Systems Thinking & Complexity Leadership - Jul 2025

Date

• Friday 25 July & Friday 8 August 2025 (bookings close at 12noon Wednesday 23 July 2025)

Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking (ST) is a scientific methodology for strategic thinking and decision-making for groups and organisations. ST uses specialised tools to understand complexity in government, business, and society. Complexity arises from the interaction of multiple elements and entities (agencies, departments, functions, decision-makers and stakeholders) — each driven by own objectives, agendas, and mindsets. Complexity cannot be understood and ‘solved’ by single experts or agencies. Systems Thinking methodology enables deep understanding and insights into how complex systems interact through feedback loops. It allows foreseeing the intended outcomes, as well as, unintended consequences of decisions, strategies and interventions.

This two-day state-of-the-art course and workshop will introduce Systems Thinking principles, tools and case studies in an interactive environment relevant to the knowledge and experience of the participants. The aim is for the participants to use the advanced learning and skills to deal with strategic and endemic challenges in their organisation. The benefits of the course include:

• Learning the advanced concepts and tools of Systems Thinking
• Enhancing cross-functional communication and collaboration
• Learning systemic vs symptomatic problem solving
• Aligning vision and action at all levels of the organisation
• Breaking down organisational silos and the ‘them-and-us’ mentality
• Enhancing unity, morale, and productivity
• Helping staff and organisations to see the ‘big picture’ of their organisation, society and the world
• Preventing the organisation from making critical decisions with adverse unintended consequences.

Brief Course Plan

Day 1
• A tour of Scientific Management
• Why today’s world needs Systems Thinking?
• Systems Thinking concepts & methodology
• Problem definition and structuring
• Systems Thinking mapping tools
• International Case Studies
• Group Workshop

Day 2
• Review of Day1
• Practice Case study
• International Case Studies
• Recurring Systemic Patterns (Systems Archetypes)
• Leverage Points vs ‘solution’
• Systems Mapping Software

Who Should Attend
This course is designed for knowledge workers in business, government, academia and social agencies. Attendance by groups of colleagues is most beneficial to the participants and their organisations.

Course Facilitator - Professor Kambiz Manni

Kambiz is an internationally recognised expert, scholar and consultant in Systems Thinking & Complexity — focusing on collaborative decision-making, consensus building and policy design. His academic and consulting career spans over 30 years in the USA, Australasia, Asia, and South America. This includes visiting positions at MIT, London Business School, Boston University, and Helsinki School of Economics (Aalto- Singapore and Taiwan).

Professor Maani was the Founding Chair in Systems Thinking and Practice at the University of Queensland (Australia), and Head of Auckland Business School at Tamaki. He established and led the Management Science Department at the University of Auckland. Later, he served as Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Massey Business School, New Zealand.

Dr Maani’s research and consulting focus on managing complexity and multi-stakeholder decision-making. He has advised and consulted extensively for numerous corporations, public organisations and government departments worldwide, and provides seminars and short courses internationally. His seminal book “Systems thinking, Systems Dynamics - Managing Change and Complexity”, now in its second edition with multiple reprints, is used at universities, governments and organisations around the world. His latest book “Multi Stakeholder Decision Making for Complexity - Systems Approach & Cases”, based on his UNESCO sponsored project, was released by World Scientific in 2017.

This Workshop is $2,100pp including GST and Humanitix booking fees.
Course fees include catering (all dietary requirements catered for) and booking fees.