Well, Boyd and Beyond is over. I’ll be writing a lot on the
topics brought up over the coming weeks and months, including a full paper on
the ways Boyd can be used to sharpen or even wholly shape political campaigns. With
the impressions still fresh in my mind I wanted to put a few thoughts to paper
before the intensity fades. This may not be my most coherent blog ever, as it's fair to say I'm as mentally exhausted as I've ever been.
I owe a special thanks to the organisers, particularly Stan
Coerr and Scott Shipman for allowing me to speak and helping me put my trip together.
In terms of the event itself, I need to put it in the
context that I found it. I know about 3 people who I can mention John Boyd to
and have them know who I mean, so coming to the conference was special in and
of itself. It was also gratifying to meet some other Brits there, JB and
Michael Moore, who both spoke on their specific areas of expertise. Having so
many people there who have immersed themselves in the concepts was hugely
exciting.
The calibre of all the speakers was extremely high and the
range of topics as diverse as could be expected. It was particularly good to
have so many Marine speakers in attendance, since for a civilian it’s sometimes
hard to conceive of how Boyd’s ideas get used in the military context. I don’t
want to call out particular speakers as being better than others. Some were
more resonant to me but all had a perspective which was interesting and
valuable.
Getting to visit the Boyd archives was also a very special
experience, and Mary Ellen Boyd was kind enough to take the time to talk to
some of us about her father on a more personal level. I now have a copy of a
hand drawn version of the OODA loop which we found in a draft of one of Boyd’s
presentations. I also received audio copies of various of Boyd’s briefings
which I can’t wait to listen to when I’m back in the UK.
Overall I felt the strength of the event wasn’t in the
questions that it answered, but in the questions that it raised. It’s easy to
become navel gazing when you’re coming up with ideas in isolation, and I don’t
think anyone who spoke got away without someone asking a sharp question or two
which challenged what they were saying. I know from my own experience that I
need to go back to the drawing board.
Although the focus of the conference is on Boyd there was
healthy discussion of ideas which are only loosely connected to Boyd, or are
implimentations of his ideas which could not be predicted. It’s a chaotic
field, which I imagine is how Boyd would have wanted it to be, with people
spinning off his ideas to unexpected places.
Something else I took away was a sense of momentum. The
group doesn’t represent everyone who is thinking about Boyd, but rather some of
the most passionate and the most connected to his works. I think the goal for
most people who attended the meeting is to sharpen their spears and go back to
their careers and lives to continue to try and find ways to implement them. In
the background on Twitter it was fascinating to watch people submitting ideas
and responding to things which were being reported online. ZenPundit did a
great job of live tweeting the event.
Ultimately that’s the primary value. As one attendee
said to me, Boydian ideas can lead to an valuable end state, a self
examining and constantly improving system, and I hope that in years to come the
conference and surrounding discussions will be that for everyone interested in
Boyd and ensure there is an opportunity to take our assumptions and hold them
up to the scrutiny of others, and to continue to examine Boyd’s ideas to ensure
that insights remain fresh.
On a personal level - Thanks to everyone for organising the event, attending the
event and making me so welcome. I look forward to seeing you all next year.
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