# Unexpected Situations

> Stop and consult the user when encountering unexpected situations, multiple failed attempts, or out-of-scope work. Use when things aren't plain sailing, when encountering unexpected behavior, when multiple workarounds fail, or when work appears to exceed task scope.

- Skill: `ceilidhboy/unexpected-situations` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ceilidhboy/unexpected-situations`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ceilidhboy/unexpected-situations/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: ceilidhboy (https://skillmd.com/u/ceilidhboy)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ceilidhboy/unexpected-situations

---


# Unexpected Situations

## When to Stop and Consult

**STOP immediately and consult the user when:**

1. **Multiple Failed Attempts** - You've tried multiple approaches to fix something and none are working
   - Going in circles with different workarounds
   - Each attempt creates new problems
   - No clear path forward

2. **Unexpected Behavior** - Something doesn't work as expected
   - Tool behaves differently than documented
   - Error messages don't match the problem
   - Results are inconsistent or confusing

3. **Out-of-Scope Work** - Work is expanding beyond the current task
   - Discovering you need to address multiple distinct responsibilities
   - Creating pseudo-tasks not explicitly in the task list
   - Work is bleeding into other domains or features

4. **Not Plain Sailing** - General sense that things are getting difficult
   - Progress is slower than expected
   - Complexity is increasing unexpectedly
   - Uncertainty about the right approach

## What to Do

When you recognize any of these situations:

1. **STOP all work immediately**
2. **Describe the situation to the user:**
   - What you were trying to do
   - What you expected to happen
   - What actually happened
   - What attempts you've made
   - Why you think it's unexpected or out of scope

3. **Wait for user guidance** before proceeding

## Why This Matters

- **Saves time** - User may know a better approach or clarify scope
- **Prevents rabbit holes** - Stops circular debugging before wasting tokens
- **Maintains focus** - Keeps work aligned with actual task scope
- **Improves quality** - User input prevents wrong solutions

## Related Skills

- See `single-task-responsibility` for recognizing scope violations
- See `troubleshooting` for technical error diagnosis