What does it takes to become Inspirational Leader of the Year in the industry’s IT Service & Support Awards. Here is Sally Bogg’s story from the 2017 awards.
What made you decide to enter the awards?
I see the awards as a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of both Leeds Beckett University and Universities in general. They are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the excellent work we are undertaking within our sector and I think that it is really important to highlight our achievements. I also hoped to be able to inspire other Universities and Service Desks and raise the profile of women working within IT. I have been taking part in the awards since 2014 and the value to the team and to the individuals should not be underestimated. I would recommend entering the awards to every Service Manager as part of their reward and recognition programme!
What has been the best part of the process for you so far?
Definitely the judging day in Birmingham on the 13th January. I was very fortunate to be a judge as well as a finalist. I love being part of something so positive and exciting and feeling part of the SDI community.
In the 2016/7, what was the most successful initiative you implemented to help your business improve its performance?
We relocated and redesigned our Service Desks at both campuses to create a relaxed and formal space for providing a walk in face to face service offering.
Which aspect of your service do you believe your customers appreciate the most and why?
I think that our customers most appreciate the face to face support that we are able to provide. We have recently redesigned our Service Desk to incorporate walk in support so that we can provide a place where people can drop in for any IT related help and advice, not just when something is broken.
What one thing do you think really makes you stand out as an inspirational Leader?
My commitment and passion for both Service Desk and Universities I believe that Universities are full or remarkable people with remarkable stories and I know more than anyone know that for every single one of our students, the opportunity for a university education can be a life changing experience and so I take every opportunity to remind support staff that a real live human being sits behind each process, each system each piece of technology and so we have a duty to make sure the words student voice and customer experience really mean something.
I believe that have been a keen player in driving the sector forward. Four University Service Desks have been shortlisted in these awards – something that was unheard of back in 2010 and I like to think that I have played a part in this success. I have consistently demonstrated the ability to motivate and influence decision making and I have a proven track record of driving process and process improvement. I don’t like to stand still and am always looking for the next challenge, the next opportunity to make a difference. The result is that I have never been afraid of driving through change, am not afraid to take risks and always try to be creative in my approach to both cultural and process change.
How are you preparing to evolve your service desk over the next few years? Please share your most exciting plan with us!
We are just embarking on Service Desk Certification and we plan to use this as a framework for our CSI. We want to transform our Service Desk and create a sector leaving service that provides excellence
What did it mean to you to be awarded Inspirational Leader of the Year 2017?
This was the icing on the cake! With a cherry on top! I was just really happy to be have been shortlisted and then to make it to the finals was brilliant as this meant I got to attend the awards ceremony which I love!
The closing date for entries to the IT Service & Support Awards 2018 is Friday 1 December 2017. To find out how to enter simply click here.
