Change by Design

Systems Engineering and Leading Change in A&D with Branden Ramsey

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Complexity is rising, timelines aren’t getting longer, and organizations can’t afford “set the stack once and never change it” thinking anymore.  In this episode, Chad Jackson sits down with Branden Ramsey to unpack what it really takes to lead change—especially in aerospace/defense and systems engineering environments where integration, interfaces, and risk are everything.
 
Topics covered:
  • Choosing the leadership track: Why caring about people is the tell for whether management is a fit.
  • What a “change agent” is (and why it usually becomes an extra job on top of engineering work).
  • Three essentials for successful change: a crisp “why,” realistic capacity, and trust (including how to reduce fear by framing change as upskilling).
  • Programs vs. change: Why big commitments make tradeoffs unavoidable—and why the decision is almost never “clear.”
  • Systems engineering reality check: SE provides value, but outdated document-heavy processes can turn it into a burden in a fast-change world.
  • MBSE and modeling depth: Why “model everything” breaks down, how to think about rigor vs. agility, and why interfaces are the anchor.
  • “SysML 2.0 / ‘CS ML 2.0’” implications: How stronger standardization can make models more computer-friendly for analytics and AI-era workflows.
    • ...more
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    Change by DesignBy Chad Jackson