IT Asset Management: Why It’s Important to Ask ‘Why?’
Leadership expert Simon Sinek once said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. In his TED Talk, ‘How Great Leaders Inspire Action’, he introduced the Golden Circle, a concept that encourages organisations to rethink their approach to business.
The Golden Circle: Why, How, and What
Traditionally, businesses start by defining what they do, followed by how they do it, often neglecting the most important question – why they do it. According to Sinek, this is the wrong approach. Instead, organisations should begin with their why and work outward. Knowing why you do business is just as important, if not more, than knowing what you do or how you do it.
Applying the Golden Circle to IT Asset Management
When it comes to IT asset management, aligning your efforts with your organisation’s why is crucial. Failing to do so can result in a program that focuses solely on operational aspects, missing the bigger picture—the value and benefits your asset management should deliver. The result? Ineffective processes that are largely ignored.
Answering the Why in IT Asset Management
To ensure your IT asset management program is successful, you need to start by understanding how it aligns with your organisation’s vision, strategy, and drivers. This means asking how your IT asset management efforts bring value to the enterprise.
Once the why is clear, you can move on to the how by defining two key elements:
- Foundation: Establishes the goals and objectives of the IT asset management program.
- Parameters: Defines the scope of the activities required to achieve these goals.
Defining the What
After answering why and how, you can determine what IT asset management will do to provide the required value. These activities, informed by your foundation and parameters, make up the core practices of your IT asset management program.
These practices guide how you manage IT assets, ensuring that your program delivers the benefits and value your organisation needs.
Pink Elephant’s IT Asset Management Essentials Course
Pink Elephant’s IT Asset Management Essentials course is structured around Sinek’s Golden Circle and incorporates Pink’s Integrated IT Asset Management (iITAM) model. This model covers essential elements for effectively managing the entire lifecycle of hardware, software, mobile IT assets, as well as cloud-based and emerging technologies.
Conclusion
Incorporating the Golden Circle into your IT asset management strategy ensures that your program not only meets operational needs but also aligns with your organisation’s overarching vision and objectives. By starting with why, you can create a value-driven asset management program that delivers real benefits.