Systems Thinking and Beyond

In this analytical deep dive, the AI team explores the multifaceted work of Professor Ahmad Hijazi, Dean of the Business School at PU and head of a dedicated innovation incubator. Hijazi’s research challenges the traditional boundaries of management by examining the “architecture of creative judgment” at the “edge of knowledge”. The AI team investigate his premise that while systems thinking is a vital tool, it can become misleading if applied too rigidly to complex, real-world problems.

The AI team breaks down Hijazi’s unique synthesis of commercial leadership experience, spanning sales, marketing, and product management with his academic focus on responsible thinking within systems that refuse to be fully categorized. A central theme of the analysis is Hijazi’s concept of “approximate thinking,” as seen in his work “Fuzzy on the Dark Side,” which offers a framework for navigating the limits of traditional models (https://ahijazi.website/fuzzy-on-the-dark-side-approximate-thinking/).

Furthermore, The AI team explore how Hijazi integrates the practical application of creativity through fiction-writing and myth, including his engagement with the figure of Prometheus. By blending these narrative tools with innovation theory, Hijazi provides a roadmap for fermenting discussion on how to lead when data is incomplete. Join the AI team as they decode how Hijazi’s theories help modern innovators find clarity in the "dark side" of complex systems.

if you like what you hear, check out Prometheus at

The AI team takes a deep dive into a presentation by Joseph Kasser (G3ZCZ and VK5WU) which explores the evolving techniques and technologies used to achieve long-distance amateur radio contacts, or DXing, over several decades. The author draws a creative parallel between fishing and radio communication, noting that both require specialized tools, an understanding of the environment, and significant patience. By chronicling personal experiences across various global locations, the slides highlight the transition from manual Morse code and basic wire antennas to automated computer systems and satellite links. Key lessons emphasize that while location and propagation are vital, the integration of software can significantly improve the efficiency of making contacts. Ultimately, the source serves as a historical overview of how digital innovation has transformed a traditional hobby into a sophisticated technical pursuit.

An updated presentation can be made to your radio club, contact G3ZCZ to set it up.

The AI team takes a deep dive into a technical paper which critiques the traditional Technology Readiness Level (TRL) metric for its inability to predict future progress or address the later stages of a system's life. By applying holistic thinking perspectives, the author argues for a shift from measuring static maturity to evaluating long-term technology availability. This approach introduces the dynamic TRL (dTRL), which utilizes historical data to forecast when a technology will actually be ready for integration. It is similar to the use of Earned Value Analysis which can be used to forecast project cost and schedule.

Furthermore, the text proposes the Technology Availability Window of Opportunity (TAWOO) as a comprehensive framework that extends beyond development to include obsolescence and material shortages. Ultimately, the source demonstrates that holistic problem-solving broadens the project manager's scope, ensuring technology is supported from its initial conception through its eventual retirement. These conceptual tools aim to reduce programmatic risk by providing a more complete vision of the entire technology lifecycle.

Further details may be found in the technical paper, Kasser, J.E., Applying Holistic Thinking to the Problem of Determining the Future Availability of Technology, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, Volume 46, Number 3, 2016.

The AI team takes a deep dive into Dennis Sherwood's 2007 book Seeing the Forest for the Trees, a manager's guide to applying systems thinking, which provides managers with a structured framework to navigate and master the inherent complexity of organizational life. By utilizing causal loop diagrams, leaders can visualize the interconnected nature of business problems, moving beyond the linear, isolated perspectives often found in traditional spreadsheets. The text distinguishes between reinforcing loops, which act as engines for exponential growth or decline, and balancing loops, which stabilize systems toward specific goals. Through various case studies, such as back-office staffing and global warming, Sherwood illustrates how time delays and feedback mechanisms frequently lead to unintended consequences. Ultimately, the author argues that adopting this holistic view fosters wisdom and better teamwork by making individual mental models explicit and shared. This approach transforms the management of an organization into a more robust process of "taming" complexity rather than being overwhelmed by it.

As listeners to this podcast should be aware, there is more to systems thinking than using causal loops. However the book is an excellent souirce of informationon causal loops.

The AI team taxes a deep dive in the book 'PRINCE2 for Dummies'. Despite its title, the book is a comprehensive guidebook serving as a practical manual for individuals entering the field of project management. It provides a structured framework for the entire project life cycle, from drafting a business case and project charter to final closure and retrospection. Key instructional areas include building a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), managing resource allocation, and navigating various organizational environments.

The authors emphasize the human element by offering strategies for leading diverse teams, managing stakeholder expectations, and improving communication. Additionally, the text covers essential technical tools, such as Gantt charts, network diagrams, and Earned Value Management, for tracking performance. Ultimately, the source aims to equip readers with the mindset and technical skills required to deliver successful results in traditional, Agile, or hybrid settings.

The AI team takes a deep dive into the PeopleCert book Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 (2023) which serves as a comprehensive guide to the project management methodology. The content covers the seven PRINCE2 principles, such as "ensure continued business justification" and "focus on products," and introduces the seven practices: Business Case, Organizing, Plans, Quality, Risk, Issues, and Progress, which describe essential project management aspects. Furthermore, the source details the project lifecycle processes, including (1) Starting up a project, (2) Directing a project, (3) Initiating a project, (4) Controlling a stage, (5) Managing a stage boundary, (6) Managing product delivery, and (7) Closing a project, explaining the activities, objectives, and responsibilities for each. It also outlines the various management products such as the Business Case, Risk Register, and Issue Report, which are crucial for effective control and communication within a project's framework, emphasizing the importance of tailoring the method to suit different project contexts and scales.

The book is available on Amazon, together with similar books on managing projects with PRINCE2

The AI team takes a hilarious deep dive into the official correspondence and internal memoranda related to a grievance filed by Joe Kasser against several officers of INCOSE, the International Council on Systems Engineering. The initial letters from December 2014 inform Kasser that an informal committee decided to ban him from presenting at the next two symposia (IS 2015-2016) and reject his submitted papers due to past "non-conciliatory" behavior during panel discussions in 2012 and 2014. Kasser's extensive replies protest the ban, alleging that the process was handled by a "kangaroo court" in violation of INCOSE policies. Subsequent communications document the attempts to resolve the grievance, including the President-Elect's initial determination to cancel the sanction and subject Kasser's papers to peer review, which Kasser found unsatisfactory because the "guilty verdict" remained and the issue of policy violations was completely ignored. The final letter, dated December 2015, concludes the formal grievance review, ignored the root cause of the complaint, namely policy violations confirming Kasser's and the named officers' good standing, declining to issue reprimands, and stating that the matter is resolved because one of Kasser's papers was ultimately accepted and presented at IS 2015, a conclusion Kasser deemed unacceptable.

If you are an INCOSE member, why not try to find out why the process focused on the actions of the kangaroo court and ignored the violations of the bylaws. Post the question in the official (members only) INCOSE LinkedIn group, or email it to [email protected]. Please let me know if you get an answer and/or if your posted question is deleted or ignored.

The AI team takes a deep dive into an unpublished manuscript, written by an anonymous engineer, which presents a critical analysis of the "Formal Systems Engineering Process" (FSEP) prevalent in the older, large-scale aerospace and defense contracting industries. The author argues that FSEP, combined with an ideology called "Managerialism," fosters an inefficient, top-down bureaucratic culture that stifles innovation and leads to high costs and reduced reliability. This system, characterized by excessive reliance on formal requirements, spreadsheets, micromanagement, and favoritism, is contrasted with the more effective, meritocratic, and flexible "Agile" methodologies used by Silicon Valley and "NewSpace" companies, which empower design specialists. The source concludes with extensive recommendations for both companies and government agencies to abandon FSEP in favor of decentralized, expertise-driven approaches to improve performance and competitiveness.

The AI team take a deep dive into a talk that shares experiences using AI as a smart search engine, how it can provide new insights when using AI as a search engine, and assist with writing textbooks, conference and journal papers, in the classroom, in systems engineering tools, creating images and graphics, creating and debugging software, marketing, self-reflection, creating podcasts and presentations. The talk also covers some ethics and the potential for scams. The talk discusses the dialog and iterative active listening needed for effective communication. It warns that the AI is a great sycophant, apologizes very well, and tends to hallucinate, so that we need to ‘trust but verify’ Al the information it produces. The talk concludes that AI is a very useful tool, but has to be treated as an apprentice who has access to a lot of information but needs to be guided and constantly checked. The talk was given at the BCS SQM XXXIII 2025 International Quality Conference on 19 September 2025. The YouTube URL of the recording is https://youtu.be/0LPqiMA_j-0

The AI takes a deep dive into the book "Systemic and Systematic Project Management" by J. Kasser (2019), exploring project management as a problem-solving paradigm that emphasizes the need for both systemic thinking, which considers the whole system, and systematic thinking, which involves a methodical, step-by-step approach. The book details various aspects of project lifecycle management, including planning methodologies like the "build a little test a little" method, cost and schedule estimation, and risk management strategies such as CRIP and ETL charts. It also addresses the human element in projects, discussing team staffing, motivation, communication, and ethical considerations. Throughout the text, complex project scenarios are broken down and explained using frameworks such as the System Development Process (SDP) and various levels of thinking, providing a comprehensive guide to successful project execution and problem resolution.