Ambiguity and Learning
Use first for ambiguous failures, messy project context, surprising results, repeated failures, postmortems, or contested product and architecture framing. This is a router skill: use it to select the
smallest relevant leaf skill, then read that leaf skill before doing the work.
Route First
Do not pick a design leaf until the uncertainty shape is clear: cues, surprise, repeated governing assumption, or stakeholder conflict.
- Restate the user's task as one concrete force or uncertainty.
- Choose the first route that directly names that force.
- Read the selected linked leaf
SKILL.md before implementing, reviewing, or advising.
- Load a second leaf only when the task has two independent forces that both affect the outcome.
- If no route fits, continue without a leaf skill and say the category did not match.
Routes
| Leaf Skill |
Use When |
sensemaking |
Use when logs, errors, reports, or legacy context need a plausible working story before action. |
reflective-practice |
Use when a surprising result during work should reframe the next move. |
double-loop-learning |
Use when repeated failures point to a bad assumption, default, policy, metric, or governing variable. |
wicked-problems |
Use when problem definition, stakeholder criteria, or product/architecture tradeoffs are contested. |
situated-action |
Use when new local evidence invalidates the current plan and the next step must adapt. |
Avoid
- If the problem is already well-bounded and technical, route to the matching implementation category.
- If the next action would require a product, legal, security, or organizational decision, stop and gather context.
Prompting Pattern
Before loading a leaf, answer briefly:
- Category force: What makes this task belong here?
- Chosen route: Which leaf skill most directly matches the force?
- Why not others: Which nearby route was rejected and why?
Then load the chosen leaf skill and follow its workflow. Do not blend every
nearby theory into the task; route narrowly and let evidence pull in more context only when needed.
1---2name: ambiguity-and-learning3description: Use first for ambiguous failures, messy project context, surprising results, repeated failures, postmortems, or contested product and architecture framing.4---56# Ambiguity and Learning78Use first for ambiguous failures, messy project context, surprising results, repeated failures, postmortems, or contested product and architecture framing. This is a router skill: use it to select the9smallest relevant leaf skill, then read that leaf skill before doing the work.1011## Route First1213Do not pick a design leaf until the uncertainty shape is clear: cues, surprise, repeated governing assumption, or stakeholder conflict.14151. Restate the user's task as one concrete force or uncertainty.162. Choose the first route that directly names that force.173. Read the selected linked leaf `SKILL.md` before implementing, reviewing, or advising.184. Load a second leaf only when the task has two independent forces that both affect the outcome.195. If no route fits, continue without a leaf skill and say the category did not match.2021## Routes2223| Leaf Skill | Use When |24| --- | --- |25| [`sensemaking`](../../../../libraries/theory-skills/sensemaking/SKILL.md) | Use when logs, errors, reports, or legacy context need a plausible working story before action. |26| [`reflective-practice`](../../../../libraries/theory-skills/reflective-practice/SKILL.md) | Use when a surprising result during work should reframe the next move. |27| [`double-loop-learning`](../../../../libraries/theory-skills/double-loop-learning/SKILL.md) | Use when repeated failures point to a bad assumption, default, policy, metric, or governing variable. |28| [`wicked-problems`](../../../../libraries/theory-skills/wicked-problems/SKILL.md) | Use when problem definition, stakeholder criteria, or product/architecture tradeoffs are contested. |29| [`situated-action`](../../../../libraries/theory-skills/situated-action/SKILL.md) | Use when new local evidence invalidates the current plan and the next step must adapt. |3031## Avoid3233- If the problem is already well-bounded and technical, route to the matching implementation category.34- If the next action would require a product, legal, security, or organizational decision, stop and gather context.3536## Prompting Pattern3738Before loading a leaf, answer briefly:3940- **Category force:** What makes this task belong here?41- **Chosen route:** Which leaf skill most directly matches the force?42- **Why not others:** Which nearby route was rejected and why?4344Then load the chosen leaf skill and follow its workflow. Do not blend every45nearby theory into the task; route narrowly and let evidence pull in more context only when needed.
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