An OODA loop is a repeating loop where you take in information, integrate it into your decision-making, use it to make more decisions, and then receive more information in response.

“OODA” is a particular structure referring to:

• Observe: “what is happening in the world” (in as raw a form as you can)
• Orient: “what sorts of things are important right now? How do I organize the information I’m seeing”
• Decide: “what do I want to do next”
• Act: “Okay I’m doing it now.”

You are probably doing some kind of OODA-loop-like-thing already. But it's worth reflecting on how you could do it better.

For my last workshop, partly because it was cute, and partly because it seemed like probably a good idea, I put together a worksheet for applying a deliberate, intentional OODA loop to your OODA loop.

I don't actually know if this worksheet turned out to be helpful (it [...]

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Outline:

(01:27) Observation

(02:13) Write details about some short-timeframe examples of…

(02:18) Observing

(02:21) Orienting

(02:25) Deciding

(02:28) Acting

(02:39) Write details about some longer-timeframe examples of…

(02:44) Observing

(02:47) Orienting

(02:51) Deciding

(02:54) Acting

(02:57) Orient

(03:29) What seems important to track about OODA loops?

(03:34) Write a short 1-2 paragraphs or bullet list describing your high level OODA loop processes.

(03:49) How would you know if you had a good one?

(03:53) What (if anything) are you dissatisfied with about your current OODA loops?

(04:00) What are some ways your OODA loops could be better? (including quick fixes and deeper effortful fixes)

(04:09) What's hard or confusing about improving your OODA loop?

(04:15) Deciding

(04:57) List of plans or actions

(05:01) For each “plan”, what's a next-action you could take right now, to get the ball rolling on it?

(05:08) Act

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First published:

Source:

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.