Navigating Calm and Crisis: The Dual Role of a Service Manager

The Rhythm of Routine

In the world of IT operations, the role of a Service and Change Manager is often seen as structured, planned, and predictable. On most days, that holds true, my job revolves around change management, financial oversight, service reviews, reporting, and continuous improvement. It’s a role grounded in consistency and forward planning. But every few weeks, that routine is completely capsized.

Think of it like working in a pharmaceutical lab that produces life-saving medication. Most of the time, you’re managing production with care, overseeing compliance, batch sign-offs, and delivery schedules. Then suddenly, you're pulled into managing an outbreak or responding to a critical event that requires all hands-on deck. That’s what it feels like to be a Service Manager during a high-priority incident week.

The Crisis Mode Shift

As part of our rota, I rotate into a critical incident management role every few weeks. These incidents can strike at any time, often during the night and demand immediate attention. During these periods, my day-to-day work pauses, and I switch into a different mode entirely: coordinating investigations, managing communications, escalating with vendors, and maintaining service stability under pressure.

We operate using ITILv4 principles, tailored over the years to maximise efficiency and resolution times. Once the issue is resolved, the regular workload is still there, waiting. Change boards, governance packs, reviews, inboxes — they don’t pause just because you’ve been firefighting. You dive back into the structured work, but the shift isn’t seamless. The tempo is off. You’re tired, trying to regain context, and racing to meet deadlines that didn’t move. That catch-up period carries a cost, sometimes in quality, sometimes in clarity.

The Personal Layer

Outside of work, life doesn’t slow down either. I have a one-year-old who’s teething and a five-year-old who’s full of energy. Sleep is already unpredictable, and when work routines are disrupted too, it adds up.

High-priority incidents don’t respect calendars. They arrive unannounced, often triggered by third-party faults, and demand your full attention. You learn to manage the shift between structured delivery and crisis response. But it’s tough. There’s no real downtime, and the mental gear changes required can wear you down more than you realise.

It’s not about failing to cope, it’s about recognising the friction. You’re expected to be both the planner and the firefighter, often within the same week. That duality can be fulfilling, but it also leaves little room to truly excel in either mode without compromise.

The Reality of Context Switching

Just as you’re catching your breath — or still in the thick of an incident someone from another part of the business casually asks for a blog post or a quick turnaround on something minor. It’s like switching gears without a clutch. You learn to smile through it, but it’s one of the harder parts of the role: managing expectations from those who only see half the picture.

So, if a report lands late or a change review misses a detail, rest assured I wasn’t on a beach. I was probably on a bridge call at 2am, with a half-charged phone and a teething toddler in the background.

There’s no glamour in firefighting, just caffeine, context switching, and controlled chaos. But despite the challenges, the service remains stable, issues are resolved, and the team keeps moving forward. I’m proud to play a part in making that happen.

The Curiosity That Fuels Resilience 

In fact, these high-priority incidents serve as reminders of how critical our services are. A touch of chaos can be a catalyst, prompting us to reassess, refine, and uncover new opportunities for improvement. And while our customers may never see the turbulence behind the scenes, they benefit from the calm we work hard to restore. This duality, structured delivery and crisis response, is demanding. It stretches you. But it also fuels curiosity.

That’s why I’ve been investing time, both professionally and personally, into another passion: AI.

I’m particularly drawn to AI ethics and its evolving role in IT and society especially the mental health implications that come with it. I explore new tools daily, constantly updating my AI toolkit. In this space, even 48 hours out of the loop can leave you behind.

But that’s a story for another blog. 

Solidsoft Reply is a leading technology company creating award-winning solutions utilising the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. As a globally acclaimed Microsoft AI Cloud Solutions Partner, we specialise in GS1 traceability systems worldwide, crucially ensuring the authenticity, legality, and safety of our customers’ products and services. Serving non-profits, NGOs, healthcare, and the pharmaceutical industries, we deliver technology for positive social impact. Your products, safe in our hands.