Intelligence Without Action Is Just Overhead with Patrick McGarry

Intelligence Without Action Is Just Overhead with Patrick McGarry

Author: ServiceNow Community Podcasts September 3, 2026 Duration: 38:49

Patrick McGarry, Federal CDO at ServiceNow and author of The Adaptive Organization, has spent years watching organizations accumulate data and tools but fail to convert them into decisions. Overhead grows. Outcomes don't. Hence “Intelligence Without Action Is Just Overhead.” Patrick joins Juan and Tim to walk through why federal data programs stall (the idea-to-deployment lag is long enough that the tech moves on), why incentives matter more than mandates, and why the right question should not be "how do we get AI ready" and instead should be "how do we make our organization accountable for AI." 

Topics discussed: 

  • Intelligence vs. action
  • Ownership and outcomes
  • Federal government's speed problem
  • The CATALOG framework: Culture & Talent, Analytics & AI, Technology & Architecture, Alignment, Leadership & Governance, Operations & Delivery, Growth & Measurement.
  • Governance as clarity, not bureaucracy
  • Open standards, vendor lock-in, semantics, interoperability 
  • Regulatory standards as a double-edged sword

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Dive into the dynamic world of ServiceNow through the voices of those who know it best. ServiceNow Podcasts, curated by the ServiceNow Community Podcasts, isn't a single show but a rich library of conversations. Each series within this collection is hosted by different practitioners and experts, bringing you grounded discussions from a wide array of focus areas. Whether you're looking for the latest platform updates, deep dives into implementation strategies, or insights on IT service management and beyond, this podcast has a channel for you. You'll hear authentic talk about real-world applications, emerging trends, and the practical knowledge that professionals are using right now. It’s like having a direct line to the community’s collective experience. Tuning in means accessing a broad variety of topics designed to inform and educate, all framed within the context of what's happening at ServiceNow and in the ecosystems around it. For anyone working with or interested in the platform, this ongoing series of dialogues is an essential resource for staying current and connected. Find your niche, learn something new, and get the perspective only insiders can provide through these regular episodes.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

ServiceNow Podcasts
Podcast Episodes
How Voice AI Learns to Understand You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:55
Host Bobby Brill pulls together conversations with the ServiceNow linguists, research engineers, and AI governance leads working on voice, language, and chat, including a real recording of a voice agent failing in real t…
Why Data Teams Fail and Succeed with Shachar Meir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:26
Shachar MEIR has spent 20 years fixing data teams and understanding why they fail. In this live episode, Shachar joins Juan and Tim to discuss the reason why they fail and what they should be doing in order to succeed. S…
TAKEAWAY - Why Data Teams Fail and Succeed with Shachar Meir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:42
This is the takeaway episode with Shachar Meir, who has spent 20 years fixing data teams and understanding why they fail. In this live episode, Shachar joins Juan and Tim to discuss the reason why they fail and what they…
Honest No-BS Data Podcast 7th Year and Season 12 Kick Off [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:02
This is the start of our 7th year of doing the podcast. Juan and Tim kick off the 12th season sharing who are the upcoming guests and what's the latest on their mind about this crazy data and AI world: The new website (h…