I helped a couple of my colleagues use the the first O in John Boyd’s OODA (Orient, Observe, Decide, Act) today, and it was a joy.
I’m often asked several times how I am able to connect with people fast (I don’t think I do, but that’s a different story). It was a great opportunity today to observe myself apply it in practice. After the meeting ended, my colleagues shared their observations of my behaviour. I shared how I was responding to our interviewee.
I’ve seen how powerful a combination of tech and people skills can be to drive change. The eclectic bunch of people I work have very strong tech skills. A smaller subset of them are exceptional at both. In the next few weeks, I’m hoping to show those who want to learn how to hone their people skills. In exchange, they’re teaching me the harder tech skills.
It’s indeed a joy to be able to learn communally. Ben Franklin did this centuries ago with his Junto. Mastermind groups and MOOC’s replicate some of that magic. Creating my own Junto, and learning from them has been the highlight of my work the last four years. Collaborating with a small group to scale it is a mission worth pursuing. I’ve taken the first step in that direction today.