OODALoopDecisionMakingToolsBy Nick Horney, Ph.D., Leadership Agility Prac;ce Leader

TheOODALoopThe OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) is a model that was created by USAF Col. John Boyd. It was originally designed for Korean-era fighter pilots as a way to understand conflict and provide military leaders with a model or method for making decisions and assessing their impact.

The execu;on of the decision making process may be viewed as cycling through the four dis;nc;ve but interdependent stages: 1) OBSERVATION, or absorb ing informa;on from the environment b y a l l p o s s i b l e m e a n s ; 2 ) ORIENTATION, or placing this informa;on into a matrix of human understanding and experience; 3) D E C I S I O N , o r s e l e c ; n g a subsequent course of ac;on based upon the likelihood of either offensive achievement or defensive nullifica;on; and 4) ACTION, or

a\emp;ng to opera;onalize or carry out the previously conceived decision. Collec;vely, these stages have come to be known as an OODA loop.

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The OODA loop depends on tac;cal and strategic agility. We must not only move faster than our compe;tors; we must also think faster than them. A streamlined view of leadership, team or organiza;onal agility in the informa;on age is the combina;on of being focused, fast andflexible. To adapt and thrive with all of the VUCA disrup;ons in the marketplace (e.g., robo;cs, globaliza;on, ar;ficial intelligence, the Gig Economy, etc.) change readiness requires mental and physical agility in both planning and execu;on. In any compe;;ve environment, the leader, team or organiza;on that can consistently and effec;vely cycle through the OODA process faster - that is, can maintain a higher tempo of focused and flexible ac;ons than others, gains an ever-increasing advantage with each cycle. With each itera;on, the slower compe;tor falls further behind and becomes increasingly unable to cope with the con;nuously deteriora;ng situa;on.

The Agile Model®-- Applica=on of The OODA Loop in DecisionMaking

Speed of decision making has become more cri;cal for every organiza;on in our turbulent environment. The Agile Model® has served as a mul;-disciplinary framework used by organiza;ons to implement leadership, team and organiza;onal agility for over 16 years. The focus of this blog is on speed of decision making represented by "Ini;a;ng Ac;on" which is one of the 5 key drivers of TheAgileModel®.

OODALoopDecisionMakingTools

Many of the tools illustrated in this graphic (OODA LOOP DECISION MAKING) have been applied in process improvement and quality ini;a;ves. It illustrates how applying these tools in a repeatable OODA Loop process can bring greater rigor and can enhance decision speed needed for Ini;a;ng Ac;on. Cross-func;onal teams ohen meet without clearly defining how decisions will be made. Ohen, the result of these mee;ngs is a frustrated team, concerns about how decisions will be made, poor future mee;ng a\endance and par;cipa;on and frustra;on by the execu;ve sponsor who wanted to encourage cross-func;onal engagement and empowerment. The tools applied in this process are organized into the

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4 key areas of the OODA Loop -- Observe, Orient, Decide and Act: • 1.OBSERVE--DescribetheProblem • 2a.ORIENT(a)--Iden=fyPoten=alCauses • 2b.ORIENT(b)--Collect,OrganizeandAnalyzeExis=ngData • 3a.DECIDE(a)--CompareCausestotheFacts/CollectAddi=onalDatatoIden=fyRootCause(s) • 3b.DECIDE(b)--DetermineCorrec=onAc=ons • 4.ACT--Validate,ImplementandStandardizeSolu=on

Contact me at Agility Consul;ng and Training to discuss your interest in Agility and our experience with implemen;ng Leadership,TeamandOrganiza=onalAgilityfor the past 16 years.

AboutNickHorney Nick Horney, Ph.D. is the Agility Doc and Founder of Agility Consul;ng & Training. He first discovered the value of agility during his 23 years of service as a Special Opera;ons Naval Officer responsible for diving and explosive ordnance disposal teams. In these rapidly unfolding and changing circumstances--and now, as an organiza;onal psychologist--Nick discovered that the key ingredient separa;ng good leaders from great leaders is agility. Learn more about Nick at www.nickhorney.com.

NickHorney,Ph.D.Leadership Agility Prac;ce Leader

nickhorney@agilityconsul;ng.com 336.286.7250

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