Positive Deviance (PD)
Positive Deviance (PD) is a social and behavioral change process based on the premise that in most organizations and communities there people or groups of people who solve problems better than colleagues who have exactly the same resources. PD, pioneered by Jerry and Monique Sternin of the Positive Deviance Initiative, has been used world-wide to combat such intractable problems as childhood malnutrition, girl trafficking, poor infant health and is now being used in North America to tackle the serious problem of healthcare acquired infections, specifically MRSA. In this section of the website, learning resources on the PD and stories of its used can be found.
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More We Than Me: How the Fight Against MRSA Led to a New Way of Collaborating at Albert Einstein Medical Center
Hundreds of people at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia have joined SMASH, the organization-wide effort to fight Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Using Positive Deviance, an innovative social change process, a broad cross section of employees have worked together to forge new solutions, new relationships and some very encouraging results in declining infection rates.
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Reinventing the Sacred-A New View of Science, Reason and Religion
The legendary complexity scholar Stuart Kauffman proposes a new scientific world view that incorporates reductionism and the spectacular achievements of physics with a vision of a self-constructing and continuously creative universe. He argues passionately for an emergence-based world view that honors spirituality and the sacred as well as the the discovery and application of scientific fact. He argues that the "ceaseless creativity" of the universe is, in his view, God, and that humans can define and revere what is sacred.
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Trust is the Lubricant of Organizational Life
Read about how Henri Lipmanowicz thinks about leadership and complexity science. His approach to leadership and his understanding of life in organizations are illuminated through stories from his successful career at Merck and his work with Plexus Institute, where he serves as Chair of the Board. The author of this story is the distinguished communications scholar Arvind Singhal, PhD, Samuel Shirley and Edna Holt Marston Professor, Department of Communications, University of Texas El Paso.
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Lord of the Ants, E.O. Wilson’s Insights, on PBS Nova May 20
Event
May 20 2008
Lord of the Ants, a special on the PBS series NOVA, will explore how Wilson’s fascination with small creatures led him to big and immensely important ideas. The program is scheduled to air on PBS at 8 PM May 20. Check local listings. A description of the program and transcripts of conversations with E.O. Wilson are available at the PBS website.
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Two June Conferences at the Werner Institute focus on Healthcare and Complexity and Conflict Rresolution
Event
Jun 3 2008 to Jun 7 2008
The first conference June 3-5, 2008 focuses on health care.It's called Creating Cultures of Engagement in Health Care: New Models for Addressing Conflict, Disruption and Avoidance in Health Care
The second conference, International Conference on Chaos, Complexity and Conflict, June 5-7, 2008, will focus on applying chaos theory, complexity and emergence to the field of conflict resolution. Experts on complexity studies will come together with practitioners and educators of alternative dispute resolution
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On the Edge: Healthcare in the Age of Complexity
Event
Aug 3 2008 to Aug 5 2008
Plexus Institute and the Plexus Complexity and Nursing Network are joining forces to sponsor a workshop devoted to complexity, healthcare and nursing. The event will celebrate and feature the publication of the book - On the Edge: Nursing in the Age of Complexity. This book is a “product” of the Nursing Network and the Plexus scientific community.
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Plexus Institute 2008 Summit
Event
Oct 3 2008 to Oct 5 2008
The Summit will offer new insights into the concepts of how patterns of coordination form, and a multidisciplinary examination of the complexity principles that underlie the behavior of complex systems across all scales, from cells to humans to communities. It will also offer a chance for members of the Plexus community to come together, identify and investigate topics of mutual interest, and experience interaction and connection with people who share similar and different professional and personal backgrounds.
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Liz Rykert
Liz Rykert founded Meta Strategies in 1997. Liz began her career as a social worker, working in community development and prevention. Her interest in finding new approaches to support and engage the changing communities around her lead to the early use of technology for collaboration, activism and citizen engagement. In an effort to find a theoretical basis for her approaches, Liz became a student of complexity science in 1994.
Liz's role on the team is primarily to lead the strategy development process for the organizations online presence. Her knowledge of networks and emergent processes inform her session process planning and facilitation. She has developed approaches to mapping workflows and interconnectedness that use simple creative steps to reveal strategic places for technology to support the work. Liz has a knack for tuning into the unique dynamics of the online world and can help organizations understand how to wield the power of transparency to support greater interactivity and collaboration.
Her consulting practice focuses on assisting organizations identify and implement change related to both technology and leadership that favours a collaborative emergent style.
Liz has a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Ryerson University. She convenes learning events and groups to explore new approaches to solving big problems. Her volunteer work includes leadership and support as a board member for a broad range of social service and community based advocacy groups. She is currently the Secretary of the board for the Children's Aid Society of Toronto.
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