The document discusses the synergistic relationship between strategy and doctrine. It provides examples from the U.S. Navy in World War 2 and a software company called TracerNET to illustrate how strategy can trigger learning and the emergence of better doctrines, while improved doctrines also enable more effective strategies. The U.S. Navy used experimentation and exercises prior to the war to develop flexible doctrines that could evolve rapidly based on lessons learned. For TracerNET, establishing a clear strategic goal of dominating the ready-mix concrete market focused their efforts and allowed their agile processes and doctrines to drive strategic success over time.

1. excella.com
@Honer_CUT
Strategic Agility
Through
Learning
Doctrine
Trent Hone

2. Trent Hone
• Agile Coach with Excella
Consulting
• 20+ years of development
experience
• Award-winning historian
1

3. Strategy and Doctrine
What are they… really?
Why do they matter?
2

4. Strategy is…
“… deliberate search for continuing advantage…”
“… an emergent property...”
“It determines the means, establishes the boundaries,
and provides the goals…”
What is Strategy?

5. What is Doctrine?
4
Doctrine is…
“… the set of implicit and explicit assumptions
that govern the behavior of an organization.”
“It is what we fall back on when precise instructions are
unavailable.”

6. Insight…?
Strategy and doctrine are synergistic
Effective strategy triggers the emergence of better doctrines
Better doctrines create the opportunity for more effective strategy
5

7. • OODA Loop
• Col. John Boyd, USAF
How do Strategy and Doctrine Evolve?
6
Observe
Orient
Decide
ActPhoto by:
Tim Felce

8. • Fractal
• Applies broadly:
• to Strategy
• to Doctrine
• to …
OODA Loop
7
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
Image by: Wolfgang Beyer

9. Is “active”
OODA Loop
8
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
Photo by: Paul Rutherford — UltiPhotos.com

10. The U.S.
Navy
–
Part 1
9

11. The Pacific in 1942
10

12. Admiral King Pursues Offensive
11

13. Invasion of Guadalcanal
12

14. The Battle of Savo Island – 8-9 Aug 1942
13

15. TracerNE
T –
Part 1
14

16. • Startup
• Developed tracking
(and tracing) solutions
• Small, “agile” team
(hardware, firmware, software)
• Poor focus
TracerNET’s Early Days
15
Photo by:
Thomas R Machnitzki

17. The New Strategic Goal
16
Photo by:
Paul Lowry

18. Make the top 5
Ready-Mix
producers in
North America
our customers!
The New Strategic Goal
17
Photo by:
McNeilus Concrete

19. • Focus increased
significantly
• We worked harder
• We realized we lacked
important capabilities
Strategy Transformed Our Work
18
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
Photo by: http://cdn.heavyequipmentguide.ca/

20. The U.S.
Navy
–
Part 2
19

21. • Balanced Exploration and Exploitation
• Fleet Problems and tactical exercises
• Variability within the fleet
• No defined approach – little codified “doctrine”
• Learning was integral to the Navy’s approach
Prewar Learning System
20

22. Initial Adaptations
21

23. Experimentation
22

24. Failures & Rapid Learning
23

25. • Commanders overwhelmed
• Too much data
• Too little actionable information
• Formations need to be more stable
• ”Minor Tactics” need more emphasis
Lessons
24

26. Combat Information Center
(CIC)
25

27. Revolutionary Tactics
27

28. • PAC-10: Current Tactical Orders and
Doctrine, Pacific Fleet
• Effective plans for “Minor Tactics”
• Enabled interchangeability of ships and
task groups
• Transformed fleet tactics
New Doctrines Emerge
28

29. Pacific Offensives 1942-
1944
29
Solomons
Aug 1942 – Nov 1943
Central Pacific Offensive
Nov 1943 – Oct 1944
Nov
1943
Oct
1944 Sept
1944
Feb
1944
June
1944

30. TracerNE
T –
Part 2
30
Picture by: AG84

31. ?
• Co-located team
• Small batches
• Limited number of changes
at one time
• No process constraints –
free to define our doctrine
TracerNET was “agile” not Agile
31

32. • Scalability for centralized
dispatch
• Oracle support for
distributed companies
Two Crucial Challenges
32

33. • Lessons integrated
• Doctrine evolves:
Standardize customer installs
• Application changes rapidly
• Multithreading
• Centralized dispatch support
• Multiple database support
• Defined interfaces for integration
We Learn Rapidly
33

34. • 3 of top 5 producers were
TracerNET customers
• Winning the 4th
• We transformed the
landscape
• And then it changed again…
We Achieve Strategic Success
34

35. Concluding
Thoughts
35

36. U.S. Navy
• Take the offensive
• Win in the Solomon Islands
• Transform naval combat
Strategy Frames the Opportunity
36
TracerNET
• Create focus
• Dominate Ready-Mix Market
• Get acquired

37. Strategic action
triggers doctrinal
learning
Strategy and Doctrine Synergistic
37
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
Observe Decide
Orient
Evolutionary doctrine
enables strategic
opportunities

38. Doctrine is not Tactics
38

39. … but doctrine informs tactics
Doctrine is not Tactics
39
• Doctrine is a frame for “how”
• Strategy is a frame for “what”

40. What Can You Do?
40
• Use strategy to frame the space – “active” OODA
• Become aware of doctrine
• Develop feedback loops between them
• Seek opportunities to evolve your doctrine

41. Thank You
–
Questions
?
41