Date Published January 7, 2026 - Last Updated January 7, 2026
Every January, leaders feel pressure to declare bold resolutions. Bigger goals. Faster results. Immediate transformation. In service and support organizations, those resolutions often sound familiar: We’ll improve customer satisfaction. We’ll reduce ticket volume. We’ll “do ITIL.”
And yet, much like the people who flood the gym once the New Year’s hangover fades, by February many of those resolutions quietly disappear. Not because leaders lack commitment, but because intention without execution rarely survives the realities of day-to-day operations.
The difference between a leader who starts the year with a resolution and a truly transformational leader is not ambition — it’s discipline.
Transformational leaders define and plan for success before they chase it. They examine how their teams collaborate, how decisions are made, how learning happens and how support is perceived by the business. They understand that sustainable improvement is not accidental.
What success looks like for your organization will depend on where your team is today — its maturity — but the process for achieving transformation remains consistent.
One practical framework for leaders who want progress that lasts beyond the first quarter is the ITIL Continual Improvement Model. Its circular, question-based approach helps leaders move beyond one-time initiatives and instead build a culture of ongoing, intentional improvement.
What is the vision? (Goal)
Begin by clearly defining what “world-class” means for your support organization by the end of 2026. This vision should align with business priorities, customer expectations and your organization’s current level of maturity.
Clarity matters. Avoid vague aspirations and industry buzzwords, including the term “world-class” itself. Instead, describe what success looks like in practical terms. How should customers experience support? How should analysts spend their time? What value should the service desk provide to the business? A compelling vision gives your team something concrete to aim for.
Where are we now? (Baseline)
Improvement starts with honesty. Establish a true baseline using operational data, employee feedback and customer insights. This includes metrics such as resolution times, backlog trends, customer satisfaction and escalation patterns, but also qualitative signals like morale, burnout and trust with business partners.
As uncomfortable as it can be, the metrics are what they are, and they tell the story whether we like it or not. Leaders who skip this step often end up solving the wrong problems or celebrating improvements that don’t actually move the needle.
Where do we want to be? (Targets)
Targets translate vision into measurable outcomes. These should be realistic, balanced, prioritized and meaningful — not a wish list of everything you’d like to fix at once.
Incremental targets matter. They allow teams to see progress, build confidence and stay motivated. More important, they reinforce that transformation is a series of deliberate steps, not a single leap. Well-defined targets also help leaders make trade-off decisions when resources, time or attention are limited.
How do we get there? (Plan)
A plan forces leaders to make intentional choices about priorities, sequencing and ownership. It turns aspiration into action.
Without a plan, teams default to reacting to the loudest issue of the day. With a plan, leaders provide a roadmap that connects daily work to longer-term goals. Even a simple, visible plan helps teams understand why changes are happening and how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture.
Take action
Execution is where many resolutions fail, because execution requires change from leaders and team members alike. Leading change can feel like herding cats, especially in support environments already under pressure.
This is where leadership behavior matters most. Walking the talk, providing consistent feedback, removing obstacles, celebrating progress and clearly tying day-to-day actions back to targets and vision all make a difference. Teams don’t resist change as much as they resist unclear, unsupported change.
Did we get there? (Evaluate)
Evaluation closes the loop. Monitoring progress toward incremental targets allows leaders to adapt and iterate rather than abandon the effort altogether. When leaders regularly review outcomes, learn from missteps, and adjust course, teams are far more likely to reach the ultimate destination.
How do we keep momentum going? (Sustain)
Transformational leaders know that this year’s vision isn’t the final destination — it’s part of an ongoing journey. While it’s critical to celebrate successes, effective leaders are already thinking about what comes next and how today’s improvements become tomorrow’s baseline.
Through intentional leadership, your vision for 2026 is achievable, but only if it’s backed by clarity, discipline and the courage to lead change long after January fades.