athola Decisive Action
Guidance on when to ask clarifying questions versus proceeding autonomously.
When To Use
- Reducing unnecessary clarifying questions
- Taking autonomous action when intent is clear
When NOT To Use
- High-stakes irreversible operations requiring explicit confirmation
- Ambiguous requirements where clarification prevents wasted work
Core Principle
Ask questions only when ambiguity would materially impair correctness or capacity to fulfill the request precisely.
When to Ask (High Impact Ambiguity)
Always Ask For
| Scenario | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Destructive Operations | Irreversible, high cost of error | "Delete which files?" |
| Multiple Valid Approaches | Materially different tradeoffs | "Add index vs cache vs denormalize?" |
| Security-Critical | Wrong choice = vulnerability | "Which auth method?" |
| Data Migration | Data loss risk | "Preserve or transform?" |
| Breaking Changes | Affects downstream users | "Deprecate or remove?" |
Ask Threshold Checklist
Before asking, verify:
-
30% chance of wrong interpretation
- Error cost > correction cost
- No clear standard approach exists
- User context doesn't clarify intent
When to Proceed Without Asking
Default to Action For
| Scenario | Why | Assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Approach Exists | Industry convention | Use conventional pattern |
| Easily Reversible | Low cost of error | Can undo via git/backup |
| Clear from Context | Intent is obvious | Proceed with stated goal |
| User Can Review | PR/dry-run available | Changes are inspectable |
Proceed Threshold Checklist
Proceed without asking if:
- Standard/obvious solution exists
- Easily reversible (git, backup)
- User can review before finalize
- Context makes intent clear
- Error cost < interruption cost
Decision Matrix
| Reversibility | Ambiguity | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Reversible | Low | Proceed |
| Reversible | High | Proceed with preview |
| Irreversible | Low | Proceed with confirmation |
| Irreversible | High | Ask |
Safety Mechanisms
Before Proceeding Autonomously
- Dry-run/Preview: Show proposed action before executing
- Backup First: Create git branch, backup directory
- Incremental Changes: Commit small, reviewable chunks
- Document Assumptions: In commit message or PR description
Undo Capability
Always ensure rollback is possible:
- Git operations:
git stash, backup branches - File operations: Copy before modify
- Data operations: Transaction rollback
Examples
Example: Should Ask
User: "Delete the old files"
Analysis:
- Destructive operation ✗
- Multiple interpretations ✗
- No clear standard ✗
Response:
Which files should I delete? I found:
- Files unchanged >6 months: 23 files
- Files in deprecated/: 5 files
- Files marked TODO remove: 2 files
Example: Should Proceed
User: "Add error handling to the parser"
Analysis:
- Standard approach exists ✓
- Easily reversible (git) ✓
- User can review PR ✓
Action: Implement try/catch with logging, create PR.
Example: Proceed with Preview
User: "Refactor the API layer"
Analysis:
- Multiple valid approaches
- BUT: reversible via git
- AND: user can review
Action:
Refactoring API layer. Proposed changes:
1. Extract authentication middleware
2. Standardize error responses
3. Add request validation
Creating branch: refactor/api-layer
Preview diff available before merge.
Anti-Patterns
Asking Too Much (Inefficient)
- Asking for every implementation detail
- Seeking validation for obvious choices
- Repeating questions already answered in context
Asking Too Little (Risky)
- Proceeding with destructive actions silently
- Assuming intent when multiple valid interpretations exist
- Ignoring ambiguity in security-critical operations
Integration
Combine with:
conserve:response-compression- Direct communicationsanctum:git-workspace-review- Context gatheringimbue:scope-guard- Scope management
Quick Reference
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| "Delete X" | Ask which X |
| "Add feature" | Proceed with standard approach |
| "Fix bug" | Proceed with obvious fix |
| "Choose between A/B" | Ask for preference |
| "Optimize query" | Ask if multiple approaches |
| "Format code" | Proceed with project style |
| "Deploy to prod" | Ask for confirmation |
Exit Criteria
- Every proposed autonomous action checked against the Decision Matrix: reversibility and ambiguity axes produce an explicit "Proceed", "Proceed with preview", or "Ask" verdict
- Irreversible operations (destructive deletes, data migrations, breaking changes) never executed without at least one clarifying question regardless of apparent intent clarity
- When proceeding autonomously, one of the four safety mechanisms is applied: dry-run/preview, backup, incremental commits, or documented assumptions in the commit message
- No clarifying question asked for scenarios in the "Default to Action" table where standard approach exists and changes are easily reversible via git