ABSTRACT
This chapter will focus on the third strategy to reduce uncertainty, effectively using the information in the known-known quadrant. Information effectiveness is the ability to make the right decisions and take adequate actions given the available information. Any decision, assessment, action, or solution is as good as the information it is based on, and known-known information seldom comes without problems. Although relevant and available, the information can be incomplete, inaccurate, stale, noisy, or ambiguous. But effective use of information not only relies on information quality. Making sensible decisions requires knowledge, guidance, and insight. Even with pertinent information, we may err due to time pressure, multitasking, biases, emotions, a lapse in attention, lack of expertise, or judgment. Acquiring more known-known information must lead to systematic knowledge development, guiding actions, and developing the wisdom to make the right decisions. This chapter presents a systems-thinking perspective on knowledge and the OODA loop model for knowledge development created by J. Boyd. Although regarded as a technique, the OODA loop is merely a mental model to make decisions and deploy practical actions followed by continuous adaptation based on multiple feedback loops. Given the uncertainty inherent to project assignments, there will rarely be sufficient known-known information available; one can only make best-effort flexible plans and use emerging information as the situation develops to its best advantage.
