who may merely reassign them. This insight will enable you to recognize and reward your performers.
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Jan Claes
Establish channels for team members to regularly contribute ideas and feedback. This practice not only involves them more deeply in the service process but also cultivates a stronger sense of ownership and engagement in their roles.
A fifth way to encourage ownership is to lead by example and demonstrate the behaviors and values that you want your service desk team to emulate. You can do this by showing commitment, accountability, and professionalism in your own work, as well as being supportive, respectful, and empathetic towards your team members and customers. You can also model how to handle challenges, learn from feedback, and celebrate successes. By leading by example, you can inspire your team to take ownership of their responsibilities and follow your lead.
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Halga Tamici
AVP Engineering @ Aplikasi Super | Leading Large-Scale Engineering Teams
Be role model for the team. Inspiring a service desk team to perform at their peak requires more than just words; it demands consistent, exemplary leadership. By demonstrating the dedication, accountability, and empathy you expect from your team, you foster an environment where excellence becomes the norm.
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Jan Claes
Exemplify a customer-centric mindset so profoundly that it becomes infectious to the team. This aspect is particularly close to my heart. Although it may seem straightforward, it encapsulates the ultimate goal of any service: catering to customer needs by embracing a customer-centric mindset. Prioritize empathy and swiftly, effectively resolve problems. Avoid the pitfall of applying an overly strict adherence to the ITIL framework, which can inadvertently overshadow the importance of a customer-centric approach. Such rigidity can transform the framework from a beneficial guideline into an obstacle, hindering our primary goal of serving the customer effectively.
A sixth way to encourage ownership is to encourage continuous improvement and learning among your service desk team. You can do this by providing them with opportunities to enhance their skills, knowledge, and competencies, as well as challenging them to take on new responsibilities, projects, or roles. You can also encourage them to seek feedback, learn from best practices, and adopt new technologies or methodologies. By encouraging continuous improvement, you can help your team grow, adapt, and innovate, as well as deliver better service and value to your customers and organization.
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Pierre Montersino
A Transformation Expert & Programme Director with significant experience building strategies, delivering, Business and IT solutions (including ERP) and M&A.
Ownership is a key ingredient in a successful service desk team. The team can be encouraged by fostering a sense of accountability and empowerment. Start by setting clear expectations and goals, and make sure each team member understands their role in achieving them. Provide regular feedback and recognise their achievements. Encourage problem-solving and decision-making within their scope of responsibilities. Creating a positive and supportive team culture can also make team members feel more invested in their work. Don't forget to lead by example—showing that you trust and value their contributions goes a long way in promoting ownership.
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Rakesh Patel
Senior Solutions Architect @ Dell Technologies | AWS Certified
One of the things I used to do was to have a weekly meeting with the Service Desk team along with a L3 person from one of the infrastructure teams to review tickets and how they could have been handled differently. It was great to have dialog about the Service Desk team's frustrations. On many occasions, the outcome was providing the team additional privileges to be able to resolve the issue at hand very quickly. Also created trust between the Service Desk and the core infrastructure teams.
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Neeraj Kukreja
Founder Valintell Solutions, Shelloak Solutions
Absolutely! Continuous improvement is key to fostering ownership and growth within the service desk team. Providing opportunities for skill enhancement, taking on new responsibilities, and embracing feedback not only empowers the team but also ensures they stay at the forefront of industry best practices. It's a powerful way to drive innovation and deliver exceptional service to both customers and the organization. #ContinuousImprovement #ServiceExcellence
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Rajesh V.
CTO | CISO | MBA IT, ITIL V3 Expert, Cobit 5, CCISO
Value them as your IT departments brand ambassadors and show them how important and valuable is their contribution in achieving the business goals
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Grace Claudia
Head of Technology and Operations @ Chubb General Insurance ID | Digital Transformation, Agile, RPA, Process Improvement, CFP
In addition to defined roles & resposibilities, regular communication and promoting collaboration amongst team members, in my experience, it helps a lot to put in place metrics that we as leaders actually review and use to move things forward. There are cases where reports are submitted and not read and discussed. Leaders should leverage the data and insights from those reports/reported metrics to discuss solution with the team and at the same time make them accountable for issues which are their responsibilities.
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Peter Moroney
Ready to go
I always found one of the issues is the disconnect between the service desk and the internal customers it serves. A lot of that stems from misunderstanding and a lack of knowledge. The best way to combat that is open communication. Reach out to customer stakeholders to understand their frustrations. Educate them when required and make an effort to proactively communicate updates and changes - what and why - so no one is caught unawares, and they understand the context. Bring them inside the tent and open channels to demystify and humanise the process. I found having some of our operators visit and sit with stakeholders beneficial in understanding their practical challenges while putting a human face to the process.
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