New Episode Alert! 🎧 Rethinking Complexity with Dr. Laura Cabrera

Whether you are designing complex architectures or just trying to get your kids to take out the trash, you are navigating a "wicked problem." But how aware are you of how you think?

In our latest podcast episode, INCOSE sits down with Cornell researcher and author Dr. Laura Cabrera to strip away the academic jargon and make systems thinking practical for leaders and engineers alike.

Key highlights from the episode include:

💡The 34,000-Person Study: Why human problem-solving teams consistently struggle with seeing relationships and taking alternative perspectives.

💡The DSRP Framework: How mastering Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives gives you a diagnostic toolkit for complex projects.

💡Ditching the "Root Cause" Myth: A brilliant 10-hole leaking roof analogy that proves why complex webs of causality require multi-pronged solutions, not linear thinking.

Before you operationalize your next big project, tune in to discover how building a better mental model can bring clarity to your team and get your work closer to reality.

👉 Listen now on the INCOSE website and your favorite podcast platform! https://www.incose.org/resources-publications/member-communications/the-incose-podcast/

#SystemsEngineering #SystemsThinking #INCOSEPodcast #INCOSE

In our latest episode, we sit down with Julia Mullaney, co-founder of Exceptional Difference, award-winning engineer, and leadership expert.

From her standout career at IBM to working alongside the legendary Watts Humphrey at the Software Engineering Institute, Julia brings an incredible, data-backed perspective on bridging the gap between engineering theory and daily project realities.

In this candid conversation, we talk about:

👉 The "Invisible" Savings of Quality: Why investing in early design and code reviews actually saves hundreds of hours—flipping the script on the misconception that quality is expensive.

👉 Managing Schedule Pressure: How technical leaders can find the courage to face reality, establish realistic commitments, and protect engineering standards.

👉 Coaching vs. Rescuing: Why the best mentors focus on building long-term capability within their teams rather than stepping in to "fix" every problem.

👉 The AI Boom: Her take on the rapid acceleration of AI, and why architectural wisdom and design thinking matter now more than ever.

Julia also shares invaluable advice for the next generation of engineers—and women entering technical leadership roles—on leading with value, relying on data as your protector, and embracing discomfort to fuel growth.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation now on the INCOSE website or your favorite podcast platform! https://www.incose.org/resources-publications/member-communications/the-incose-podcast/

#SystemsEngineering #SoftwareEngineering #TechnicalLeadership #WomenInSTEM #INCOSEPodcast #INCOSE

Why do societal problems like poverty and crime persist, even when countries pass laws to solve them?

We often think the legislative process—drafting a bill, debating it, and enacting it—is the ultimate solution. But David Schrunk, President of the Science of Laws Institute, argues that we have it backwards. In the latest INCOSE Podcast, David explores why the traditional lawmaking method used in many nations fails to define problems, measure outcomes, or ensure effectiveness.

What if we treated legislation like any other complex system? From Japan’s "Agile Governance" framework to new policy-engineering initiatives in Mongolia, countries around the world are beginning to explore how we can apply systems engineering rigor to the "system of systems" that is modern government. Learn more at www.scienceoflaws.org

Listen to the full episode to hear how systems engineering can serve as a universal tool for better governance. 🎧