Participant Driven Open Space Principles and Laws

[Joelle Lyons Everett]

For a long time I've been interested in how changing the rules changes the
game.  It seems that any time you re-define "the Laws" or the group norms, it
encourages behavior change, whether the new rules be dialogue principles,
Open Space laws, or something as simple as brainstorming "rules."

It also seems to me that such a rule change is more likely to originate
outside than inside the group.  Having the group decide on group norms, which
I have done many times, brings forward best practices from participants'
experience.  It isn't likely to result in a paradigm shift.

If I, as an outside facilitator, propose such a shift, the participants have
a relatively low-risk setting to test new behaviors and see what happens.
And what happens is often dramatic and effective.

I think the really powerful place for participants to define what the rules
should be is after they have experienced a new way of being together.  For
example, after a weekend work session when we operated under brainstorming
rules, a group of clients realized that their habit of putdown humor was
discouraging on-the-job creativity.  And an Open Space meeting in an
organization often leads to discussion about what elements should carry over
into their everyday experience.

I don't think there's one right answer to this question--I'd love to hear
about your experience.

Joelle Everett

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