# Systems Failure Mode Check

> Checks diagnostic and recommendation failure modes in complex business, data, process, organizational, governance, or technology issues. Use before finalizing recommendations when symptoms may be misleading, data may reflect broken processes, or fixes may shift burden elsewhere.

- Skill: `bkjohn2018/systems-failure-mode-check` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add bkjohn2018/systems-failure-mode-check`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/bkjohn2018/systems-failure-mode-check/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/systems-failure-mode-check

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# Systems Failure Mode Check

## When to Use
- Before presenting recommendations for a complex or high-stakes issue.
- When the loudest symptom may not represent the real constraint.
- When a proposed fix could create downstream harm, burden shifting, or local optimization.

## Failure Mode Questions
Ask:
- What if the symptom is misleading?
- What if the loudest stakeholder is not the most affected one?
- What if the available data reflects the broken process?
- What if the proposed fix shifts burden elsewhere?
- What if the recommendation optimizes locally but harms the larger system?
- What if the real constraint is trust, authority, incentives, timing, or governance rather than capability?
- What if the control exists on paper but not in behavior?
- What if the intervention reduces visible friction while preserving the underlying pattern?

## Workflow
1. Identify the current diagnostic conclusion or recommendation.
2. Test it against the failure mode questions.
3. Note what would change the conclusion.
4. Identify a mitigation, validation step, or scope warning.
5. Keep the final recommendation proportional to residual uncertainty.

## Output Template
```markdown
## Failure Mode Check
| Risk to diagnosis or recommendation | Why it matters | What would reveal it | Mitigation or next check |
|---|---|---|---|
```

## Quality Checklist
- The check challenges the current answer rather than reinforcing it.
- The response names residual uncertainty clearly.
- Mitigations are practical and tied to evidence or feedback.
- The final answer does not overstate certainty.