In the wake of the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti Tuesday afternoon, many concerned professionals from relief organizations and NGO’s are mobilizing to help. I’m especially proud of the fact that some of my friends and colleagues from the Crisis Camp community are leading the charge.
If you are a humanitarian assistance, international development, emergency response or other professional who is looking for opportunities to help, please join a conference call at 11:00 AM EST on Wednesday, Jan. 13th., with Heather Blanchard, co-organizer of Crisis Camp, Andy Carvin of National Public Radio and others.
International direct dial-in number +1 617 614.4042
I was saddened to learn that Dr. Chet Richards’Defense and the National Interest (DNI) site is shutting down. If you’re unfamiliar with DNI, it’s been an informative and frequently provocative source of outside-the-box thinking (and a forum for diverse viewpoints) on national security topics in the post-cold war environment.
DNI has also served as the de facto repository for the wrtitings and work of the late Col. John Boyd (1927-1997), arguably one of the greatest (and certainly most influential) military strategists of the 20th century. Although not always acknowledged as such, his ideas have also informed more than a few “A-list” business writers and world-class consulting organizations.
Boyd is best known for developing the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act) concept, originally formulated specifically for military operations. Because of its broad applicability, however, the OODA model is also routinely applied to human behavior in a staggering variety of non-military contexts, from learning theory to business operations, including marketing as it relates to buyer behavior.
Heralding a legion of imitators to come, Boyd was a one-of-a-kind, larger than life personality who referred to his office as the “thunder and lightning shop,” in contrast to the staid, “business as usual” that he perceived to be widespread throughout the rest of the military establishment.
Here’s Boyd on challenging assumptions and extracting what’s useful from widely different systems:
Thanks to Shlok Vaida and John Robb for the heads-up on the planned closing of the DNI site, and for the pointer to “Citizen Fouchet,” who compiled the direct links below to free, downloadable versions of Boyd’s best-known work.
So, while the future home of the this material remains uncertain, you’re encouraged to download it while you can. Whatever your field of endeavor, you’ll be challenged by Col. John Boyd’s insights.
