A New Mental Model Complex Systems That Live and Adapt

8/14/2019 A New Mental Model Complex Systems That Live and Adapt

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The Mission of Plexus Institute:

Fostering the health of individuals,

families, communities, organiza-tions and our natural environment

by helping people use concepts

emerging from the new science of

complexity.


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We live in twoworlds, one created bynature, the other built byhumans. In the first, naturedisplays its infinite ability to create

organization at all levels, from crystalsto plants to living organisms, and its

amazing capacity to innovate and

adapt, demonstrated through the 3.5

billion years of its history. In the

human world, many organizations and

systems we have created such as in

healthcare, education, business and

government feel rigid, inefficient,

and incapable of delivering what we


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want. Inside those organizations, whether private or public, many people at all

levels remain dissatisfied with their working environment, and contribute well

below their potential. The standard solutions treat only the symptoms of the

problem: change the boss, spend more money, introduce a new program, reor-

ganize.

Rise of the Clockwork Organization

Our model for organizations emanated from the industrial era, in which

human organizations were viewed as if they were machines. Undoubtedly,

machines brought wondrous advances to humanity. The power of engines, the

precision of clocks, and the very laws of mechanics created staggering efficien-

cies in the inanimate world, greatly benefiting the cause of man.

The principles of the machine operated so brilliantly, however, that people

mistakenly began applying them to the living world as well. Institutions, from

churches to armies to businesses, were structured as clockworks, built on rigid

hierarchies and interchangeable parts.Utilized as interchangeable parts, humans quit working with their hearts

and minds. Governed by power structures and measured primarily by materi-

al metrics, personal relationships became more brittle, ranking family and

community among the casualties of the modern age. Obsessed with measure-

ment (especially of money), the unmeasurable, such as human spirit, shrank

from our attention and we lost sight of how systems, especially living systems,

operate as a connected whole.

While the march of modernity benefited humankind in many areas

cleaner water, safer housing, widely available education it has also reduced

our well-being and performance in dramatic ways. For instance,

At the individual level, lifestyle and environmental factors not genet-

ic predisposition account for the majority of diseases in the modern

era, according to an account in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Despite advances in medicine, diseases of civilization grow more com-

mon as modern lifestyles cleave mankind from the natural patterns in

which the human species evolved. Diseases such as heart disease,

strokes, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, cancer and obesity are a con-

sequence of this discordance and currently cause 75% of deaths in the

western world.

At the family level, power structures, gender roles, and disharmony

take an unacceptable toll, as reflected in high and in many cases

increasing rates of divorce, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse,

and child abuse (see The Social Health of the Nation by Marc L.

Miringoff, et al).

The principles of the

machine operated so

brilliantly that peopl

mistakenly began

applying them to the

living world as well.Institutions, from

churches to armies t

businesses, were stru

tured as clockworks

built on rigid hierar-

chies and interchang

able parts.


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At the organizational level, people and the systems they create rou-

tinely operate below their full potential (see The Human Equation by

Jeffrey Pfeffer). Creativity of the individual is often stifled by bureau-

cratic constraints. Collaboration is blocked by competition. Too many

schools, businesses, nonprofit groups, and government agencies

remain rigid and inflexible, even as they are surrounded by rapidchange. Many of those who find material fulfillment in their work lives

nonetheless remain personally unfulfilled.

The Importance of Relationships

We invite you to spend a moment reflecting on your own life, family, and

work. At a deep level, we all sense the inadequacy, indeed the harm, caused by

a model of human interaction that relies mainly on power and control. Think

of a teenager you know in trouble and you realize that controlling behavior is

a poor substitute for values and dialogue. Think about the great teams to which

you have been privileged to belong and remember the trusting bonds thatemerged among the participants. Or recall how a community pulled together

after a natural disaster, all without central leadership or control.

These experiences teach us that what happens between people and

between systems in other words, relationships play a huge role, often the

principal role. This observation stands in marked contrast to the mechanical

mental model, which emphasizes the role not of relationships but of individu-

als, as if they were objects.

A New Way of Thinking And Acting

Whatever their value in the past, mechanistic principles alone are inade-quate for the complexity and change we face today. Clearly, we need a new way

of looking at work and organizations of all types.

Such a world-view has in fact emerged; it is known as complexity science.

At its core, this intellectual revolution is transforming our understanding of

life, its structures, dynamics and its care, while providing new principles for

making sense of what is most fundamental in our lives: our relationships with

other people and our environment.

Such understandings give us powerful new ways of thinking about and act-

ing on issues which span human concern, from such seemingly disparate

domains as ecological preservation, childhood education and executive leader-

ship. As such, it is relevant to everyone. Already, some business, community

and government leaders are embracing the ideas emerging from complexity sci-

ence, but they remain a minority.

To build on this opportunity Plexus Institute was founded with this mis-

sion:

Clearly, we need a

new way of looking

at work and organi-

zations of all types.

Such a world-view

has in fact emerged;it is known as com-

plexity science.


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(In this mission statement health is meant to include physical as well as

mental and spiritual dimensions. A healthy individual has a healthy body,

healthy relationships, a healthy home and workplace. It is someone who is

poised for learning, growth and adaptability. Similarly a healthy organization

is more than a materially successful one. It is an environment in which rela-

tionships are rewarding and opportunities to learn, grow and contribute are

available to all. It is poised to adapt. A healthy community is one in which

all people are nurtured and valued, where information flows freely, where there

is healthy interaction between all groups and where institutions support thegrowth and development of all.)

We at Plexus Institute are a community of diverse people scientists, busi-

ness executives, nurses, artists, teachers, journalists, researchers, physicians,

college students, and community leaders united in our determination to cre-

ate something better. We are people who, by learning from each other, are mak-

ing strides against some of the major problems afflicting society and human

organizations.

The following pages tell the story of Plexus Institute. It is told in these

chapters:

Ideas that Matter: Introduction to Complexity .................................Page 7

The Results of the Early Years ..........................................................Page 11

The Opportunity ...............................................................................Page 13

The Activities of the Institute............................................................Page 15

Membership Offerings and Benefits ..................................................Page 19

The Structure and Finances of the Institute ......................................Page 21

The Board of Trustees and Advisory Board ......................................Page 22

An Invitation.....................................................................................Page 24

Fostering the health of individuals, families,

communities, organizations and our natural

environment by helping people use concepts

emerging from the new science of complexity.

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Plexus Institute is

a community of

diverse people

united in their

determination to

create somethingbetter.


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Ideas that Matter: Introduction to Complexity

Scientific knowledge, originally seen to make possible the prediction and manipulation ofnature, appears now to be pointing us toward a new relationship with the natural worldbased on sensitive observation and participation, rather than control. Brian Goodwin

The roots of the Plexus Institute begin in the world of healthcare. Indeedthe healthcare professionals involved in the creation of Plexus in the Fall

of 2000 had first joined together years earlier with the aspiration of improving

patient care.

The story begins in 1995. Curt Lindberg was then a regional officer

with VHA Inc., an alliance of 2,200 nonprofit and community hospitals and

physician practices. Seeking to make sense of the conflict and confusion afflict-

ing health care and ultimately, to improve the health of people Lindberg and

his colleagues began studying the emerging discipline of complexity science.

This scientific discipline is being developed by some of the worlds leading

researchers such Nobel laureates, MacArthur geniuses, Pulitzer prize win-ners, and renowned scientists as Murray Gell-Mann in physics, Ilya Prigogine

in chemistry, Edward O. Wilson (a Plexus advisor) in biology, Ary Goldberger

(a Plexus advisor) in mathematics and medicine, Stuart Kauffman (a Plexus

advisor) in molecular biology, John Holland (a Plexus advisor) in computer

science, the late Herbert Simon in psychology, and Ralph D. Stacey (a Plexus

advisor) in organizational dynamics.

A New Mental Model: Complex Systems that Live and Adapt

What is complexity science? Very simply, it is sciences most recent attempt

to explain how order and novelty emerge in the world. (As such it is the intel-lectual successor to systems theory and chaos theory.) The traditional view of

the natural world was made up of machine-like entities that you could under-

stand by taking them apart and examining the components.

A lot has been learned about nature by this approach. But the vast majori-

ty of nature is not amenable to being understood in such a manner, because

most of nature is made up of what complexity scientists call non-linear, com-

plex adaptive systems. Such systems are created by a number of diverse and

independent agents that are constantly changing and interacting with each

other. In complex adaptive systems, a study of the parts surely produces an

incomplete understanding of the whole. Examples of these systems include ant

colonies, ecosystems, and human organizations.

Its worth making a distinction here between complex and complicated. An

internal combustion engine is complicated, with many different components.

But it is not complex in that knowing what the parts are and how they func-

tion permits you to know what the system as a whole does.

The defining feature of complex adaptive systems is emergence: the order

that emerges through the interactions of components in complex systems is

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What is complexity

science? Very simply,

it is sciences most

recent attempt to

explain how order

and novelty emergein the world.


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greater than the sum of the parts, to use a familiar phrase. Complex systems

therefore have a large degree of unpredictability about them. But more than

that, the emergent collective order in turn influences the behavior, or interac-

tions, of the parts. Feedback loops exist at every level. Such systems are con-

stantly adapting and evolving.

Because there is little mathematics appropriate to non-linear systems,complexity scientists study such systems using computer simulations and

models of various kinds, and observe patterns in nature. One of the earliest

problems addressed by complexity science was the phenomenon of flocking

birds. The precision and complexity of flocking invites the assumption that a

central controlling mechanism exists.

But computer simulation, on a program called Boids, suggests that flocking

arises from three simple rules guiding the behavior of the individual boids. In

ant colonies, similarly, individuals follow a small repertoire of behaviors, and

from these simple rules emerges an elaborate physical architecture and precise

temperature control.

The Myth of Control

These examples illustrate two important properties of complex systems.

First, that complexity arises from a deep simplicity. Second, that the order of

the whole system flows from distributed control, that is from interactions

among individuals, not from central control. In organizations, one way to think

about this phenomenon, called self-organization, is to remember what hap-

pens in times of crisis. People take on tasks where they see the need, often

breaking the normal rules of operation, often doing things they dont normal-

ly do. People achieve amazing feats, which they often rank among the mostrewarding experiences of their work lives. Leaders often find it difficult to give

up a measure of control, because it is part of their identity as leader. But those

that do find that their people tap into their latent talent, and do far more than

they, or anyone, ever imagined. This is the power of a complexity perspective

in organizations.

This perspective does not say that leaders simply have to sit back, give up

control, and wait for unpredictable miracles. Instead, it argues that leaders

must help create conditions that unleash the talent distributed among their

people. It is a model of leader as cultivator rather than controller.

Complexity scientists have found that complex adaptive systems fluctuate

between three states: stasis at one extreme; chaos at the other; and an in-

between state called the edge of chaos. Its in this state that the system is most

adaptable and creative, and in organizations its from where new ideas and

unexpected directions of activity flow. Complexity scientists also find that in

systems poised at the edge of chaos, small changes can produce big effects. This

is in contrast with Newtonian machines, where action and reaction are equal

and opposite: small changes bring small effects; big changes bring big effects.

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The order of a sys-

tem flows from dis-

tributed control tha

is, from interactions

among individuals

not from central control. This phenome-

non is called self-

organization.


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Small changes can generate big effects in complex systems (remember

Rosa Parks?) because the web of connections and interactions among the parts

causes changes to cascade and multiply throughout the system. Again, one way

to apply this to organizations is to remember what sometimes happens when a

team is grappling with a complex problem. Ideas are tossed about, some reject-

ed, others thought to be valuable, but no real progress is being made. Then thenext new idea triggers a flurry of connections, and a solution emerges quickly,

a further property of complex adaptive systems.

Relationship Matters

One final property of complex adaptive systems that is relevant to organi-

zations is as follows: when the interactions among the agents are enhanced, the

adaptability and creativity of the system is also enhanced.

In human organizations, this translates to agents being people, and inter-

actions being relationships generated by conversations. Enhancing peoples

ability to interact and to develop enhances the adaptability of the organization.Complexity scientists have also observed that a diversity of agents in the sys-

tem serves to enhance this adaptability and creativity even further. In organi-

zations, this means inviting a diversity of experience and perspectives.

Leaders guided by a complexity perspective therefore place great value on

developing and strengthening relationships with and among their people.

Perhaps counter-intuitively, complexity science leads to a very human-cen-

tered practice in organizations, validating such value-based leadership

ideals as openness, diversity and integrity.

Consider, by contrast, the metaphor that has guided organization life since

the time of Newton: the machine. A machine is a production system made ofdifferent parts connected with each other, and parts can only perform the one

thing they were built for. A machine is powered from outside, its rigid struc-

ture determines a predictable output. It has no capacity to innovate, to adapt

or to fix itself. Repairs are performed by outsiders, fixing or changing parts.

A machine metaphor has clear limitations for explaining modern organiza-

tions. Complexity science gives us a new lens to look beyond structure and

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Perhaps counter-

intuitively, complexi

science leads to a ve

human-centered pra

tice in organizations

Order flows from interactions, not fromcentral control.

Naturally adaptive and creative.

The whole is greater than the sum ofthe parts.

When interactions among agents areenhanced, adaptability and creativity arealso enhanced.

Small changes may produce big effects.

Some Characteristics of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)


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The Results of the Early Years

The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with whichwe created them. Albert Einstein

As the study of complexity gained new popularity at major universities and

research centers, Curt Lindbergs early scouting party began to see how it

could inspire new ways of helping healthcare organizations become more

responsive to the needs of people, families, communities and their own

employees. They came to believe deeply in the assertion by writer Kevin Kelly

that Nature, the master manager of complexity, offers priceless guidance

Nature organizes itself through networks broad, diverse, and multi-

scaled. Emulating this principle, Lindberg and his collaborators within VHA

began reaching beyond their immediate community, inviting researchers,

thinkers, and leaders from many professional communities into their midst.

They were joined by a renowned Harvard physiologist, an influential Canadian

sociologist, a retired pharmaceutical executive, a Fortune 100 CEO, the

founder of the business-ethics field of study, the founding chairman of the U.S.

Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Council, and a telecommunications exec-

utive from Santiago, Chile to mention only a few.

A persistent effort took hold to come together and remain together.

Members of the group, now numbering three dozen, regularly assembled from

across North America and Europe, taking time from their demanding research,

publishing, leadership, or clinical schedules to share the latest knowledge

about complex systems. Stories from the personal and professional lives of the

participants inspired the group to carry on, while developing a bond of shared

commitment.Though loosely confederated, the group operated according to the very

principles that had brought them together. In order to create robustness the

group self-organized into continually changing small teams to share experi-

ences and insights. In time, the groups learning began to spread to other net-

works of which its members were a part. As a consequence, many people and

organizations began applying new ideas inspired from complex systems.

In order to share these developments, in 1998 Brenda Zimmerman, Paul

Plsek and Curt Lindberg collaborated on a resource book called Edgeware:

Insights From Complexity Science for Health Care Leaders. It includes a primer

on complexity, action-oriented rules of thumb, stories and reflections frompractical experiences, and aides for introducing complexity thinking in organ-

izations.

Then, in 1999, Tom Petzinger, a Wall Street Journal editor and writer for

22 years, was inspired by his regular attendance at the groups meetings and

authored the best-selling book The New Pioneers. The book is a collection of

stories about how a new generation of entrepreneurs is abandoning command-

Nature organizes

itself through

networks broad,

diverse, and multi-

scaled.


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and-control models and creating instead adaptive organizations.

In 2000, another regular participant, Roger Lewin, whose book Complexity

has been judged one of the most important science books of the last century,

joined with collaborator Birute Regine, an educational psychologist, to pen The

Soul at Work, an account of how complexity principles work in businesses of

all kinds including the enterprises of a number of fellow Plexus Institutefounders.

A Case Study: Complexity at Hunterdon Medical Center

Among the many success stories one remains a favorite among Plexus

members because of how simply it demonstrates the value of self-organization.

It is a story from Linda Rusch, vice president of patient care at Hunterdon

Medical Center in New Jersey.

Linda became frustrated trying to plan new community health outreach

programs. She had done what managers typically do: form a committee, plan

strategies, research facts and figures, engage consultants. After months of meet-ings and valiant attempts to figure out the best initiatives to launch, all she had

was a pile of meeting minutes and frustrated committee members.

Then she decided to change tactics and experiment with complexity theo-

ry. Linda hosted a series of meetings with all the nursing staff in which she out-

lined a good enough vision about why community outreach initiatives were

needed. She then gave all the nurses in the hospital three simple rules to guide

them:

1. Nurses can take up to one-half day per week each to undertake a com-

munity health initiative they cared deeply about ;

2. Dont do anything illegal;

3. Take needed funds from the limited outreach budget on their own

approval, and we will post it publicly so everyone knows what is hap-

pening.

The result? Within a few weeks 27 projects were initiated, some more suc-

cessful than others. But all generated more responsive and productive connec-

tions between the hospital, nurses, and Hunterdon County residents and agen-

cies. Such attention to relationships and health has earned the Medical Center

some of the highest patient satisfaction ratings in the country, ranking

Hunterdon tops among New Jersey hospitals and within the top 1% in the

United States.

Validation from the Institute of Medicine

Complexity science is also being recognized at the national level in the

United States. In its groundbreaking report of March 2001, Crossing the Quality

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A complexity

approach has

earned Hunterdon

Medical Center

some of the highest

patient satisfactionratings in the

country.


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Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, the Institute of Medicine an

organization founded by the National Academies of Science and chartered by

Congress to advise the federal government on policy matters pertaining to the

health of the public used as a framework recent work in understanding com-

plex adaptive systems.

Accordingly, the authors of the report consciously chose not to create adetailed national blueprint but rather stated their belief that:

a new health system should be based on systems that can

organize themselves to achieve a shared purpose by adhering to

a few well-thought-out general rules, adapting to local circum-

stances, and then examining their own performance. In reshap-

ing health care, local adaptation, innovation, and initiative will

be essential ingredients for success.

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The Opportunity

Complexity is where we are going in the 21st century. It is the future of science. EdwardO. Wilson

By 2000, the unofficial learning network had grown to include more than

150 active, regular participants, plus more than 500 members on a listserv.

As the benefits of their learning spread and individuals from a number of

countries joined in, members of the group decided to create a formal organiza-

tion, capable of expanding their activities beyond the reach of the informal net-

work. They resolved to recruit new members, to partner with new institutions,

to seek outside funding all while continuing to embody the values of open-

ness, diversity, and connection that had first brought them together. As in

nature, when a diverse group of organisms comes together to form an ecology,

it was time for the learning network to adopt a more rigorous level of organi-

zation.

In the fall of 2000, nine of them assembled in Pittsburgh, Pa., to act as thefounding trustees of a new organization, for which they chose the name Plexus

Institute.1

At this meeting, Robert Shapiro, then the chairman of Pharmacia

Corporation, advanced three propositions to help guide the work of the group.

1. At all levels, crises afflict the world around us. Many of these crises are

closely connected to our controlling and mechanistic language and

concepts, which are reaching the limits of their effectiveness.

2. People sense the truth of this limitation. Yet paradoxically, many of thepeople discomforted by the mechanistic thinking so prevalent in our

organizations are people who occupy positions of power and control.

3. A new set of ideas and tools are becoming available to help ameliorate

this tension, namely, the principles of complexity and a new under-

standing of the laws of nature.

Henri Lipmanowicz, former Division President of Merck, expressed his

thoughts this way.

Its sad to see so many people in both the private and public

sector, at all levels in organizations, so unhappy with their

working environment. Theyre often frustrated by distrustful,

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1. Why was the organization named Plexus? This is the American Heritage Dictionarydefinition: a structure in the form of a networka combination of interlaced parts.Examples include the branching bundles of nerves or blood vessels, such as the solarplexus. The word shares the Greek root plek (to braid) with the word complexity.

As in nature, when

a diverse group of

organisms comes

together to form an

ecology, it was time

for the learningnetwork to adopt a

more rigorous level

of organization.


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unrewarding relationships with bosses, colleagues or subordi-

nates. Traditional controlling and competitive concepts have

created a major conflict between success/performance and

happiness. This conflict is absolutely not necessary.

Here lies the compelling, challenging opportunity facing Plexus Institute:to advance and diffuse a set of ideas to help show people, families, organiza-

tions, and communities alternatives, created by nature, to the controlling,

mechanistic principles that govern much of modern life.

Why is the need for alternative thinking so urgent? Because of the

power of mental models. Mental models hold awesome power over the struc-

ture of our institutions, the nature of our relationships, and the language we

use to describe the world around us and communicate with each other. As the

historian Thomas Kuhn once observed, You dont see something until you

have the right metaphor to let you perceive it. And for the last two centuries,

that model has been based on the machine.In major universities around the world, in government laboratories, and in

interdisciplinary think-tanks such as the Santa Fe Institute, scientists have

made stunning progress in characterizing the properties of complex, dynami-

cal systems.Whats missing is the practical application of these findings to

advance the health and performance of individuals, families, organiza-

tions, and communities. A major gap persists between the science of com-

plex systems and the use of that science, which explains, in a nutshell, the

mission chosen by Plexus Institute.

The recent work of members of the Plexus community provides evidence

and hope that meaningful progress towards this mission is achievable.

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A major gap persists

between the science

of complex systems

and the use of that

science, which

explains the missionchosen by Plexus

Institute.


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The Activities of the Institute

the view of evolution as chronic bloody competition among individuals and species, apopular distortion of Darwins notion of survival of the fittest, dissolves before a new viewof continual cooperation, strong interaction, and mutual dependence among life forms.Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking. Lynn Margulis andDorian Sagan

The founding members of Plexus Institute are, in the pursuit of their mis-sion, emphasizing action over planning as well as a welcoming, inclusivespirit. They are eager to include new participants, confident that the experi-

ences and knowledge they bring will enrich the diversity of perspective within

the organization and, thus, help stimulate the development of the young sci-

ence and lead to further explorations of its applicability in human organiza-

tions.

The Institute is moving to cultivate and build upon the years of work its

members have already undertaken. The current set of activities emerged from

a self-generative process, the result of interactions between members and indi-

vidual initiatives. This volunteer-driven process has served members well and

is in keeping with complexity concepts. However, it cannot accommodate the

demands of the growing membership. The purpose of creating Plexus Institute

is to build the resources required for expanding this model and make the ben-

efits available on a much wider scale.

Plexus Conferences

Plexus conferences are a primary source of interaction among members. Plexus

Institute will host periodic networking events and learning conferences to

bring together scientists in fields such as biology, organizational theory, andcomplexity with leaders from organizations of all types corporations, hos-

pitals, government agencies, schools, universities and community-based organ-

izations. This is the work that the Plexus founders have been conducting for

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Completely changed my views about leadership

A place where surprising and novel ideas

emerge Powerful influence over my evolutionas an executive Conversations with world

class thinkers Instantaneous community

Brain stretching Significantly influenced the

way I see and interpret the world Create the

conditions for more innovation and creativity

Fundamentally shifted a number of my assump-

tions about life and work The most valuable

help I as an executive get Everyone seems to

benefit and build new contacts Inspiration towork for significant change Able to step back

and look at the big picture more easily The

power of learning through conversations and

relationship building Better able to make

sense of what I could not before Keeps me

young in my thinking.

What Members Say About Plexus Conferences


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more than three years, and they aim to conduct more as membership expands.

Plexus Conferences are designed with a very flexible, complexity-inspired

format that facilitates interactions and self-organization. Participants shape

these events by offering issues for discussion and sharing stories of their indi-

vidual experiences. The atmosphere is welcoming, inclusive and informal; lots

of small group discussions emerge at the initiative of participants.The benefits of Plexus Conferences are many. New ideas and insights

picked up by participants become the basis of initiatives in their home organi-

zations. These in turn become a new source of stories for future conferences

and an attraction for new members. New relationships are created which lead

to the formation of Plexus Learning Networks (see below), a powerful support

system for experiments and interactive learning.

Major topics of common interest emerge from Plexus Conferences that

then become platforms for separate workshops (see below). These in turn spin-

off ideas, relationships, experiments and stories that become material for con-

ferences, new networks or other workshops. Research proposals as well (seebelow) emerge from conferences and workshops with the potential for demon-

strating concepts for wide scale application.

Other Activities

The activities of the Plexus Institute stem not from central planning but

from relationships among members and initiatives taken by members. A

number of activities, existing and planned, have already emerged from this

approach:

Plexus Learning Networks

are created and facilitated by Plexus forsmall groups of individuals interested in learning together and discov-

ering, through ongoing interaction, novel approaches to challenging

issues. Network members meet periodically, are connected electroni-

cally and are given access to prominent complexity scientists and orga-

nizational theorists. Learning Networks can be established for individ-

uals inside a single organization, or to connect people from separate

organizations or communities.

Plexus Fractals are Plexus replicas at the local level. Created at the

initiative of members, Fractals are now being formed in Toronto, Los

Angeles, and the U.K.

Plexus Workshops aim to engage a diverse group of people in explor-

ing particularly challenging issues. Currently a Workshop is being

planned around recommendations contained in the Institute of

Medicines recent report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, for improving the

health care system

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Plexus conferences

are designed with a

very flexible, com-

plexity-inspired for-

mat that facilitates

interactions and selforganization.


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Plexus Education and Consulting Offerings, ranging from simple

presentations to on-site assistance, are provided by a virtual faculty

to help leaders become acquainted with complexity concepts and put

them into practice.

PlexusInstitute.org, the Institute website, presents a collection ofresource materials relating to complexity and organizations. These web

resources provide clear, non-technical stories, concepts and practical

organizational applications of complexity science. The site is also being

developed to provide opportunities for online interaction, conferences

and project work.

Plexus Listservs connect electronically those involved in the work of

Plexus. They enable members of Learning Networks, Plexus Fractals,

and participants in Workshops to communicate online, complementing

face-to-face interactions.

PlexusNews is a regular email service reporting developments in com-

plexity and the life sciences with import for human systems, new books

and articles, and stories about the work of members.

Research will also be on the Plexus agenda. Already, a number of

potential projects are emerging for consideration: an evaluation of com-

plexity-based leadership approaches on organizational performance; a

study of the Institute of Medicines proposed simple rules for health

care; and an evaluation of HeartWaves as a means of improving thehealth of Native Americans an initiative suggested by Everett Rogers,

a Plexus advisor and internationally recognized scholar on the diffu-

sion of innovations.

The Institute sees this mix of activities evolving over time. As membership

and resources expand, the initial focus on health care and leadership will

broaden to reach further into the worlds of business, education, government,

communities, and the environment evidence of the Institutes aspiration to

remain forever exploratory, forever open, and forever adaptive the approach

used by nature to assure the perpetuation of progress.

The Institute aspires

to remain forever

exploratory, forever

open, and forever

adaptive the

approach used bynature to assure the

perpetuation of

progress.


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Membership Offerings and Benefits

Plexus provides a variety of membership options for individuals and organ-izations, enabling everyone interested in the work of the Institute tobecome active and engaged. Given the Institutes desire to be inclusive, a spe-

cial approach to membership, which includes the provision of scholarships,has been crafted. For questions about membership or to join the Plexus com-

munity, contact Curt Lindberg at 609-208-2930 or [email protected].

Two membership options exist for individuals.

Personal Membership at no cost provides access to online resources,

PlexusNews, participation in Plexus Fractals, and invitations to all con-

ferences, workshops, and network meetings.

Professional Membership at $400 a year provides all the benefits of

Personal Membership plus discounts on conferences, workshops andnetwork meeting registration fees.

For organizations three membership levels exist which range in cost from

$9,000 to $50,000/year created to appeal to organizations of various sizes and

interests. All participating organizations, called Plexus Partners, select teams of

leaders to take advantage of Plexus activities at no additional cost:

Plexus Learning Networks and associated listservs

Attendance at Plexus Conferences

PlexusNews Participation in relevant Plexus sponsored research

Onsite education and consulting visits, as well as access for more exec-

utives, are provided to those organizations selecting the higher value

membership options.

And importantly, scholarships are available to organizations that can-

not cover the full cost of membership and to individuals who cannot

afford the full cost of meeting registration fees.

It is natural for prospective members to ask: How will I benefit from

joining Plexus? especially since Plexus does not promise canned solutions or

recipes for achieving instant success. Rather, Plexus offers a safe, stimulating

environment in which participants gain novel insights through interaction

with their colleagues, receive encouragement to use these insights in their

home organizations, and find support for their learning and organizational

improvement efforts.

Issues explored during Plexus conferences, network meetings and work-

shops read like a wish list of improvements for any organization. Those attract-

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Plexus offers a safe,

stimulating environ-

ment in which par-

ticipants gain novel

insights through

interaction with theircolleagues.


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ed to Plexus are seeking fresh approaches to:

Plexus membership provides an introduction to complexity science, pro-

viding participants with a new way of making sense of each of these and other

issues by exploring how other complex adaptive systems behave. This provides

participants with the background a new lens for revising many of the long-

held beliefs that underpin traditional views of how the world works. The prac-tical value of this cannot be overemphasized, since our understanding shapes

our behavior and, by extension, our realities.

Plexus Conferences also provide forums for experiencing complexity in

action the best way to determine its value and relevance. No document, no

book, no presentation can compare to personal experience. By design, Plexus

conferences offer participants the opportunity to experience first hand the fac-

tors that stimulate self-organization and the emergence of novel ideas. This

provides exposure to processes that they can try in their own organizations.

A central benefit of membership is the many opportunities participants

have tointeract with other members, share ideas and experiences, and

build a network of relationships. Plexus attracts members from very diverse

backgrounds but with a common interest in finding better ways. Having

access to practitioners, scholars and researchers outside ones own organization

and field of expertise is not only stimulating but also a powerful reinforcing

and supportive mechanism.

Plexus members have the ability to influence the activities of the

Institute. Members are free and encouraged to shape agendas, create networks,

sponsor workshops, start projects and initiate dialogues with other members.

An additional benefit is access to a growing set ofresources (see activities)

such as: PlexusInstitute.com, PlexusNews, Plexus Listservs, Education and

Consulting Offerings, Workshops and Conferences.

For organizations participating in Plexus, teams of executives can tap

learning opportunities and resources within the Institute as a step in building

a critical mass of understanding of complexity science principles and prac-

tices and stimulating new approaches to such organization-wide issues as lead-

ership development and planning.

20

By design, Plexus

conferences offer

participants the

opportunity to

experience first

hand the factorsthat stimulate self-

organization and

the emergence of

novel ideas.

Planning in the face of uncertainty Unleashing the full potential of

their people Achieving greater cooperation

among individuals and groups Improving quality, efficiency and

productivity Fostering creativity in research and

new service development

Becoming a more nimble, adaptableorganization

Encouraging greater initiative andexperimentation

Reducing unnecessary bureaucracy Understanding resistance to change Attracting and keeping talented

people Nurturing new leaders Becoming a better leader


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The Structure and Finances of the Institute

Plexus Institute was constituted, in December 2000, as a nonprofit corpora-tion organized under the laws of the state of New Jersey, U.S.A. In July2001 the Institutes application to the Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3)

tax-exempt status was approved. The by-laws and certificate of incorporationof the Institute are available upon request.

To date, members, volunteering their time, expertise and resources, have

supported the development of Plexus. A small staff will now be assembled to

support the growth of the Institute and the activities generated by an expand-

ing membership. The role of the staff is to facilitate and support the activities

initiated by its members.

Initial start-up funding for Plexus Institute was provided by The Robert

Wood Johnson Foundation, by VHA Inc., and by personal donations from over

100 individuals involved in the creation of Plexus. Many of these individuals

are also contributing essential services, such as website design, consulting, andlegal assistance.

At this time the Board of Trustees of Plexus anticipates the need to secure

additional donations to put in place the necessary infrastructure, staff, facili-

ties, and offerings of the Institute and to fund individual and organizational

scholarships. Future revenue is expected from organizational and professional

memberships, educational and consulting services, research awards, confer-

ence fees and foundation grants.

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22

Chair Henri Lipmanowicz, recently retired from adistinguished career at Merck, where he was Presidentof the Merck Intercontinental and Japan Division, anda member of the Management Committee.

Vice Chair Birute Regine, EdD, is a pioneeringdevelopmental psychologist who has held positions atHarvard University, Wellesley College and the LondonSchool of Economics. She co-authored the widely-acclaimed book The Soul At Work and is a partner inthe consulting firm Harvest Associates.

Treasurer James H. Taylor has served as CEO ofacademic medical centers for almost twenty years. Jimis highly regarded throughout the US for his efforts toimprove health care and the leadership of health careorganizations. Currently, Jim is president of theUniversity of Louisville Hospital.

Secretary Marilyn Rymer, MD, an internationallyrespected neurologist, leads the Stroke Center at St.Lukes Hospital in Kansas City. This center has becomea national model, cited by Time magazine as one of theseven finest stroke programs in this country. Marilynserves on the boards of many national medical andhealth care organizations.

President Curt Lindberg is playing an importantrole in introducing complexity science concepts intohealth care thinking, organizational management andpractice. He is the author of articles on complexity andco-author of the book Edgeware: Insights FromComplexity Science for Health Care Leaders.

Kevin Dooley, PhD, an internationally respectedscholar and teacher in the areas of quality manage-ment, innovation, and complex systems, is professor ofmanagement and industrial engineering at ArizonaState University and president of the Society for ChaosTheory in Psychology and Life Sciences. Kevin haspublished over 100 articles and books.

June Holley is president and founder of theAppalachian Center for Economic Networks

(ACEnet), a community economic development organ-ization in southeastern Ohio committed to building ahealthy and sustainable regional economy based oneconomic justice, self-determination, and respect fordiversity. June was recently awarded a RockefellerFellowship at the University of Kentucky. Her workhas been featured in the Wall Street Journal, OhioMagazine, Entrepreneur, In Business and many otherpublications.

Roger Lewin, PhD, is a world-renowned, prize-win-ning author of twenty science books, including

Complexity: life at the edge of chaos, which was judgedto be one of the hundred most important science booksof the twentieth century. He is a partner in HarvestAssociates, a consultancy company dedicated to busi-ness transformation.

Thomas Petzinger, Jr., a consultant and entrepreneur,spent 22 years as a reporter, columnist, bureau chiefand Washington economics editor at The Wall StreetJournal. He is author ofThe New Pioneers: The Men andWomen Who Are Transforming the Workplace andMarketplace, an Amazon.com Top 10 bestseller. He iscurrently chairman and CEO of LaunchCyte LLC, abio-informatics technology network in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Everett M. Rogers, PhD, is Regents Professor,Department of Communication and Journalism, at theUniversity of New Mexico, and is recognized interna-tionally for his pioneering research on the diffusion ofinnovations. His classic book Diffusion of Innovationswill soon be released in its fifth edition. His wide-rang-ing research involves communities throughout theworld and covers such diverse issues technology trans-fer, cancer and AIDS prevention.

Linda Rusch, RN, serves as vice president of patientcare services at Hunterdon Medical Center. Linda iswidely recognized for her nursing leadership and pio-neering work in bringing complexity-based manage-ment practices into health care. She received the NewJersey Governors Award for leadership excellence.

Liz Rykert is the president of Meta Strategies, aCanadian consulting firm devoted to helping charita-ble, non-profit, and public organizations use theInternet and develop innovative web-based capabili-ties. Liz helps groups as diverse as AIDS workers inMalawi and Canadian civil servants use online tools toaccomplish their work together.

Robert Shapiro, Esq., recently served as chairman ofPharmacia Corporation. Prior to this he held leader-ship positions at many prominent companies, includ-ing: vice president and general counsel, Searle; presi-

dent and CEO, Monsanto Company. The story of histransforming leadership beliefs and practices is fea-tured in The Soul at Work and Surfing The Edge ofChaos.

Nicholas Wolter, MD, a specialist in pulmonary andcritical care medicine who currently serves as chiefexecutive officer of Deaconess Billings Clinic, a promi-nent physician, hospital and health care system inMontana, is widely admired for his work in introduc-ing new and better models for delivering health care.

The Board of Trustees & Advisory Board

Executives, students, artists and writers, scientists, nurses, educators, physi-cians, and government officials have come together through Plexus. Thisdiversity is reflected in the Institutes Board of Trustees and Advisory Board.

Members of the Board of Trustees


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James W. Begun, PhD, a highly regarded scholarknown for his work to strengthen the relationship ofcomplexity science to health care management educa-tion and research, is James A. Hamilton Term Professorand Chair, Department of Healthcare Management,

Carlson School of Management, University ofMinnesota. His publications include the book,Strategic Adaptation in the Health Professions: Meetingthe Challenges of Change.

Glenda Holladay Eoyang, PhD, is a leading voice inthe field of human systems dynamics. Her work, whichfocuses on the theory and practice of chaos and com-plexity, is represented in her two recent booksFacilitating Organization Change: Lessons fromComplexity Science and Coping with Chaos: SevenSimple Tools. Her teaching and consulting reach leadersin many organizations.

Ellen H. Goldberg, PhD, is president of Santa FeInstitute and research professor of biology at theUniversity of New Mexico. Prior to her tenure at SFIshe held numerous positions at the University of NewMexico. Ellen has served on numerous NIH researchand leadership councils and received a NIH ResearchCareer Development Award.

Ary Goldberger, MD, a cardiologist, directs the ReyLaboratory for Nonlinear Dynamics in Medicine atBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is also asso-ciate professor of medicine at Harvard University. Aryis one of the countrys leading physician researchers oncomplexity and human health.

Brian Goodwin, PhD, is a professor of biology andcoordinator of the MSc program in Holistic Science at

the Schumacher College. He is the author of many arti-cles and books, including How The Leopard Changed ItsSpots: The Evolution of Complexity, and and Signs ofLife: How Complexity Pervades Biology (with Ricard V.Sole). Dr. Goodwin has long been associated with theSanta Fe Institute and is recognized internationally forhis pioneering work in complexity and biology.

John Holland, PhD, is one of the acknowledgedfounders of the emerging science of complexity. He isprofessor of psychology, electrical engineering andcomputer science at University of Michigan and serveson the Board of Trustees and Science SteeringCommittee of the Santa Fe Institute. Among Johnsmany publications are Hidden Order: How Adaptation

Builds Complexity and Emergence: From Chaos To Order.Among his many awards is a MacArthur prize.

Stuart Kauffman, MD, is widely respected as afounder of complexity science. A winner of theMacArthur genius award, Kauffman was among thefirst researchers invited to join the faculty at the SantaFe Institute. He is the author of three well-knownbooks - At Home in the Universe, Investigations, andOrigins of Order. Dr. Kauffman is chairman and chiefscientist of Biosgroup, a company devoted to bringingcomplexity science applications to the business world.

Robert Lindberg, MD, practices internal medicine inDarien, CT. Bob is on the teaching faculty of theColumbia University School of Medicine and also NewYork Medical College. He is among the first physiciansto incorporate complexity concepts into the practice of

medicine.

Reuben R. McDaniel, Jr., EdD, a widely respectedorganizational theorist, is Charles and ElizabethProthro Regents Chair in Health Care Management andprofessor of management science and information sys-tems at the University of Texas at Austin. Reuben wasone of the first to research the impact of complexity-inspired leadership approaches in health care organiza-tions.

Gareth Morgan, PhD, is currently distinguishedresearch professor at York University, Toronto, andfounder of Newmindsets, an internet-based manage-ment learning system. Gareth pioneered the approachof using multiple lenses and metaphors to deepen ourunderstanding of organizations in his classic textImages of Organization.

Paul Plsek is an internationally recognized consultant,author and educator on improvement and innovationin organizations. He is dedicated to applying insightsfrom complexity science and innovation research toissues of organizational leadership. Paul speaks andconducts workshops widely on the topic and serves asan advisor to the Institute of Medicine in the US andthe National Health Service in the UK.

Ralph D. Stacey, PhD, is professor and director,Complexity and Management Centre, University ofHertfordshire, author of many books, including

Complexity and Management: Fad or Radical ChallengeTo Systems Thinking, and one of the worlds leaders inbringing a complexity and relational perspective intothe field of management.

Edward O. Wilson, PhD, considered to be one of theworld's greatest living scientists, has made importantcontributions to the fields of population genetics, evo-lutionary biology, entomology, and ethology over hisdistinguished career. He has written or contributed toover a dozen books, and was awarded Pulitzer Prizesfor On Human Nature, and The Ants. A recipient ofmany of the worlds leading prizes in science and con-servation, he is currently Pellegrino UniversityResearch Professor at Harvard University.

Brenda Zimmerman, PhD, is associate professor ofstrategy and director of the Health Consortium atMcGill University in Montreal. She is the author ofmany articles applying complexity science to organiza-tional strategy and change, and a co-author of the bookEdgeware: Insights From Complexity Science for HealthCare Leaders.

Members of the Advisory Board


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An Invitation

Great ideas come into the world as quietly as doves. Perhaps then, if we listen attentivelywe shall hear, among the uproar of empires and nations, the faint fluttering of wings, thegentle stirrings of life and hope. Albert Camus

Important new scientific discoveries are demonstrating in vivid new detail just how simply nature creates its vast beauty, diversity, and complexity.

Many of these principles have been forgotten or lost in the modern age in

business, medicine, education, government, and personal life. It is time to

apply this learning in a way that will benefit our health at every level.

Plexus Institute invites you to join its community as an individual mem-

ber, a corporate member, donor or partner, and participate in what Plexus advi-

sor Edward O. Wilson describes as a grand opportunity before you.

Contact Curt Lindberg at

609-208-2930 or

[email protected]

The Olde Mill PO Box 395 42 S. Main St.

Allentown, NJ 08510

You are encouraged to share this document with friends and colleagues. Contact CurtLindberg if you would like additional copies or an electronic version.

The Plexus Institute community wishes to acknowledge and graciously thank

Tom Petzinger, Henri Lipmanowicz, Roger Lewin and David Hutchensfor writing this story and many Plexus members

for contributing ideas and inspiration.

We also wish to thank French sculptor Michel Rico for his permissionto use his sculpture, La Ronde, as a logo for Plexus Institute.

Copyright 2002, Plexus Institute

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Documents

A New Mental Model Complex Systems That Live and Adapt