Coaching clients and listeners have been asking for help deciphering difficult situations; negotiating, dealing with potential conflict or perceived conflict. What to do when you're feeling really out of sorts with the situation?
The OODA Loop is a four-step process for making effective decisions in high-stakes situations. It involves collecting relevant information, recognizing potential biases, deciding, and acting, then repeating the process with new information.
One such military mental model is the OODA Loop. Developed by strategist and U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd, the OODA Loop is a practical concept designed to function as the foundation of rational thinking in confusing or chaotic situations. “OODA” stands for “Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act.”
“What is strategy? A mental tapestry of changing intentions for harmonizing and focusing our efforts as a basis for realizing some aim or purpose in an unfolding and often unforeseen world of many bewildering events and many contending interests.” —John Boyd
Note to self: look for new ways of thinking OUTSIDE of your real estate world.
Charlie Munger said:
“Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up. Discharge your duties faithfully and well. Systematically you get ahead, but not necessarily in fast spurts. Nevertheless, you build discipline by preparing for fast spurts. Slug it out one inch at a time, day by day. At the end of the day – if you live long enough – most people get what they deserve.”
Munger is known for stating that he systematically builds a 'mental toolbox' of knowledge. He looks outside of his own field and that seems to have worked for him and Warren Buffet... they 'only' have created a return for Berkshire of 20,000 to 1.
Back to The OODA Loop: Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. It's called a loop because it's meant to be a habit of thinking that you learn to repeat and ingrain in yourself as a strategy for multiple situations. Kind of like your go-to thinking method.
Step One: Observe.
What is the actual information you have to work with? Ask lots of questions, get accurate data so you can paint a realistic picture of what you're dealing with.


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