Engaging the Brightest Minds of IT Management: Interview with Roman Zhuravlev

What does an ITIL architect do? Can you tell us about your journey to become a Senior ITIL Architect?

ITIL architects (there are currently two of us, the other one is Adam Griffith) ensure that ITIL is consistent. As it continually develops – new publications are added every year, and the existing ones are updated – we need to make sure that everything fits well together. We also ensure that the terms, concepts, and recommendations in ITIL are aligned with other sources and generally accepted language of the industry; with the previous versions of ITIL; with other PeopleCert products, and so on. We are involved in every ITIL publication as co-authors and reviewers. We do a lot of public speaking – online and at various industry and partner events, listening and reading to stay up-to-date and capture the industry trends. And of course, we test ideas and plan further development of ITIL.

But the most important and the most enjoyable part of our work is this: we identify and engage the brightest minds of IT management. I have an introductory joke that I use in my presentations to a new audience: “If you don’t like something in ITIL4, I’m probably the one to blame. If you do like something, refer to the list of the contributors at the end of every publication”. There is more truth in it than one could think. ITIL – and our work – would not be possible without the contribution of all those wonderful people we have had involved during these years. Finding them, working together, becoming friends is the best part of our work.

What initially inspired your interest in IT service management, after studying psychology?

Well, there was a large gap between studying psychology and getting involved in ITSM. I worked for almost ten years for a large retail company – first on the business side where we designed and controlled business processes and worked a lot with our internal IT team, and later in different IT roles.

At some point our IT director asked me: “Have you ever heard of ITIL?”. I had not, but very soon I was involved and interested, and we became one of the first ITSM implementation cases in the country. Later I joined one of the first ITSM training and consulting companies, and a few years later together with three colleagues we founded another one. At the same time, I got involved in founding a local itSMF chapter (IT Service Management Forum), translating books and exams, lecturing in universities – ITSM has become my passion and my profession.

In a way, I was lucky to be in the right place at the moment when the rise of ITSM started in the country. But more importantly, I became a member of the amazing international community, and eventually the power of the community brought me to where I am now – to the very heart of ITIL development. This was the most impactful and the luckiest event in my professional life.

As someone involved in the landscape of ITSM development in different countries, how have you seen the ITIL framework evolve over the years? Is there a direct relationship with (changing needs of) digital transformation?

ITIL has been continually evolving, but the pace of adoption varies from region to region and from industry to industry. Some regions are more conservative and can still perceive ITIL as a process-based framework for IT operations and support (pretty much every word is wrong in this definition). Others expect ITIL to address the latest trends of IT and IT management even before they become the best practice. This creates a great challenge for us – it’s hard to keep ITIL relevant for all types of demand and all levels of ITSM maturity. One common trend I can indicate is that the higher an organisation’s dependency on digital technology, the higher the level of ITSM maturity and the scope of ITIL adoption.

With continuous updates and new practices being introduced, where do you see ITIL heading in the next five years?

There are few clear trends. Integration of digital product management and service management is one; humanisation and higher attention to the human needs – both users’ and employees’ needs is another. Additionally, sustainability, ethics and governance are increasingly important, especially with the rapid – and sometimes careless – adoption of Generative AI.

The higher dependency on technology we embrace, the higher the need for effective governance. The more autonomy we give to AI, the higher the need for ethical constraints. The level of automation is rising – and we react with the increasing need to stay and be recognised as human beings. ITIL will have to reflect these trends.

Looking back: over the years of working with ITIL and service management, what are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned?

They all are related to people. As I said, working with the best minds of the industry is the main privilege of my role.

• Lesson 1: young professionals bring new great perspectives, new energy, and new discoveries. We should always involve young people along with the established thought leaders.
  
• Lesson 2: diversity of opinions (and backgrounds). The worst thing that can happen to a best practice body of knowledge is getting trapped in a self-built echo chamber. Very comfortable, yet very dangerous. We should always be open to diverse opinions.
  
• Lesson 3: the power of the community. The most useful feedback on our ideas we received from volunteers. When we share with the community, it always pays back.

Looking forward: what three concepts would you like to learn in the near future in order to keep developing yourself as a professional?

I won’t be very original here. The three top topics are AI, experience management, and complexity. For the last one, I have a dream of properly studying the Cynefin framework and related tools and methods. Dealing with complexity is a must-have competency in today’s increasingly complex world, which, I’m afraid, won’t get any simpler in the future.

Is there any advice you would give to professionals and organisations in the IT service management field who are looking to implement ITIL practices effectively?

It may sound banal, but I would recommend following the guiding principles:

• Focus on value
• Start where you are
• Progress iteratively with feedback
• Collaborate and promote visibility
• Keep it simple and practical
• Optimise and automate
• Think and work holistically.

…and a bonus one: empathise and prioritise people over technology, processes, and profit.