Combat hardened strategy: Doing the OODA loop

There is a great urgency these days for family businesses to develop and retain strategic processes, capabilities and orientations that are entrepreneurial in nature. Acting entrepreneurially is not about sporadic engagement - it needs to be a regular and systematic part of a firm’s behaviour. OODA is a simplifying framework that can be applied when engaging in entrepreneurial strategy. Derived from the study of aerial combat, it is founded on the concept of agility and the ability to rapidly change one’s orientation in response to what is happening in a world of ambiguity and uncertainty. Here we briefly describe OODA and outline guiding principles that help address some of the challenges facing entrepreneurial family businesses.