A Guide To The Tales

The following table presents some basic information on the tales contained in this section. It is designed to help the reader locate stories which may be most helpful and relevant.

What We Could Be Doing Together
(1996-97) James Dwyer, Memorial Hospital of Burlington County, Mt. Holly, NJ

Principles Complexity Lens Shadow system Chunking Good Enough Vision Aides Generative relationships

Building a new relationship with primary care physician group and planning for clinical quality improvement

Managing A Living Thing
(1996-97) Richard Weinberg, Atlantic Health System, Parsippany, NJ

Principles Complexity Lens Clockware/Swarmware Aides Min specs

Fostering a merger of two physician organizations and a natural view of organizations

Another Way to Think
(1996-97) Debbie Zastocki, Chilton Memorial Hospital, Pompton Plains, NJ

Principles Tune to edge Complexity Lens Clockware/Swarmware Aides Metaphor Min specs Reflection Stacey matrix Generative relationships Min specs

Creating an environment for organizational change and new models for community health

Inter-Departmental Communication in a Large Hospital:
The Challenges of South American Diplomacy
(1997) Paul Plsek, Paul E. Plsek & Associates

Principles Tune to edge Aides Metaphor

Bringing mental models to the surface as a technique for raising organizational under-standing and progress on hospital wide improvement initiatives

The Power of Information:
What Happens When a Vacuum Fills?
(1997) Paul Plsek, Paul E. Plsek & Associates

Principles Shadow systems Paradox Tune to edge

Surprising impact of increasing the information flow in a project to restructure a medical center’s quality efforts

Worldwide Complexity:
Strategic Planning For a Non-Profit Healthcare Organization
(1997) Paul Plsek, Paul E. Plsek & Associates

Principles Tune to edge Multiple actions Aides Min specs

A "non-business" plan approach to pursuing an international opportunity relationships

A Complex Way Of Connecting With Communities:
Creating Hope Through Connections And Action
(1996-97) Linda Rusch & Debbie Zastocki

Principles Chunking Good enough vision Aides Stacey matrix Generative relationships Min specs

Portions of the Rusch/Zastocki stories from above on community health work told together and with reflections

"Learn As You Go" Strategic Management:
Forget About The Overarching Plan In Highly Uncertain Times
(1996-97) James Taylor, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, KY

Principles Complexity lens Multiple actions Aides Reflection

An alternative to strategic planning, focusing around issues and actions

Make It Happen Or Let It Happen:
A Case Study Of Strategy At Federal Metals, Inc.
(1989) Brenda Zimmerman, York University, North York, Ontario, Canada

Principles Clockware/swarmware Complexity lens Aides Wicked questions Metaphor Reflection

Story of a company which created a complexity - informed plan to strategy

A Complexity Tool Box
(1997-98) James Roberts, M.D., Senior Vice President, VHA Inc., Dallas, TX

Principles Good enough vision Clockware/swarmware Paradox Aides Stacey matrix

A complexity approach to creating a learning network of physician leaders. Includes an approach for assessing projects based on the Stacey matrix.

Justifying A Revolution
(1997-98) Memorial Hospital of South Bend, Indiana

Principles Shadow system Complexity lens Good enough vision Aides Metaphor Stacey matrix Min specs

Tracks the evolution of a hospital culture into a more organic system — catalyzed, in part, by the recognition of the "shadow system."

Cascades Of Connection: The Case Of Charity Care
(1997-98) Janet Bierdon, Director of Admissions, Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center

Principles Good enough vision Tune to the edge Multiple actions Aides Min specs

A powerful tale of an emerging relationship between hospital and community.

Unleashing People Potential: When Trouble Makers Become Superstars
(1997-98) Mary Anne Keyes, Vice President of Patient Care, Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center

Principles Complexity lens Tune to the edge Paradox Aides Min specs Generative relationships Wicked questions

Personal and professional growth result when people are unleashed and a task force is charged with improving the system for initial hospital care... and they do so using a complexity approach.

Wizards and CEOs: The Oz Factor
(1997-98) John Kopicki, CEO, Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center

Principles Clockware/swarmware Multiple actions Aides Generative relationships Wicked questions

A single person becomes the catalyst for sweeping organizational change. Further in-sights are drawn from a delightful metaphor: The Wizard of Oz.

A Leap Into Uncertainty
David Hutchens, A story from HealthEast, Greenville, N.C.

Principles Tune to the edge Good enough vision Complexity lens Aides Generative relationships

No one would have guessed that courage would be the central job requirement in the application of complexity theory.

Merging, De-merging, and Emerging
At the Deaconess Billings Clinic
(1993 - 98) A story from Deaconess Billings Clinic, Billings, Montana

Principles Shadow system Complexity lens Tune to the edge Paradox Good enough vision Multiple actions Aides Min specs Generative relationships Wicked questions

A story about the merger of a physician group practice and hospital and the various attempts to create a genuine system from the two parts.

Growing a Stroke Center Chunk By Chunk
(2000) Marilyn Rymer, M.D., Saint Lukes Hospital, Kansas City, MO

Principles Complexity lens Tune to the edge Multiple actions Chunking Good enough vision Competition/cooperation Aides Generative relationships

Creating a world class stroke program by facilitating self-organization and emergence.

All Components of Edgeware Tales (except where otherwise indicated)
Copyright © 2001, Plexus Institute Permission to copy for educational
purposes only. All other rights reserved.