How an Engineer Would Map Your Org
The Change Signal with Emily Moore
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If you lead change in a big organization, you already know the neat diagrams rarely survive contact with reality. Emily Moore — engineer, educator, and longtime industry leader — joins me to explore how systems thinking becomes far more useful when we stop pretending the world is tidy.
We dig into the surprising truth that most “systems maps” forget the most important element: the people who hold influence, create friction, or quietly keep things running. Emily shows why the real work of change begins when you sit with ambiguity a little longer than feels comfortable, resist the urge to leap to solutions, and allow humility to do some heavy lifting.
We also talk about resistance — why it’s not just inevitable but essential. Emily argues that vocal laggards often reveal leverage points the formal org chart hides.
If you’re navigating complex transformations, leading change management initiatives, or trying to make progress inside tangled systems, this conversation will help you see your organization — and your role in it — with fresh eyes.
Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Emily Moore:
Who’s missing from your system map?
What are you rushing to solve?
And what is resistance actually trying to protect?
ABOUT EMILY:
Emily Moore is an engineer, educator, and industry leader who teaches engineering leadership and systems thinking at the University of Toronto. Her work blends rigorous technical thinking with practical tools for navigating complexity, influence, and organizational change.
Music Credits: Rest in the Garden - SackJo22 ft Duckett & The Stubble Field Break (Mana Mixed) - Mana Junkie ft Apoxode
