VHA Complexity
and Leadership Initiative
Background -
VHA Inc., a nationwide alliance of over 1,850 hospitals and health care
organizations, is dedicated to supporting efforts by its members to
improve their performance and to advance the health of the communities
and patients they serve. Among the many programs and services aimed
at these objectives is a concentrated effort to uncover promising new
leadership and health care delivery concepts. In this regard, VHA has
been working intensively to introduce interested leaders from VHA organizations
to the science of complexity and the profound implications of this emerging
science for management, health care delivery and even our very conception
of human organizations. This work is primarily accomplished through
Complexity and Leadership Learning Networks comprised of senior executives,
physician and nursing leaders. The first of four networks was organized
in 1995, the most recent in 1998. It is anticipated that new networks
will be formed as interest grows. Other vehicles include conferences,
courses, and written educational and case study material disseminated
to VHA members.
Learning
Networks - Purpose - The overall purpose of the
Learning Network approach is to advance the leadership
and management of health care organizations and the
provision of health and medical care. The Learning
Network members pursue this aim together by:
- gaining a
solid grounding in the science of complexity;
- exploring
the implications of this emerging science for
leadership, management and health care;
- identifying
how complexity concepts and related methods can
used to discover fresh approaches to real,
challenging organizational issues faced by health
care organizations and their leaders;
- stimulating
and supporting the use of these new approaches in
their organizations, putting the theory into
action;
- learning
from and sharing the results of their application
efforts.
Network
Membership - Membership on the Leadership
Learning Networks is drawn primarily from VHA members
organizations. The four Networks are comprised of a
diverse mix of CEOs, physicians leaders, and nursing and
other senior executives who have a record of progressive
management thinking. The network members are
intellectually curious, like to put new ideas into
practice quickly, and are able to deal with the ambiguity
associated with emerging concepts. Each network contains
from 25 to 30 individuals. In many cases a VHA member
organization is represented by two or three individuals.
Learning
& Development Process - The following is the
general approach taken by each Network to the work
described above:
- Early
Leadership Learning Network sessions focus on the
basics of complexity. Subsequent sessions build
on this base while devoting growing attention to
the use of complexity concepts on important
organizational issues. External faculty who are
complexity scientists or prominent organizational
theorists serve as resource partners in this
learning process.
- As members
gain confidence in their new complexity knowledge
and begin to use "complexity thinking"
in their work, the network becomes a place to
bring challenging new ideas and seek counsel from
other members and to share lessons learned.
- Membership
on the Networks is kept relatively low so members
come to know each other well and are comfortable
sharing their questions, experiences, and
difficulties with using complexity approaches in
their organizations. The supportive environment
which the groups create encourages risk taking,
experimentation and working in open ways - all of
which complexity science suggests.
- Each group
meets approximately three times each year in 1
1/2 to 2 day working sessions. In 1998 we added
the capability to work in online, electronic
environments .
- Among the
issues being addressed by the Networks are: how
to effectively introduce complexity concepts and
approaches in an organization; quality
improvement; planning when the future is
unknowable; building and leading health care
systems; fostering more naturally adaptable and
creative organizations; and community health care
improvement. These topics are addressed by
individual Networks and also by special task
forces which are formed by members from all of
the Networks with a special interest in a given
issue.
Some
Early Accomplishments - Among the early
accomplishments of VHAs Complexity and Leadership
Initiative are:
- Growing
interest among VHA member leaders evidenced by
participation on Leadership Learning Networks and
attendance at educational offerings
- Genuine
working partnerships with some of the North
Americas leading complexity scientists and
organizational theorists
- Sponsorship
of the first ever conference on complexity and
health care in December, 1997
- Publication
of several articles by VHA staff and members of
the Leadership Learning Networks which are
helping to bring a complexity perspective into
management and health care
- Publication of Edgeware: Complexity Resources
for Health Care Leaders - a field guide to help leaders
disseminate and use complexity concepts in their organizations
- And most
importantly, encouraging progress by members of
the Leadership Learning Networks in using
complexity perspectives and concepts to uncover
and use fresh, promising approaches to
challenging organizational issues
- Introduction
of this website - Edgeplace
If you are interested in learning more about Complexity Science and Healthcare please click here: Expression of Interest Form
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