The Hidden Reason ITIL, COBIT, Agile, and DevOps Can’t Give You Flow
If your enterprise is using multiple practice frameworks, you are guaranteed to have a fragmented critical path. Not because the frameworks are bad — but because none of them define a universal operating architecture. Every practice assumes partial own
From Process Documentation to Social Circuitry with the USM method
A post by our guest editor, John Worthington. 🧩 From Documentation to Engagement In a recent post, Hank Marquis nailed a timeless truth: “Great leaders know process is about engagement, not documentation.” That distinction may be the single most import
Password Resets, Incidents, and the Nature of Agreements
A post by our guest editor, John Worthington. Why clarity of service context makes every Help Desk smarter At a recent Open Service Community (OSC) meetup, a familiar question sparked a lively debate: “Is a password reset an incident or a service reque
From Leavitt’s Diamond to Ackoff to USM: Completing the System
Another great post by our guest editor, John Worthington. For decades, leaders have been told that transformation rests on “People, Process, Technology.” It’s catchy, but it’s not a system. At best, it’s a checklist. The roots go back to Harold Leavitt
How to Get Stability in an Unstable World
A post by our guest editor, John Worthington. In a VUCA world, operating models come and go, but a management system like USM provides the stability, accountability, and social capital enterprises need to thrive. We live in what the military fir
Service Management’s Enlightenment
A post by our guest editor, John Worthington. Somewhere between the noise of frameworks and the glow of dashboards, we seem to have misplaced our principles. We can recite ITIL practices, COBIT controls, ISO clauses, and Agile ceremonies faster than a
Practice-Based Tailoring vs. Structural Standardization with the USM Method
A post by our guest editor, John Worthington. In today’s USM Introduction Workshop we got a familiar question; ‘why isn’t tailoring ITIL-based processes (practices) the same as what USM is doing?’ Practice-based tailoring (like ITIL-inspired customizat
Thought Leadership or “Pay-to-Play”?
A post by our guest editor, John Worthington. I was recently contacted by a major research and advisory firm—one of the big names. They invited me to join one of their “Councils,” citing my experience and presenting it as a prestigious opportunity. I w
Beyond Strategy: Why Value Maturity Needs a System
Another great post by our guest editor, John Worthington. When I previewed the Dual-Lens Assessment Model, a colleague challenged me with a sharp observation. “I’m still having some doubts about the value dimension, as I think it’s often a deliberate c