Get Inside Their OODA Loop.

Many people say that they are reacting to things.

They should be responding. Reaction is a reflex. There is no thought put into it.

Responding is thoughtful. It is a considered act.

Be responsive. Anticipate problems. Create plans to respond to them. Practice responding. Be thoughtful.

Observe what is happening around you. Anticipate outcomes and respond appropriately.

One way to work on this is to get inside someone’s OODA Loop (pronounced Oo-Da, like a word rather than initials).

The OODA Loop was developed by Air Force Colonel John Boyd to describe the decision making process.

It stands for Observe, Orient. Decide and Act. You observe an action. You orient it to your understating of of possible outcomes of that action. You decide your best course of action. You act, and observe the result of you action. The loop is iterative. Once you finish a cycle, you start again.

The faster you complete the loop, the more responsive you will be. Your goal is to cycle faster than your opponent. When you do, you are said to have gotten inside their OODA Loop.

When I am playing fetch with my female German Shepard, she’s impatient and makes a predictable series of bounces trying to interrupt my throw. It’s a simple matter of using my off hand to push her off balance during her bouncing while I turn and throw the ball. I have stepped inside of her OODA Loop.

My response evolved overtime. I recognized patterns of behavior. When I saw them, I was able to orient them to my knowledge of possible outcomes, and come up with a plan of action.

Because it happened often enough, I was able to formulate plans ahead of time. This made my cycle through the loop even faster. She, having no concept of the OODA Loop (dogs don’t read) is unable to plan ahead and look for patterns.

Do you have an annoying uncle who ruins family gatherings because he wants to talk politics? Learn the patterns he displays when her is ready to start an argument, develop a plan to deflect it then implement the plan when you see the pattern. You’ll be the hero for saving the family gather from spiraling into argument.

The same is true of followers or teammates who always throw up objections. This also works when you are you looking for ways to respond faster to market conditions.

Learning to use the loop shortens your reaction time and helps you respond, rather than react.