thinking tool.
The one about making fast and accurate decisions
OODA Loops
Credit: John Boyd (1927-1997)
Summary:
OODA is an acronym that stands for “observe”, “orient”, “decide”, and “act”. The OODA loop concept is a cycle of observing, orienting, deciding, and acting, used initially to make time-sensitive decisions rapidly, particularly in situations where there is insufficient time to gather all the information to make an optimal decision. The concept is readily applied to other decision making contexts that aren’t time sensitive, as it encourages decision makers to deliberately consider options, anticipate threats, and think critically.
Real world application:
In the early phases of the COVID pandemic in 2020, video conferencing platform Zoom observed how important a virtual meeting format was to students, workers, individuals and families in isolation. Zoom oriented itself to act in a manner aligned to its value of “caring for customers [and] community”, and decided on a course of action. Its rapidly implemented actions included: lifting the 45 minute time limit of conferences for free users; provision of information sessions on how to use the platform; and resources to get users set up and conferencing rapidly. It should be noted that significant preparation in advance of the pandemic led to the platform being readily scalable.
Concept detail:
The concept was developed in the mid 20th century by US Air Force pilot and military strategist, John Boyd. It was used initially to train and assist fighter pilots to direct their energy and survive in combat in the Korean War. It was later used in other fields including business, and is often discussed in the context of strategy, including making decisions fast than an opponent.
The Task and Purpose website offered this assessment of Boyd’s broader contribution:
Colonel Boyd wrote a series of essays and presentations that range from the fascinating Patterns of Conflict to the virtually impenetrable rumination on ideas, thermodynamics, and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle called Destruction and Creation. The creators of American maneuver doctrine gave a lot of credit to Boyd, but while the OODA loop is an important part of that, it is by no means the bulk of his contribution to maneuver doctrine. Beyond that, his work on energy-maneuverability theory shaped the design of every tactical aircraft flying today.
