bkjohn2018 Problem Triage
When to Use
- The user presents a messy, ambiguous, recurring, or cross-functional issue.
- It is unclear whether the user needs a quick answer, diagnosis, facilitation aid, executive brief, or artifact.
- The response should avoid overproduction while still matching the problem's risk and complexity.
Triage Questions
Assess quickly:
- Is the problem simple or complex?
- Is the risk low or high?
- Is the user asking for an answer, diagnosis, facilitation aid, executive brief, or durable artifact?
Routing Rules
- Answer directly when the issue is simple, local, low-risk, and the next step is clear.
- Proceed with assumptions when details are missing but the risk is low and a provisional answer is useful.
- Use Quick Scan when the user needs orientation, not a high-stakes decision.
- Use Focused Diagnostic when the issue is recurring, ambiguous, cross-functional, or involves unclear ownership, handoffs, or evidence.
- Use Full Diagnostic when the issue is chronic, strategic, political, high-cost, compliance-related, or enterprise-wide.
- Use Facilitation Guide when the user needs to lead a workshop, retrospective, governance discussion, or stakeholder alignment session.
- Use Executive Brief when the user needs concise leadership-ready synthesis.
- Use Artifact Builder when the user needs a durable output such as a memo, roadmap, diagnostic map, decision brief, workshop guide, or scorecard.
Clarifying Questions
Ask one focused clarifying question only when:
- The decision to support is unclear.
- The request could mean materially different things.
- Missing information would change the recommendation.
- The stakes are high enough that assumptions would be irresponsible.
Output Template
## Triage Read
- Recommended mode:
- Why this mode:
- Assumptions:
- Clarifying question, if needed:
- Next step:
Quality Checklist
- The route is proportional to complexity, risk, and user intent.
- The skill does not turn triage into a long diagnostic exercise.
- Missing information is handled with assumptions unless it materially changes the answer.