S. Anders Christensson studies command and control and builds on John Boyd’s work. Mark “Moose” McGrath and I asked him what a command and control system needs to do for the people inside it.
Human-centered C2
Anders starts with purpose, design criteria and functions. People should never end up helping the system solve its own problems. He works from the dynamic OODA loop and a design hierarchy for command and control.
Seeing too much
I asked Anders about the danger of commanders seeing too much and reaching into a fight from thousands of miles away. We also cover modeling and simulation, and where AI can help a staff see the reinforcing and balancing loops in its environment.
The possibility space
Anders closes on the possibility space and affordances. He recommends reading Gibson to understand the psychology behind them, and Mark and I want to take that idea further.
Orientation sits at the center here too. A command and control system that keeps orientation dynamic helps people adapt as the situation changes.
How much does your leadership need to see before it trusts the people closest to the work?
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