Cognitive Toolkit

Commonly known as ‘the OODA Loop’ or ‘the Boyd Cycle,’ this information-processing framework is often presented as a simple cycle of four states: Observation, Orientation, Decision, and Action.

The OODA loop is a decision-making model developed by United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd. He applied the concept to the combat operations process, often at the operational level during military campaigns. It is often applied to understand commercial operations and learning processes. The approach explains how agility can overcome raw power in dealing with human opponents.

By understanding that speed and timing are complementary, the potential of the OODA Loop can be maximized by focusing it to identify those moments when an opponent is most vulnerable, and providing options to exploit those openings at the most opportune time.

John Boyd and The OODA Loop John Boyd’s OODA loops are more than just an esoteric strategic concept; they’ve earned a huge following online and around the world. In this article, I highlight key points about OODA loops along with a glimpse into […]

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. Read on to learn how to use the OODA Loop.

The Johari Window  By Jade Garratt, Director of Education Like many, I was first introduced to the Johari Window in leadership development training. It was presented as a tool to understand yourself, and it was used to demonstrate how feedback […]

The Johari window is a technique designed to help people better understand their relationship with themselves and others. It was created by psychologists Joseph Luft (1916–2014) and Harrington Ingham (1916–1995) in 1955, and is used primarily in self-help groups and corporate settings as a heuristic exercise. Luft and Ingham named their model "Johari" using a combination of their first names.

The Johari Window is a communication model developed in 1950s by two American psychologists, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham. The name ‘Johari’…

The Johari Window is a visual representation of what you know about yourself, and what others know about you, to help develop self-awareness and trust.

Make faster decisions with incomplete data.

This blog post is your one-stop guide to the Impact Effort Matrix.

Hey hey folks! here is a reflexion about Prioritizing your Design Work, I hope this help you with our common big question… Where to start?

The Impact/Effort prioritization matrix is a classic product managment tool. However it can easily lead you to pick the wrong ideas

How to smartly make choices in evaluating projects

The impact/effort matrix is a tool that helps teams prioritize items based on their impact to the user and the level of effort it’d take to…

Prioritize by weighing impact against the effort required.

One of the many questions that keep me up at night is: “how can I be a better thinker?” As you probably can tell, I’ve been on an endless…

First Principles thinking breaks down true understanding into building blocks we can reassemble into something that simplifies our problem.

Hanlon's Razor is the adage: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

Hanlon’s Razor is a heuristic device that tells us not to assume malicious intent behind actions when a lack of awareness or knowledge can adequately explain the actions.

Hanlon’s Razor teaches us not to assume the worst intention in the actions of others. Understanding Hanlon’s Razor helps us see the world in a more positive light, stop negative assumptions, and improve relationships.

Figure out what kind of a decision you're making.

A circle of competence is an area of the world where you have useful knowledge that gives you an edge. Here’s the definition from the Farnam Street blog: Circle of Competence is simple: Each of us, through experience or study, has built up useful knowledge on certain areas of the world. Some areas a

Your Circle of Competence identifies your current area of knowledge and expertise as a guide for effective action.

Understanding where you have an edge and where you don't can help you prevent problems, spot opportunities others miss, and rapidly learn. We all have a circle of competence - an area in which we have a lot of earned knowledge.

Focus on your strengths to build a better future for yourself

A short checklist to understand the limitations of your knowledge

I had a wonderful conversation this morning with a fellow Product Manager that I met in the Toronto Product community (hey Tom) about the…