For the past few months I’ve been working on helping my organization implement a new Service Management tool.  Like any similar project, it’s had a share of headaches, stress, cussing, and general consumption of drinks that start with “Captain” or “Grey.”  When we first started down this road of replacing our current ITSM tool (if you can even call it a tool), the vendor sent a consulting architect to us that sounded pretty knowledgeable.  After all, he had a British accent!  As time went on we found out that the consultant really didn’t know anything and I started to suspect that his U.K. history may have been falsified; there were certain hints such as calling football “soccer,” and spelling certain words, such as organisation, with a “z.”  Needless to say, we got in someone new and have been happily working on a new set of headaches (but with the same beverage names).  After this experience, and since some of the big names in ITSM/ITIL are foreigners (naming Malcom Fry and Robert England), I think I’m not entirely crazy in speculating that to be a heavy hitter in ITSM/ITIL, it helps to be a foreigner.  Getting more specific, one would have to be British, or maybe even a Kiwi.

So could this be just a far-fetch idea put together by a crazy American?  I think not.  First, Americans aren’t crazy – Israelis are (it even says it on their itSMF homepage http://www.itsmf.co.il/English.htm).  Secondly, ITIL started in the U.K. and not the U.S.A, so obviously anyone with a British accent must have ITIL in their DNA.  Thirdly, and this is the most important, it’s more entertaining to say “let’s head to the pub for a pint” instead of “let’s go to the bar to get a drink.”  Not only do I like the word “pub,” but the British statement specifies a minimum amount of alcoholic volume to be consumed, whereas an American “drink” could be a a cup of water.  Obviously one is more accurate than the other.

So does this mean I need to be foreign to become a brilliant ITIL/ITSM expert?  Of course not!  It just means I need to create a believable accent, and take on the U.K. sense of humour and grammar.  So goodbye spelling with “z’s”, saying “football” and drinking beer at a bar.  I’m now off to go have a pint at a pub.

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Started working in IT in 1999 as a support desk analyst as a way to help pay for food during college. Studied Electrical Engineering for two years before realizing biochemistry was more fun than differential equations, and so ultimately graduated with a Biology degree in 2006. Having (reluctantly) failed at getting accepted into dental school, embraced working in IT and has gone broke becoming an ITIL Expert. Likes to jog, sing camp songs, quote Mel Brooks movie lines and make dumb jokes and loves working for an Israeli tech company where December 25th is a regular work day.