Succeeding on Complex Projects: OODA

A useful model for dealing with Complex projects is OODA. As shown in the illustration below, “OODA” stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act and is normally described as the “OODA loop.”

The OODA loop

OODA originated out of US Air Force Colonel John Boyd’s frustration with US Air Force dogfighting results. He invented the OODA loop as a way to accelerate decision making, make decisions faster than the enemy, and invalidate the enemy’s decision making. OODA is a methodical approach to establishing context, formulating a plan, performing work, observing results, and incorporating learnings into the next cycle.

Observe