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| Selected Papers and Stories Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play. Immanuel Kant Keith orchestrating a Complex Adaptive System "flocking" simulation in Brazil. Photos by David Gasser.
Articles in a complexity-science-inspired series follow:
"Saving Lives By Changing Relationships," (2009) With co-authors Dr. Arvind Singhal, Purcia Buscell and Keith McCandless. Published by the Postive Deviance Institute. PDF file  "Spanning Silos and Spuring Conversations: Positive Deviance for Reducing Infections in Hospitals," in E&Y Performance, Vol 2.3. (pp 78-83). With co-authors Dr. Arvind Singhal, Purcia Buscell and Keith McCandless. PDF file Coming soon in the the same journal, "Liberating Structures: Innovating by Including and Unleashing Everyone."
"Transforming Discoveries: Partners on the Journey," (2009) Keith McCandless & Linda DeWolf. This article describes a “landscape” of innovation types as well as wisdom gained among innovators and staff from 2004-2009. The third and final article chronicling the work of intrepid VHA Foundation grantees. What are the essential elements for taking a good idea to scale? PDF file
"Safely Taking Risks: Complexity and Patient Safety," 2008. Exploring what will help safety leaders match effective approaches to simple, complicated and complex challenges, focusing on the most entangled and chronic. How do nascent and latent solutions emerge when people are fully engaged at the front lines? PDF file
“Mastering the Art of Innovating: A Funny, Wonderful Thing Happened on the Way to My Deliverable!” (2006) with Linda DeWolf. How do innovators master the interplay of make-it-happen and let-it-happen strategies to successfully design and spread their work? PDF file 
“Oil, Water, Apples, Oranges: Bootstrapping Innovation with Social Networks,” (2005) with Linda DeWolf. How can creating a vibrant learning network support success in the innovation process? PDF file “A Primordial Pedagogy: Caves, Campfires & Watering Holes at the Mayo/Plexus Summit,” (2003). How can inspiration from complexity science transform a conference for scholars and leaders? PDF file
 “The Sky Is Falling, Or Is It? A Strategic Planning Self Assessment,” (2003) What can help you notice and amplify practices that make your strategic planning more creative and resilient? PDF file “Surprise & Serendipity At Work: Managing the Unknowable Future,” (2002) with Jim Smith. Scenario-planning insights with a complexity twist at Group Health Cooperative. How do we prepare strategically for the unknowable, always surprising future? PDF file
“Conversation As A Creative Advance Into Novelty; A Collaborative Hunch-In-Progress,” (2002). Exploring how dialogue unleashes creative adaptability & resilience via Seattle’s Conversation Cafés. How does generative dialogue organize itself? PDF file “Reliability, Resilience and Results in Operations: Designed Autopilot and Collective Mindfulness At Work,” (2002). What behaviors help people collectively and mindfully respond to surprise and massively entangled complexity? PDF file “Integrated-Autonomy: From Shilly-Shallying to Unleashing System Vitality,” (2002). Reflecting on the paradoxical development of distributed systems. What helps us move beyond “bi-polar swings” between decentralized and centralized strategies? PDF file
"Working Confidently Without A Script." Reflections on working with Positive Deviance & MRSA prevention. What helps us work confidently without a script? PDF file If a living system is suffering from ill health, the remedy is to connect it with more of itself. Francisco Varella | |
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