Asking Questions

Overview

This skill teaches consistent patterns for asking questions across all workflow skills. Invoke this skill at the start of any workflow that involves user interaction.

Two Question Patterns

Decision Questions (AskUserQuestion)

Use when presenting 2-4 clear options for the user to choose from.

Structure:

AskUserQuestion(
  questions: [{
    question: "Which approach should we take?",
    header: "Approach",        // Short label, max 12 chars
    multiSelect: false,        // true if choices aren't mutually exclusive
    options: [
      { label: "Option A (Recommended)", description: "Trade-offs for A" },
      { label: "Option B", description: "Trade-offs for B" }
    ]
  }]
)

Guidelines:

• •Lead with recommendation - Put the recommended option first, add "(Recommended)" to its label
• •Concise labels - 1-5 words per label
• •Descriptive trade-offs - Descriptions explain implications, not just restate the label
• •Use multiSelect wisely - Set multiSelect: true when choices aren't mutually exclusive (e.g., "Which learnings to preserve?")
• •Handle "Other" - If user selects "Other", ask follow-up questions to understand their alternative

When to use:

• •Choosing between approaches or architectures
• •Selecting from a list of options
• •Binary decisions with meaningful trade-offs
• •Any time there are 2-4 clear, distinct choices

Exploratory Questions (Conversational)

Use when the question is open-ended or there's no reasonable set of options to present.

Guidelines:

• •One question per message - Don't overwhelm with multiple questions
• •Wait for answer - Don't ask another question until the previous one is answered
• •Be specific - Vague questions get vague answers

When to use:

• •Understanding requirements or context
• •Gathering information with unpredictable answers
• •Simple yes/no confirmations
• •Follow-up questions after "Other" selection

Examples:

• •"What's the main purpose of this feature?"
• •"What constraints should we consider?"
• •"Ready to proceed?"

General Principles

1. •Don't ask what you can figure out - Check files, git history, and context before asking
2. •Prefer multiple choice - Faster for user, clearer communication
3. •One question at a time - Avoid overwhelming the user
4. •Handle "Other" gracefully - Follow up conversationally to understand alternatives