No matter how you answer these questions, you can do better. And the key to doing better lies in Boyd’s OODA loop, especially the orientation.
The OODA loop—Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—is often mistaken for a neat, linear process. It isn’t. It’s messy, dynamic, and deeply human. While the steps appear straightforward, they are a complex feedback system that enables adaptation. Observation takes in information. Decision and action make stuff happen. And in between orientation drives the entire process.
John Boyd hammered this point relentlessly. He called orientation the schwerpunkt or focus. As “the repository of our genetic heritage, cultural traditions, and previous experiences,” it serves as the filter through which you see the world.
While every orientation is similar, no two are the same. And given the nature and purpose of the OODA Loop, no orientation is static. It shifts constantly with every new experience, assumption, and mistake, whether we want it to or not.
The silver lining is that every orientation is adaptable and can be trained to make the OODA Loop more effective. We can become more observant. We can make better decisions. We can act more competently.
On the other hand, we can turn a blind eye, procrastinate, and ignore our biases that will leave us stuck in our old ways. Adaptability is what gives the OODA loop its power, but the unwillingness to change results in failure. Boyd’s answer? Break old models. Build new ones. Maneuver.
That’s why “getting inside the opponent’s OODA loop” isn’t just about speed or being smart. It’s about re-orientation. If you can adapt faster than your opponent, they’re stuck fighting yesterday’s battle while you’re already shaping tomorrow’s.
Those who maneuver, adapt, and re-orient win. Those who don’t lose. It really is that simple.
What’s slowing you down? How do biases affect your ability to adapt? What perspectives are you ignoring?
Colin
p.s. how do you understand the Boyd's concept of orientation? this is one of the most important elements of anthroponautics. what questions remain?
p.p.s. i'm happy to explain it to you in a 1:1 session. reply "OODA" and i'll add you to the waitlist for when i am available again.