Reducing friction in ITSM: Mark Settle on the 3 key dimensions of IT interactions

We had the privilege of hosting a distinguished seven-time CIO in our latest episode of Atomic Conversations.

Lenin Gali, Chief Business Officer at Atomicwork, sat down with Mark Settle, a former CIO, ITSM thought leader, and author of the ‘Truth from the Trenches’ series–an exceptional leadership handbook specifically for ITSM professionals.

With decades of experience across companies like Okta, BMC Software, IHS, and Arrow Electronics, Mark’s leadership is a rare blend of hands-on IT management and strategic vision. His insights on our podcast touched on IT’s shifting role, the need for frictionless service management, and AI’s potential to reshape IT operations.

We’re sharing the key takeaways of the conversation here. But if you want to listen to the full episode, head here.

Why modern IT requires a new mindset

Mark compared IT’s transformation to the decline of the British Empire post-World War II, emphasizing that IT leaders must evolve from an ownership mindset to a stewardship role.

“You look at an IT organization, and as everybody knows now, the functional groups have the resources and permission to acquire a lot of technology on their own without really any involvement from IT. So, when I counsel people these days, I tell them, you’ve got to get out of this ownership mentality,” notes Mark.

IT is no longer the sole gatekeeper of technology. Instead of controlling every technology decision, CIOs must guide business units to make informed choices while ensuring security, compliance, and integration.

Mark also pushed back against the term ‘shadow IT,’ arguing that business units are simply following IT’s past encouragement to adopt more technology. For IT leaders, success in this new era is about earning credibility and influence rather than controlling every technology decision.

Reducing friction in ITSM

IT service management has evolved from traditional help desks to complex service portals. However, instead of making employees’ lives easier, these systems often create frustration.

Mark underscored the need for modern ITSM to reduce friction by moving knowledge closer to the end-user.

He outlined three key dimensions of IT service interactions:

• Technical competence: Ensuring IT teams have the necessary skills.
• Empathy: Understanding and addressing users’ frustrations.
• Time management: Resolving issues quickly and efficiently.

To measure success, Mark proposed the idea of an innovative ‘IT friction score’, which would track the effort employees expend to resolve issues.

Maybe you can pioneer a new metric called IT friction. And then declare, ‘This is how we measure IT friction.’ And guess what? We can show up and take this friction down by 50% from what you're experiencing today. Mark Settle, Former CIO of Okta

Reducing IT friction not only improves employee satisfaction but also boosts overall productivity.

AI in IT isn’t just automation

Mark described AI’s potential to shift IT from a reactive to a proactive function.

“AI offers the opportunity to become more proactive.”

Lenin also pointed out the importance of training AI models properly. “AI isn’t going to magically understand everything from day one. It’s like hiring a new employee—you need to train it, feed it the right data, and ensure it learns the lingo of your organization.”

For example, using AI, IT can analyze patterns, identify common issues, and help users before they even need to submit a ticket.

It is important to remember that AI’s success depends on data quality and organizational readiness. IT leaders must:

• Start small: Begin with controlled AI prototypes.
• Train AI properly: Treat AI like a new hire, ensuring it understands internal processes.
• Set realistic expectations: Avoid overpromising and instead show incremental value.

While AI will automate repetitive tasks, Mark assured IT professionals that their roles remain critical.

The real power of AI lies in improving efficiency, enhancing employee experience, and enabling IT teams to focus on higher-value work.

Winning organizational trust is paramount

Mark argued that IT’s influence depends on trust and credibility within the organization. If a company turns to external consultants rather than its CIO to define an AI strategy, it signals a failure to build internal trust.

If you don’t have credibility and trust, your business units will turn to external consultants instead of IT. To be a successful CIO, you must partner with the business, not just deliver technology. - Mark Settle

He advised CIOs to work closely with finance teams, particularly when securing funding for new initiatives. “I think CFOs get a lot of bad press from the IT world. But if you say, ‘Here’s a strategy and a plan. All I want this year is 750k to do these three controlled experiments. If I succeed, I’m coming back next year for 2 million.’ Start setting your expectations in the next budget cycle.”

For IT to play a transformative role, CIOs must:

• Align IT goals with business objectives
• Communicate value in business terms
• Deliver tangible wins before seeking larger investments

Ultimately, IT’s role isn’t just about technology; it’s about leading change, reducing friction, and helping businesses make smarter decisions.

The most successful organizations will be those that embrace AI, prioritize user experience, and treat IT as a strategic partner rather than a support function.

To hear more from Mark Settle, listen to the full episode of Atomic Conversations.