Enterprise Digital - the podcast

This week Ian Aitchison and Barclay Rae discuss fungi, taxonomy and what we really mean by ‘Metadata’. The discussion also looks at the complexity of some systems and how we could get more work done with a simpler approach to using tools. Just because we have great tools doesn’t mean we’ll deliver great services and we need to be clear on what we really need from our systems. We also encourage more passion in the ITSM world, and there’s also some talk about how mushrooms use language…

The podcast resumes discussing trivia, although this time its ‘serious trivia’. We also await news on the fate of the podcast cockroach…. Our guest is Martin Sadler an experience CIO, who currently runs a large public sector IT organisation. Martin also has written a book about being a CIO – Aspirationally Idle. This includes a number of useful tips and guidance about running IT,  presented with jargon-free examples and cartoons. It’s funny and can be used as a general management guide as well as specific tips to IT leaders. We discuss the equation ‘anger=frustration x time’ and many other simple nuggets of wisdom.  

This episode covers a few aspects of where the current Service Management industry is and is going – with feedback on THE SDI SPARK event and the sorts of topics and trends emerging from that. Ian Aitchison and Barclay Rae also have eschewed trivia this week – apart form ‘meta trivia’ – although we will resume this in the next episode surely… There’s some good stuff in this episode on the difference between IT success and business value, as well as feedback on the SPARK event.

This weeks guest is Simone Moore, who is, amongst other titles, is AI ethicist, Woman tech ambassador, sassy minds and - Neurospicy… And indeed we get spicy talking about truth, data, empathy and many other aspects of how we build up knowledge and can make decisions. The conversation clarifies narrative from storytelling, and woolly mice from empathetic mice.  This is a brilliant chat and well worth a few moments of your spicy time…!      

This week’s special guest is Stephen Mann from ITSM.tools, discussing the latest piece of research published with @peoplecert and @atomicwork. There’s some great discussion and insight into finding including the level of trust in AI – which is not complete but is increasing, as well as some practical insights into Governance and Risk –which are areas of increasing focus and which are more about doing the right thing than just enforcing controls… Somehow also we manage to include reference to headless, speeding cockroaches. Here’s the link to the report: AI in ITSM 2025: The State of AI in ITSM 2025 - ITSM.tools

We have a mascot for the podcast! This is a hissing cockroach that needs a name – please send your suggestions…. Ian Aitchison and Barclay Rae also discuss the key elements of ‘Discovery’ as used in consulting and product management. There’s also some sage advice on how to build up a good summary and clear analysis of the information that you might capture – and move projects and operations and people to the next level… This follow the last episode where we discuss the Art of Listening – how can we use these skills in ITSM and beyond..? Listen in and learn more…

This week’s discussion begins with some forgetfulness from Barclay Rae and some weird stuff about animal spies from Ian Aitchison. The main topic is about how we can improve our analysis and understanding, communication and engagement from – listening… Lets not talk to our users rather listen and talk with them, lets practise active listening – a key negotiation skill. There is some good advice here around how to hone and tune our ability to listen and engage more with our various stakeholders, colleagues, users and customers.

No, not Tom your workmate or friend, but TOM - Target Operating Model.  After all the ‘excitement’ of the 100th episode, Barclay and Ian settle down for some typically practical conversation, peppered with tales of eels – mating and being used as currency – ‘eelcoin’ perhaps… There is some good discussion on the need to define, visualise and project clear simple images of plans and ways of working, and this brings TOM into the conversation. Listen in for some initial insights on this, as well as eels...   As a reference the Andrew Campbell publication on operating model canvass is an excellent resource. Operating Model Canvas by Andrew Campbell | Goodreads

After many attempts to call previous fake episodes the 100th, we are pleased to release the latest version – the real 100th, No really it is. This is a special episode with a few guests and familiar faces – Roy Atkinson, Karen Brusch, Ollie O’Donoghue Daniel Breston, @James Finister.   Together we talk a lot about trivia, mice with virtual headsets, and the future of ITSM. Actually, we talk a lot. That’s it really, although we do cover #people, #culture, #AI, #Fundamentals, #data, #leadership and some more #AI. It’s a mix of shiny stuff , some silly stuff and lots of good practical stuff…   As we talk a lot this episode does last for 13 hours, but who needs sleep anyway..?  

We are still nonagenarians, soon to be centurions..! On this one we discuss recent events – itSMF UK, HDI, Gartner, Nexthink…balance and convergence are keywords as well as AI, DX and Cloud as the big things for 25, and also some reality around the use of AI.  Then we played buzzword bingo – please don’t mention P*thways… and how we are going onto Blue Sky, which we like because its like the early days of Tw/X… Positive podcasting people…   Next episode will be our 100th episode – we would love to hear any of your comments, reflections, inputs. Contact us at BlueSky, or via LinkedIn