We're a Strange OODA Loop
How Technical Teams Can Make Better Decisions in Complex Environments
Ineffable problems are everywhere. Some real, some imagined. But the pattern is hard to ignore: humans are constantly trying to make sense of the world and figure out where we fit. That instinct is more than just a habit. It's baked into what we are.
Douglas Hofstadter’s book I Am a Strange Loop proposes that consciousness itself is the result of recursive feedback loops. Our minds loop endlessly, comparing our position to the world around us. Over time, this self-referencing loop builds the sense of “I.” We are adaptive systems, each of us running a high-frequency feedback process trying to stay in sync with a complex and changing environment.
It might not be the most poetic theory of the self, but it rings true. We are sense-making machines. And at the organizational level, we’re doing the same thing. Just with more variables, more perspectives, and higher stakes.
Teams Are Loops Too
At the level of our conscious mind, we try to observe, interpret, and act with intention. This process is best captured by John Boyd’s well-known OODA Loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.
It sounds simple. But applying the OODA Loop in real-world environments, especially complex and fast-paced ones, is anything but.
That is especially true for technical teams, engineering managers, and knowledge workers. The OODA Loop breaks down when the Orientation step gets messy.
The Real Challenge in Group Decision-Making
Orientation is intuitive when you're alone. You see a car coming toward an intersection. You judge its speed and decide whether it’s safe to go.
But organizations are different. You're surrounded by partial data, conflicting incentives, and a mix of mental models. The people around you might not even agree on what reality looks like.
Group loops operate at different speeds. Some decisions are tactical and time-sensitive. Others are strategic and open-ended. Orientation is not about raw intelligence. It is about forming a coherent view of the problem space, together.
This is why leading decision-making in engineering teams or trying to scale coordination across departments often feels like a slog. You are trying to sync perspectives before you can even begin to move.
Practical Strategies for Aligning Team OODA Loops
If the key to operating inside complexity is simplification, the same applies to group decision-making. Here are three practical ways to improve your team’s Orientation step.
1. Use Shared Frameworks
Teams make better decisions when they share a mental model. Ask:
Are we working toward the same goal?
Do individuals feel agency and ownership?
Are we interpreting this decision through the same lens?
Misalignment here causes friction and wasted effort.
2. Clarify the Frame of Reference
Before a group acts, get clarity on:
The time horizon (Is this for this week or this year?)
The impulse (What is prompting us to act?)
The expected duration of impact (How long should this decision hold?)
These anchors improve orientation and reduce noise.
3. Set Loop Speed Expectations
How fast will you revisit this decision? How often will you iterate? Setting expectations for loop speed helps teams decide how much certainty is needed and how much can be refined later.
Orientation Is the Leadership Skill No One Talks About
If you lead a high-performance technical team, your most important job may not be deciding what to do. It might be helping everyone see the same problem the same way.
That is orientation. Aligning people so they can act with precision. Without that, even the best strategy falls apart.
When teams see clearly, they move fast and act effectively. When orientation is weak, everything becomes friction.
For Technical Leaders Who Want Decision-Ready Teams
At Franklin Kinetics, we train technical managers and team leads to navigate complexity with confidence. We use visual models, structured processes, and decision-making frameworks that work in the real world.
You do not need another theory. You need tools that fit your environment.
It starts with the loop. And it starts with you.