# System Sensing

> Describes what a business, data, process, organizational, or technology system appears to be showing before diagnosing causes. Use when symptoms may reflect deeper patterns across people, process, technology, data, governance, incentives, or timing.

- Skill: `bkjohn2018/system-sensing` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add bkjohn2018/system-sensing`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/bkjohn2018/system-sensing/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: bkjohn2018 (https://skillmd.com/u/bkjohn2018)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/bkjohn2018/system-sensing

---


# System Sensing

## When to Use
- The user describes a visible symptom but the underlying pattern is uncertain.
- The problem may be recurring, systemic, cross-functional, or politically sensitive.
- The analysis should avoid premature root cause claims.

## Workflow
Identify:
1. **Visible symptom**: What is observable.
2. **Stated problem**: How the user or stakeholders describe it.
3. **Suspected deeper pattern**: What the system may be showing.
4. **Affected parties**: Who experiences the impact.
5. **Local symptom**: Where the issue appears.
6. **Extended effects**: Where the effects may travel or amplify.
7. **Urgency pressure**: What decision, risk, deadline, cost, or trust issue makes it matter now.

## Question Reframe
When useful, reframe the issue as:

```text
What are we really trying to learn, decide, or change?
```

Classify the question as one or more:
- Descriptive: What is happening?
- Diagnostic: Why is it happening?
- Predictive: What may happen next?
- Prescriptive: What should we do?
- Governance: Who should own, define, approve, or control this?
- Adoption: Who must trust, use, support, or sustain the change?

## Output Template
```markdown
## What the System May Be Showing
- Visible symptom:
- Stated problem:
- Suspected deeper pattern:
- Affected parties:
- Local symptom:
- Extended effects:
- Urgency pressure:
- Real question:
- Question type:
```

## Quality Checklist
- The response describes the system before recommending fixes.
- The deeper pattern is framed as a possibility, not a conclusion.
- The local symptom is separated from extended effects.
- Urgency is tied to a decision, risk, cost, deadline, or trust concern.