The OODA Loop
The OODA Loop is a decision-making process developed by military strategist and USAF Colonel John Boyd. OODA stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act.
The OODA Loop is essentially a way to visualize how one makes quick, informed decisions. First, one must Observe the situation and gather as much data as possible. Second, they must Orient, or set themselves in the right position in relation to the situation. Once they have done this, they must Decide on a course of action. Lastly, they must Act on that decision. For example, a basketball player must observe the positions of other players (Observe), understand where they need to be in relation to the ball (Orient), decide if they should pass, dribble, or shoot (Decide), and then do that action (Act).
The key is to obscure your intentions and make them unpredictable to your opponent while you simultaneously clarify his intentions. That is, operate at a faster tempo to generate rapidly changing conditions that inhibit your opponent from adapting or reacting to those changes and that suppress or destroy his awareness. Thus, a hodgepodge of confusion and disorder occur to cause him to over- or under-react to conditions or activities that appear to be uncertain, ambiguous, or incomprehensible. - John Boyd
