How are we going to behave in pursuit of our purpose?
Principles, when defined with clarity, conviction and by common understanding guide our pursuit of purpose. Developing them requires engaging the whole person, not just intellect. Each principle can help illuminate others to be seen as a whole. Principles bind a community together and serve as a touchstone to remind us of how we agree to act and decide together around our purpose. Principles are ours to create and choose.
Creating a Container
Principles of cooperation tell us how we want to act and work together in pursuit of our purpose. They are agreements that we make between us so that we can travel together - and sometimes hold conflicting views - without ending in Chamos (destructive chaos).
Pursuing Our Purpose
Principles can also define the "end product" even though we may not quite know what it looks like. These principles have to do with form or direction and can define some attributes or qualities, without making things overly concrete. They allow us to stay in the convergent phase but create boundaries that are wide enough to allow for newness and possibility.