[OSList] Why I Actually Like Calling it "The Law of Two Feet"

Sun Dec 11 07:44:39 PST 2011

Bernard - Very thoughtful and well done! Thank you!! And a further note on
space. I would agree that having sufficient break out space is important,
but I think that "sufficient" is always in the eyes of the beholder. Odd way
of talking, I guess - but we have all run into situations where there was
plenty of square feet/meters - but somehow it seemed cramped (a boring
party). As well as the reverse - everybody was packed together, but somehow
there was plenty of "room" (a cheerful night at the pub). My take is that
space is much more a matter of feeling than physics. 

I have certainly seen this operational in multiple OST's. I think of those
times when the main room was so cramped, or worse, shaped like a bowling
alley - and everybody was sitting on top of each other. As for the "break
out" spaces. BUT it all worked magnificently.  And the question is
naturally, "How come?"

Part of it may be cultural dispositions towards large and small spaces.
People raised in our far west (Plains states) feel cramped if they can see
another person - miles away. By contrast, Italians (some of my best friends)
get so close that I, as an American, feel more than a little claustrophobic.
Were I to have said something (I wouldn't) my friends would have been hurt.
Something about not liking "their space" I guess. J

When it comes to Open Space, I think there may be something else operative -
which is what we as the facilitator bring to the party. If our space is
fully open (really present and clear of obstructions), I suspect that can
and does establish a sense of "spaciousness" which has nothing to do with
square footage. By the same token if we come from a place of closed personal
space - we are thinking about all the things we should be doing, worrying
about the size of the venue, contemplating next week's assignment, the
initial "spaciousness" can be cut by quantum factors. Maybe?

Harrison

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USA

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Camden, Maine 20854

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(summer)  207-763-3261

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Bernhard Weber
Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 6:19 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Why I Actually Like Calling it "The Law of Two Feet"

Dear Peggy and all

I fully agree to your YING/YANG interpretation of these two aspects. 

And when I read, what you wrote, I walked mentally back to my old
"politically radical times". In spring of 1976, a big area in
Vienna/Austria, that had been used as "Auslandsschlachthof" (forein imports
slaughterhouse) by the municipal services was about to be sold to a
consortium of garment importers. We thought, we need a real good place for
the culture of the young people and - inspired by Freetown Kristiania in
Denmark - we occupied the area and the Viennese ARENA was born. 

For months an unbelievable diversity of groups and activities met there and
did wonderful things. We had the bikers club of the Simmeringer (low income
area in Vienna) Buam (boys) there, lots of cultural events, even Leonard
Cohen passed by and sang for free, there were a children house and a social
service, lots of guests from outside coming for concerts and strolling
through the ARENA, there was upper and lower class, foreigners like the
"Collegium Hungaricum" (at times of the iron curton, do not forget that). We
had a system of working groups and a plenary. Decisions taken by both. 

And it was all joyful and peaceful.

In the end, too much money was involved.  The city sold the
Auslandsschlachthof and offered some petty area nearby for cultural events
(still being called ARENA WIEN, but something completely different). We went
out without violence but a big "ARENA funeral" walked through the town. And
it was over.

I was very young then, a student and although having done a good (small)
group dynamics trainer training at Vienna University of Sociology before, I
simply could not understand, why this all had worked. Well, as the
co-founder of the first free school for 10-15 year old pupils, I had some
clues that getting rid of the usual "everyday trance" was an important
factor, but was still unable to discriminate between the pre-conditions for
situations where it worked (like ARENA, free schools, some undogmatic
leftist political events....) and when it did not work (IT being high
diversity, time pressure, lots of conflicts around,....)

For years, even centuries that followed a part of my studies was dedicated
to understand exactly this: 

WHY HAD IT WORKED?

I continued my learning about groups and organizations. I learned more about
large group dynamics, facilitated learning workshops, became more and more
experienced in refined facilitation techniques, etc. 

But this only increased my impression that nobody could give me a
comprehensive explanation. 

And that theoretically (especially large group theory - wise) it COULD NOT
HAVE WORKED.

Around 1987 I first heard about something called OPEN SPACE. Nothing very
detailed but specific enough to hear about the law of the two feet and the
resistance to predefine what the participates would deal with.

So without further ado I just tried it at the final event of a district
development project at Cape Verde Island (where I worked at that period in
time). All stakeholders of the project were invited. With amazing process
and results.

Some years later, I was lucky and could learn from Harrison how to do it
properly and hear more about the knots and bolts.

And it was clear. ARENA had been one of these spontaneous, not prepared,
OPEN SPACES that happened again and again in the world.

And when I was invited to talk at the Pankahyttn (Punks Hut) in Vienna last
year  (the Pankahyttn is itself a newly occupied - small - space in VIENNA
town), it was this learning I could offer:

ARENA Wien had worked because the LAW of TWO FEET had been appliable.

1) by the non-rules of ARENA

2) by the enormous space we had, so each of the groups and sub-groups could
occupy their own space, come out, go back...

And it was applied, not as a rule, but as a natural thing under these
conditions. 

And the de-facto-emergenc of the OS principles had then been a simple
consequence in the ARENA context.

(The fifth law was not yet formulated last year, so I could only say: "it
was not an OPEN SPACE in the sense of OST, but still, the OS spirit was
there")

And that is the reason why I post this here (in fact it's a small point and
nearly a truism):

It is true that the YING/YANG of the law of the two feet allows such things
to happen. 

But at a theoretical level we should not forget 

that there exists a physical pre-condition: 

ENOUGH BREAK-OUT SPACE

So that the (conflicting) groups and individuals can get out of each others
way

If there is not enough physical space available

the law is not appliable

Bernd Weber

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Am 11.12.2011 um 04:17 schrieb Peggy Holman:

I just read through several months of OSlist messages and am picking up this
old thread because it inspires me to tell a story.

Phelim, like others, I like your naming the movement "toward" and "away" in
the Law of Two Feet.  

When I introduce the Law of Two Feet, I speak of these dynamics because of
an exchange I had the privilege to witness shortly after I ran into Open
Space.

It was a conversation between the two people who have most influenced my
thinking and practice of opening space: Harrison (of course) and Anne
Stadler.  For those who don't know Anne, she has been involved with Open
Space since the OS in Goa India.  I think that was in 1989.  Shortly after
that trip, Anne, who was a TV producer at the time invited Harrison to make
the first video on Open Space Technology, called Learning in Open Space.
I'm not positive about this, but I think Harrison and Anne then offered the
first OST workshops.

Anyway, a few years after that, probably around 1996, during a trip to
Seattle, Anne and Harrison were talking about the Law of 2 Feet.  Harrison
spoke of it as a safety valve.  He said something similar to this OSlist
message by him from Nov. 24, 2001 [I put some text in bold]:

... I would guess that there are situations where a more active role might
be required, but I have never run into one. Even when the level of conflict
is very high and the issues are old and deep. For example, in South Africa
in the days shortly after Mendela's release from prison we  did Open Spaces
with such folks as Zulus, Hausa, Afrikaners -- all together, and no problem.
I have often wondered why this is true, and my best guess is that The Law of
Two Feet provides the needed "safety-valve"  Folks come together because
they want to solve some issues. At the same time I think it to be true that
nobody (save for a few pathological types) really like to blow their cool,
so to speak. The desire to solve the issue brings them together, and the Law
enables each individual to judge when they need a walk around the block to
"cool off." I have seen this lots of time, and never seen it to fail.

That made sense to me!  Then Anne talked about the Law of Two Feet as a
reminder to stand on your two feet for what you believe in. (Unfortunately,
I don't have a comparable "in her own words" message.)

As I listened to their exchange, all I could think was, "they're both
right!"  I had a sense that between them, Harrison and Anne had expressed
the yin and yang of the law.  Sometimes the ability to walk away and cool
off is useful.  And at other times, remembering the importance of taking a
stand is what's called for.  

That conversation influenced how I've opened space ever since.  When I
introduce the Law of Two Feet, I talk about these two actions.  

Sounds a lot like moving towards and moving away, yes?

appreciatively,

Peggy

_________________________________

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On Oct 31, 2011, at 10:14 AM, Caitlin Frost wrote:

Thanks for articulating this Phelim.

For me the Law of Two Feet is definitely about movement.  Nice to notice the
"toward" in balance to the "away from" - and underneath that for me is just
the invitation to wise movement to follow my flow - to open space for that
for everyone.

And my practice can be in noticing what would stop me from moving when that
feels right, and working with that.  I can see how that serves me in life
and work both in and beyond Open Space.

Your post here sharpened my ear for the phrasing - and in two recent Open
Space openings I heard more clearly the speaking of this law as "away from"
without the equal balance of towards.  I will be more mindful now - when
offering it myself, or teaching it to others.

I like to think of it like I sometimes see little kids moving around.  Not
even needing a story to explain why they are moving.  There doesn't have to
be a reason or problem to leave - they just go when they are ready and find
themselves in the next place.  Eager faced - 'hey what's happening over
here?'

Thanks for offering some attention here.

Caitlin.

On Fri, Oct 21, 2011 at 2:19 PM, Phelim <phelim at mac.com> wrote:

In open space technology there is only one law. It's know as "The Law of Two
Feet" Some people don't like calling it this and it is objected to on the
grounds of diversity/disability issues. So it gets re-christened "The law of
mobility". However, I think it's a very useful metaphor and as such think
all should have access to it. However that's not what I want to talk about
today.

Sometimes people concentrate on "The law of two feet." as being about
leaving somewhere: it might be a session, a person who is dominating a
conversation, a topic that goes off somewhere you are no longer interested
in, all these are things one might want to move away from.

However it's good to remember it's a law of TWO feet. Let's say the first
foot or step is away from. Then the second step in terms of our metaphor
could be what we are moving towards. If the emphasis is just on the first
step the potential energy or even an awareness of the second step can get
overwhelmed. Veiled in issues of possibility or social politeness.

So remember both aspects of the Law: "away from" but also "towards". Where
have you already taken yourself or your mind? Where inside yourself have you
already taken your next step somewhere else?

This is a useful thing to remember not least because it might support you
over the threshold of your imagined impoliteness or arrogance when you find
yourself worrying about the fact that you are leaving somewhere and being
rude.

Maybe if you focus on where you are going to or where your presence has
gone.. Then you could realise it might be rude to have already left a less
than present self amongst the group. Or perhaps it's even arrogant to assume
people will even notice that you left.

So whether you are attending to "The Law of Two Feet" or "The Law of
Mobility: Focus on the TWO feet of the dynamic and as Hal and Sidra Stone
say "Sweat the choice".

Love Phelim

http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/clusterform

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