Quickly.

Fighter pilots involved in high-stakes missions need to make decisions at the speed of sound. How do they do it? The OODA Loop.

Observe

Orient

Decide

Act

You can use the OODA to help you act intentionally when you’re stuck in thought and emotional agony. Here’s a little background on its origin, then I’ll explain how we can use it in everyday life.

The OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) is a four-step approach to decision-making developed by military strategist and United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd[2]. It is often depicted as a simple linear cycle that begins with an observation, leading to orienting oneself in the situation, deciding on a course of action, and then acting on it[3]. The OODA Loop is used in high-stakes situations where quick and accurate decisions are needed[4]. It involves collecting relevant information, analyzing it, making a decision based on the analysis, and then taking action[5].

If it’s good enough for fighter pilots surely we can use it, right? Here are some real-life examples of how the OODA loop can make your life easier.

When I am frozen, suffering paralysis by analysis, I look at the 10 things that I could do and ask, “What is the one thing, that by completing it, will make the others easier to complete?”.

In a recent challenge, I was stuck in the Observation phase. The “one thing’ question helped me Orient my possible decisions with one of them being the ranked best thing. That’s the one I will Decide on and take Action on.

What happens next? You repeat the process. You Observe what that Action achieved, Orient yourself in your current state, Decide what’s next, then take Action.

If that seems challenging, it’s because it is a skill that we need to practice. I think it comes naturally to some, and to others, the idea that they could take the wrong action keeps them stuck in the OO loop. (me. I get stuck in the OO Loop)

Observe, Orient, Observe, Orient. Never make a choice.

Another place I see a great need for the OODA loop is when you’re reading a book that is calling for Action items. I was recently listening to “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz, and he went as far as to ask his listeners to stop what they were doing, pause the audiobook, pull the car over or pause their workout, and call a bank to open a secondary bank account for the entrepreneurial Profit First system of putting profit, taxes, operating cost, and owner pay into separate accounts. He knows darn well that his highly successful book and system only work if people take Action on the lessons learned.

So the next time you pick up a self-help book, see the OODA loop in the writing. As you’re reading, Observe and learn. Once you understand the basic concepts, Orient the concepts to how they fit into your life. Decide where to start (usually the author will tell you), then take Action.

When I work with my Grateful Sweat clients, we start with whatever education pieces they are missing. This is based on introspective questions and Observation. Then we talk about how these pieces fit into their success strategy. Understanding their Orientation to the things they learned is key to their success. We Decide which actions are most important to their success, then they take Action. What challenges can the OODA Loop help you make clearer and faster decisions with?

If the OODA loop isn’t working for you, reach out!