I prefer to think of these micro-rules things as "patterns."  To me that better helps to think about them without using the proscriptive word "rules."  Even principles, at least in the current corporate culture, are usually understood to be prescriptive.  
<br><br>Patterns on the other hand just are, and we notice them at increasing scales.  The biggest patterns in Open Space are certainly captured in th eprinciples and the law but there are many other patterns that arise in Open Space events.  Several which I have seen include:
<br><br><ul><li>The circle as the operating structure.  Small groups tend to form very tight and near perfect circles.</li><li>Creating a feedback loop is what spurs action</li><li>There is often a person who will order the wall so they have something to do with their control impulses. 
<br></li></ul>There are many of these patterns.  Cool things to notice.<br><br>Chris<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 5/30/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Harrison Owen</b> <<a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net">
hhowen@verizon.net</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">











<div link="blue" vlink="blue" lang="EN-US">

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Artur wrote: "</span></font><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Would you
agree with my heresy?"</span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">  </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> Sorry, Artur – No heresy, so
far as I can see </span></font><font color="red" face="Wingdings"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; color: red;">J</span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">But the reason I asked the question was
that for some time now, it has been apparent to me that both the Principles and
the Law were in fact descriptive, as opposed to prescriptive. In short they
simply acknowledge what will happen anyhow rather than telling people what to
do. I think this is very clear with the 4 Principles, but it is also true of
The Law of Two Feet, I think. I understand that most of us have been trained,
brainwashed, socialized (or whatever) to restrict the use of our two feet, all
under the heading of duty, politeness. And it is true that people will endure a
phenomenal amount of abuse in the name of duty and politeness. But I still
think they follow the Law of Two Feet anyhow – psychologically if not
physically. So in a particularly boring meeting which you would rather not
attend, your body is still there, but the mind and the heart have definitely
gone to another place. And after a while, even the body follows without moving –
falls asleep. </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Given all of the above it makes perfect
sense to me that an Open Space could proceed quite well (work at some level)
with no special mention of the Principles or the Law. I think it is likely to work
much better when both the Principles and the Law are brought to people's
attention – and assume some significant place in their consciousness. Self
organization, as I would understand it, is always happening whether we like it
or not, whether we are conscious of it or not. However, I do think there is a useful
role to be played in bringing the unconscious to consciousness. The net effect
is to begin to optimize the self organizing function as opposed to either
ignoring it, or worse, suppressing it (which seems to be the usual mode). This is
the role of the facilitator in an Open Space, and it is best done lightly and
in a minimalist fashion – but done none the less. I think there is a much
broader and more important role to be played in the larger world of self-organizing
systems, such things as our businesses and other institutions, doing the same
sort of thing. Our experience with Open Space can be very valuable as a
training environment for this larger role.</span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">If you were to ask me where I think all of
this is headed (which you didn't), I think the true significance of Open
Space Technology is that it has provided this "training opportunity."
I really look forward to the day when we consider OST as that funny, but nice, thing
we did on the way to the future. Now there is some heresy for you!</span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Harrison</span></font><font color="red" face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font>
</p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<div>

<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Harrison Owen</span></font></p>

<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">7808 River Falls Drive</span></font></p>

<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Potomac,
Maryland   20854</span></font></p>

<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Phone </span></font><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">
<span onmouseup="SetCallButtonPressed(this, 0,0)" onmousedown="SetCallButtonPressed(this, 1,0)" onmouseover="SetCallButton(this, 1,0);skype_active=CheckCallButton(this);" onmouseout="SetCallButton(this, 0,0);HideSkypeMenu();" class="skype_tb_injection" id="__skype_highlight_id">
<span title="Change country code ..." onclick="javascript:if(1){doRunCMD(event, 'chdial','0');}else{doRunCMD(event, 'call','+13013652093');}event.preventBubble();return false;" onmouseout="SetCallButtonPart(this, 0);" onmouseover="SetCallButtonPart(this, 1);" class="skype_tb_injection_left" id="__skype_highlight_id_left">
<span style="background-image: url(chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_normal_l.gif);" class="skype_tb_injection_left_img" id="__skype_highlight_id_left_adge"><img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_transparent_l.gif" style="height: 11px; width: 7px;" class="skype_tb_img_adge" height="11">
</span><span class="skype_tb_injection_left_img" id="__skype_highlight_id_left_img"><img style="width: 16px;" src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/famfamfam/us.gif" title="" class="skype_tb_img_flag" name="skype_tb_img_f0">
<img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1"><img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1">
<img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/arrow.gif" title="" class="skype_tb_img_arrow" name="skype_tb_img_a0"><img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1">
<img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1"></span></span><img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1">
<span title="Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +13013652093" onclick="javascript:doRunCMD(event, 'call','+13013652093');event.preventBubble();return false;" onmouseout="SetCallButtonPart(this, 0)" onmouseover="SetCallButtonPart(this, 1)" class="skype_tb_injection_right" id="__skype_highlight_id_right">
<span class="skype_tb_innerText" id="__skype_highlight_id_innerText"><img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1">
<img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1"><img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1">
<img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1px;" class="skype_tb_img_space" height="1" width="1">301-365-2093</span><span style="background-image: url(chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_normal_r.gif);" class="skype_tb_injection_left_img" id="__skype_highlight_id_right_adge">
<img src="chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_transparent_r.gif" style="height: 11px; width: 19px;" class="skype_tb_img_adge" height="11"></span></span></span></span></font></p>

<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Skype hhowen</span></font></p>

<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Open Space Training</span></font><font color="red"><span style="color: red;">
 <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.openspaceworld.com</span></font></a>
</span></font></p>

<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Open Space Institute</span></font><font color="red"><span style="color: red;">
 <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.openspaceworld.org</span></font></a></span></font></p>


<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">Personal website</span></font><font color="red"><span style="color: red;">
 <a href="http://www.ho-image.com/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.ho-image.com</span></font></a> </span></font></p>

<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;">OSLIST</span></font><font color="red" face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: red;">
: To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: </span></font><font color="red"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></font></a></span></font></p>

</div>

<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: red;"> </span></font></p>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;">-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> OSLIST
[mailto:<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">On
Behalf Of </span></b>Artur Silva<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, May 29, 2007 5:43
PM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: doing
self-organization - OST "foundations"</span></font></p>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Thanks for your question, Harrison.
</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">That is a very interesting point
indeed.</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Law of two feet is one
of the most marvelous "micro rules" of OST. Without it,
people would not feel "invited" - they would probably stay in their
groups even if they are not interested - or leave the space
completely.</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Without the law there is no Open
Space, I think.</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">In what concerns the Principles, you
probably recall that I have conducted some OST meetings without mentioning the
principles at all, and it worked fine.</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">So, for me the Principles are
not a micro rule (essential to create OST) but one of the many marvelous things
that happen in Open Space. They are one of the things that emerge from the
micro-rules. A consequence of OST - not a foundation of OST.</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Would you agree with my heresy?</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Regards</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Artur</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">PS: From your other comment I assume
that you have missed the heresies in the list ;-)</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">-----------</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br>
<br>
<b><i><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Harrison Owen
<<a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">hhowen@verizon.net</a>></span></i></b> wrote:</span></font></p>

</div>

</div>

<blockquote style="border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(16, 16, 255); border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 3pt; margin-left: 2.5pt; margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt;">


<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Artur - great to see you here! I could ask where you
have been hiding, =<br>
but I<br>
am afraid you might tell me. :-)<br>
<br>
<br>
I'm curious why do you include the Law of Two Feet under the heading of<br>
"micro-rule," but not the Four Principles? </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(...)</span></font></p>

</div>

</blockquote>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">  </span></font></p>

<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: center;" align="center"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">

<hr align="center" size="1" width="100%">

</span></font></div>

<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=47093/*http:/tv.yahoo.com/collections/222" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Comedy
with an Edge </a>to see what's on, when. * *
==========================================================
<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a> ------------------------------ To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
<a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:
<a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> To learn about
OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a> </span></font></p>

</div>

</div>


*
*
==========================================================
<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:
<a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a>

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>CHRIS CORRIGAN<br>Facilitation - Training<br>Open Space Technology<br><br>Weblog: <a href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot">http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
</a><br>Site: <a href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com">http://www.chriscorrigan.com</a><br><br>Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.<br><a href="http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com">http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com
</a>
*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist