A3 Thinking

A3 Thinking

Produce an A3: a single-page, story-format document that walks a problem (or proposal, or status) through the PDCA cycle. The artifact is markdown; the value is the thinking — disciplined, fact-based reasoning that resists jumping to solutions.

Core principle: the A3 is the artifact, A3 thinking is the point. Your job is to coach the content into shape first, then save it. A polished template over shallow analysis is a failed A3.

The three variants

If unsure which variant fits, ask. Don't default to problem-solving for work that is actually a proposal or a status update.

Full section-by-section guidance, root-cause techniques, and when-NOT-to-use are in references/a3-guide.md. Filled examples per variant are in references/worked-examples.md. Load them with get_skill_resource when you need depth.

Workflow (coach first, then save)

1. Pick the variant and confirm it fits.
2. Work the sections in order, with the user. This is the coaching step — the bulk of the value. Hold these lines:
   • Frame the title as a problem/theme, not a solution ("Shipping errors rising", not "Add barcode scanner").
   • Current state before future state. Get facts and a measured gap before any countermeasure. Ask for real data; flag assumptions as assumptions.
   • Set a measurable, time-bound target (Goal section).
   • For problem-solving: do root-cause analysis before countermeasures (5-Why / fishbone). Each countermeasure must trace to a root cause.
   • Keep it tight — an A3 is one page. Cut anything non-essential.
3. Save once the content is agreed:

execute_skill_script("a3-thinking", "save_a3.py", {
  "variant": "problem-solving",
  "title": "Shipping errors rising in fulfillment",
  "owner": "Jane", "coach": "Lee",
  "sections": {
    "background": "…", "current_condition": "…", "goal": "…",
    "root_cause_analysis": "…", "countermeasures": "…",
    "implementation_plan": "…", "follow_up": "…"
  },
  "output_path": "/abs/path/a3-plans/shipping-errors.md"   // optional
})

• Every section for the variant is required — the script errors listing any missing. That's intentional: an A3 with an empty Root-Cause section isn't done.
• output_path is optional; default is ./a3-plans/<slug>-<date>.md. The script never overwrites (auto-suffixes on collision). Prefer passing an absolute output_path so the file lands where the user expects.
• Use markdown inside section content (tables for the implementation plan, lists for 5-Why steps, etc.).

Reporting back

After saving, tell the user the path and give a one-line recap of the A3's target and key countermeasures/next actions. Only claim what the script returned.

Common mistakes

• Jumping to countermeasures before establishing the measured gap and root cause.
• A title that smuggles in the solution.
• No measurable target, or a target with no date.
• Cramming everything in — losing the one-page discipline.
• Filling the template solo when the user has the facts — ask.
• Using problem-solving when the work is really a proposal or status.