A participant in a conflict, any conflict, may be thought of as engaging in four distinctive although not distinct activities:
He must observe the environment, which includes himself, his opponent, the physical, mental, and moral situation, and potential allies and opponents.
He must orient himself to decide what it all means. Boyd calls orientation a “many-sided, implicit cross-referencing” process involving the information observed, one’s genetic heritage, social environment, and prior experiences, and the results of analyses one conducts and synthesis that one forms.
He must reach some type of decision.
He must attempt to carry out that decision. That is, he must act.
Richards, Chet. Certain to Win: The Strategy of John Boyd, Applied to Business . Xlibris. Kindle Edition.
Sun Tzu also talked of how a commander should use two thrusts, either of which could attain the objective. But perhaps the most significant element in Sun Tzu is the concept of cheng and ch’i, the orthodox and the unorthodox, the traditional and the unexpected.