Introducing the discipline: Working the Boyd cycle quickly doesn’t guarantee success. But not being able to cycle through the process in an effective and efficient manner will sorely limit, if not spell the demise of, the inept enterprise in the face of tough times. Because we believe in the value of John Boyd’s thinking, many of the tools provided throughout this work will enable you to improve your capabilities in each of the stages of the cycle. The focus here is on making the Boyd cycle a conscious part of your company’s business thinking.
I would advise you and your leadership team to read and discuss some of Boyd’s classics (listed in the reference section) and work as a team to understand how to integrate this mindset into your efforts. Consider your business, your strategies, your competitors as well as the business ecosystem in which you’re competing. Discuss each phase of the cycle and understand (in specifics) how working each one well will create opportunity and advantage.
Instructions For Working The Boyd Cycle – The OODA Loop:
Spread the perspective: Once you and your key players have their arms around the relevant ideas, it is time to take the concepts to the workforce as a whole. Introduce the OODA loop for mini projects or in circumscribed areas where its efficacy can be demonstrated. Then, larger business issues can be presented to the workers within the context of the Boyd cycle. Encourage workers to learn and explore the implications of the OODA loop. Brown bag lunches can serve as venues for discussing the issues and applying them to your business context.
Making the stages relevant: For each of the steps the workforce can understand their relevance to their work fairly directly. A separate set of conversations can tie those steps together into a powerful system.