The Last Quack

Tighten your OODA Loop!

The OODA Loop is a simple idea and a big concept.    Its the idea that we loop through four steps.  We Observe what's happening; Orient against a plan or desired state; Decide what to do and Act to address the mis-match between actual and desired.

Adjusting the shower is a great example.

The OODA Loop concept developed to explain the relative success of fighter pilots in WWII dog fights.   Pilots who could Observe the enemy aircraft, Orient between the directions and distances, Decide how to respond and Act faster than their foe did better and lived longer.  See Wikipedia OODA Loop

An important part of OODA Loops is Delay.   Delay between Action and Observation.   Delay between Observing and Orienting.   Delay in Deciding; and delay in Acting.   Often there is delay between several steps.   So one solution is remove the delays.

Another important part of OODA Loops is Observing something other than the root cause.   This happens all the time.   We see what's happening one step ahead.   But the signs were there, further up stream if only we could see or pay attention.   Deciding to brake based on the tail lights of the car in front rather than the vehicle 10 cars in front causes fender benders.    So another rule to fix OODA Loops is to look as far ahead as you can.

Mistakes are made with Orienting.   Typically orienting too the wrong thing.   Referencing history when the causal relationships have changed.    So Orienting appropriately and 'triaging' on several relative points helps.

Making decisions based on the wrong decision framework and taking action too slowly are the final ways to weaken your OODA Loop.

So, the faster we are at Observing and Orienting, Deciding and Acting the more likely we are to succeed.   Tightening the OODA loop requires:
- looking as far ahead as possible
- orienting quickly against a plan, expectations and history or preferably all three
- using the right decision framework to quickly decide what to do
- implementing according to the decision without delay

Systems Dynamics play tricks with organizations.   Cause and effect are separated in time.  Effects are non linear.    Systems Dynamics confuse us.     We are tempted to break the problem into parts and manage the parts independently.   It makes the problem worse and we loose sight of the whole.  We optimize the parts and sub-optimize the whole system.   See Wikipedia on Systems Dynamics.    Really technical stuff is done by mathematicians with Cray computers to solve Systems Dynamics.    But for the manager in a hurry, tightening OODA Loops is practical and will help.

So go ahead!   Tighten your OODA Loop!

Bath Time Question:  Where does an OODA Loop impact you today?   What can you do to tighten it?   What the impact be significant?

7 Ways to Crash a Business

I've spent some time watching small businesses trying to grow.    The scary part is watching growth lead to lower profits and in some cases losses.   Very few people live through this and talk about it.   So here are my 7 favorite ways to crash a service business while trying to grow.    If you think my list misses something equally or more important please let me know!

Don't Plan

1.  Ignore the rules of how we make money, especially Gross Margin, and our "Lead to Cash" process speed.

2.  Make sure everyone has a different idea about our operations strategy, what we are trying to do.

3.  Don't plan, don't have expectations, don't anticipate, especially when trying something new.

Be a Victim

4.  Ask "what happened" only after its a problem.

5.  Don't compare what's happening to a plan or expectation.

6.  Never question why we do what we do.   Just accept it.

7.  Act individually and blame others for the screw ups.

 

Bath Time Question:  Which of these are we doing today?

For a pdf version to pin on the wall, send me an e mail.

Five goal setting techniques that work

Done well, individual goal setting creates focus.  Done poorly, we create confusion.  Here's 5 "how to's":

1.  Begin with the end in mind:
Set the organizations objectives and goals before we inflict different goals and objectives on our people.    The board or the management team must be able to write a clear statement of goals and objectives for the organization.  Start there and drive down.

2.   Keep it simple:
Keep it simple #1:  Organize Goals and Objectives into three buckets:
       Deliver the Numbers
       Create the Future
       Develop our People (including yourself)

Keep it simple #2:  Set 2 or 3 goals and objectives for each topic.    Make 'em specific.  Then stop  before you complicate it.   Less is more.    A small number of specific objectives demands accountability and leads to responsibility.    Complexity leads to obfuscation.

3.  Use it or lose it:
Its actually so obvious its a little scary.   The goals and objectives are the agenda for business discussion.    So a well crafted set of goals and objectives will be discussed regularly.    Goals and objectives should be the main conversation.

4.  Luke, use the force!
Ask people to draft their own goals and objectives.    Review it with them and discuss.   Do our people understand the direction as well as we think they do?   This may be the most important discussion you have with your group.

When its time for the review, ask the individual to write a self evaluation first.   Write your own and compare side by side.    The discussion is the most important part of the review.

5.  We are all in this together:
Care about people.   Care about their development.   Genuine care will be repaid many times over.  By the way, being soft or overlooking poor performance is not caring.  Its wimping out.

Bath Time Question:  Is our goal and objective setting process aligning our efforts?

Making a Difference

Only one thing matters: Making a Difference.   Here's the Duck's theory of the moment on things you need and perspectives you need as a precondition to changing almost anything.

Without a Robust Model of how things work you are going to struggle Make a Difference.   So collecting models and frameworks of how things work is really useful.   Next you need some Useful Tools and Techniques that have a chance of making change happen.

We all want to see change at the 'strategic' level and it can be very compelling to think about Making a Difference at the level of Enterprises, Communities, Industries and the World.

But everything is local and change and making a difference starts local.  The hands and heads and harts of the people who have to do the things to make a difference are local.   The Difference we want to make impacts people individually and in groups.

So if you want to Make a Difference at the 'big picture' level you better take into account that the 'big picture' starts with Individuals and Groups.   In fact there is a system relationship between change at Individual and Group levels and change at Enterprise, Community and Industy levels.   You won't do the big picture without acting locally.

If 90% of success is turning up then it ought to be easy to Make a Difference.   The other 10% is being Relevant to the context where you want to make a Difference and Compelling about what's to be done and why.

That's what the Duck tries to do.   Find Relevant Models that help explain what is going on.   Find Useful Tools and Techniques that help make Change Compelling.    Find the pathway to link the Individual and Group with the Enterprise, Community and Industry so that we all Make a Difference.

Please tell me what's missing and help me make it more and more relevant.

Bath Time Questions:  Where am  I trying to make a difference?    Is my model of how it works and should work 'Robust"?    Are the tools and techniques I plan to use "Useful"?    Have I thought enough about the Individuals and Group I need to drive the change?