In over a decade of teaching and applying management frameworks like COBIT, ITIL, PMBOK, and Scrum, I’ve seen one recurring pattern: most professionals crave structure, but few truly understand how to implement it — especially in chaotic environments like IT operations.
In classrooms and consulting projects across different countries, I’ve worked with professionals in very diverse contexts — from high-maturity teams in Europe to less structured, but equally talented, teams in Latin America. The technical staff is often hungry for tools and principles that bring order. But there’s a barrier that keeps appearing: a lack of awareness or support at the leadership level.
Executives, especially in mid-sized companies, frequently see these frameworks as something “for big corporations.” They think ITIL, COBIT, or PMBOK are overly complex or bureaucratic. In reality, these are flexible frameworks, open and adaptable, designed to help any organization improve its structure — no matter its size.
What I’ve learned — and what I teach — is that you don’t need to adopt a framework in full. You need to understand its principles and choose what fits. In this article, I’ll break down the core frameworks, where they shine, and how to apply them in practice, especially when leading teams, improving processes, or transforming IT management.
What Is a Management Framework?
A management framework is a structured set of principles, practices, and guidelines designed to help organizations plan, execute, control, and improve their operations.
Think of it like architectural blueprints. You can build a house without them, but the result will be slower, riskier, and harder to scale. Frameworks give you a shared language, tested models, and accumulated knowledge — often built from decades of global experience.
They are especially useful when:
- Teams feel overwhelmed and lack clarity
- Processes are undefined or inconsistent
- Deliveries are late, reactive, or low quality
- Communication between areas is fragmented
- Leadership struggles to align operations with strategy
When you apply a framework correctly, things change: you gain visibility, control, rhythm, and confidence.
Why Most Companies Don’t Use Frameworks (Even When They Should)
In many of my consulting engagements, I noticed something strange. The teams were clearly struggling. Projects were out of control. Service issues were constant. Knowledge was fragmented. But there was no structured system in place to address any of this.
I once asked a C-level executive if they had ever heard of COBIT or ITIL. His response: “Isn’t that something banks use?”
That’s the problem.
There’s a common belief that these frameworks are “corporate bureaucracy” — slow, rigid, and only for large enterprises. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Management frameworks are not bureaucracy — they’re strategy made executable.
The reality is that many mid-sized companies fail to scale because they rely too much on intuition and heroism. Without structure, even the most talented teams will burn out trying to compensate for systemic gaps.
And perhaps more importantly: these frameworks are free. You don’t need to pay to access ITIL guidance. COBIT is open. The PMBOK is widely distributed. These are shared, community-built best practices — and they are available to anyone who chooses to study and apply them.
Key Frameworks Every Professional Should Know
Let’s take a closer look at the most widely used frameworks, their core focus, and how they can be applied in real work environments.
🔹 ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
Purpose: To improve service delivery in IT through a structured service lifecycle.
Best for: Organizations that want to professionalize IT support, improve SLAs, reduce incidents, and provide better user experiences.
Key components:
- Service strategy
- Service design
- Service transition
- Service operation
- Continual service improvement
Real-world example: A client in Latin America was facing constant ticket backlog and poor incident resolution. By introducing just two ITIL practices — incident management and change management — service quality improved drastically in under 90 days.
🔹 COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies)
Purpose: Governance and management of enterprise IT aligned with business goals and compliance.
Best for: Organizations needing to align IT operations with regulatory requirements or corporate strategy.
Key strengths:
- Strong emphasis on risk, compliance, and value delivery
- Practical tools for measuring maturity
- Guidance on assigning roles and responsibilities (RACI)
Real-world example: In a project with an investment firm in Europe, we used COBIT to structure IT compliance. The maturity of their executive leadership made this transition natural and effective. Within six months, they had mapped risks, improved controls, and gained audit readiness.
🔹 PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge)
Purpose: To guide the structured execution of projects using standard processes.
Best for: Projects that require clear stages, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and timeline control.
Components:
- Initiating
- Planning
- Executing
- Monitoring and controlling
- Closing
Real-world application: I use PMBOK when dealing with large, cross-functional projects — especially those involving vendors, procurement, and legal areas. It gives structure and alignment where Agile wouldn’t be the best fit.
🔹 Scrum (Agile Framework)
Purpose: To manage complex projects through iterative development and rapid delivery.
Best for: Projects with evolving requirements, such as software development, product design, or innovation initiatives.
Structure:
- Sprint-based execution (1–4 weeks)
- Daily meetings
- Product backlog
- Sprint review and retrospective
Real-world reflection: In fast-paced teams, Scrum restores focus. I helped a team that was paralyzed by constant scope change move into two-week sprints. The result was stunning: faster feedback, improved delivery, and lower stress.
How to Choose the Right Framework (or Combination)
You don’t need to adopt an entire framework overnight. You need to ask the right questions:
- What’s our biggest pain point right now — strategy, execution, service, or control?
- What’s our cultural maturity? Will this team embrace structure or resist it?
- What level of formality fits our environment?
- Are we working with innovation, operations, or compliance?
Some practical pairings:
- COBIT + ITIL → For aligning service quality with governance and compliance
- PMBOK + Scrum → For hybrid project delivery (planning + agility)
- ITIL + Agile → For service teams managing operational tasks with modern rituals
Frameworks aren’t cages. They are toolkits. Choose the tool that fits the job — and be open to combining what works.
How to Start Applying Frameworks (Without Overcomplicating)
Here’s a basic roadmap I use in workshops and client engagements:
- Educate the team: Run a short training or share a quick reference. Understanding is the first step.
- Choose one pain point: Don’t try to fix everything. Start with what hurts most (e.g., incident escalation).
- Pick one framework and one process: For example, start with ITIL’s incident management.
- Define roles and success indicators: Who owns it? How will we know it’s working?
- Implement and review after 30 days: Gather feedback, improve, and expand gradually.
Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for traction.
Final Thought
I’ve seen what happens when teams work hard, firefight daily, and still feel behind. It’s not a lack of effort — it’s a lack of structure. That’s where management frameworks make all the difference.
These frameworks aren’t theoretical. They are collections of real-world lessons — shared by thousands of professionals who faced the same challenges you do.
Start small. Pick what fits. And build from there.
On this blog, gestaoti15.com, I share methods, frameworks, and real experiences to help you bring clarity, structure, and purpose into your work — whether you’re managing IT, leading teams, or building better systems.