From skills-for-humanity
Expands the decision option set beyond the first two considered, using four moves (expand, defer, hybrid, reframe) to surface alternatives before analysis.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/skills-for-humanity:s4h-decision-option-mappingThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
The options people choose between are usually not all the options that exist — they are
The options people choose between are usually not all the options that exist — they are the first options that were named, which then anchored the frame. This skill expands the option set before analysis begins, using four specific moves that reliably surface options the natural framing excludes.
Step 1: State the Decision and Currently-Considered Options Write the decision as currently framed and list all options currently on the table. Don't filter yet — include the options even if they seem weak.
Framing check: Confirm the specific decision and its intended outcome before continuing. State what you've identified — the actual decision being mapped and the goal it serves — in one sentence, then use AskUserQuestion:
Step 2: Challenge the Frame Is this decision actually forced? Are you choosing between options A and B because those are the real options, or because those are the options that were generated first? What would have to be true for there to be no decision to make?
Step 3: Four Expansion Moves
(a) Expand: Generate 3 more ways to achieve the underlying goal. Not variations on existing options — genuinely different approaches. Ask: if none of the current options existed, what would we try?
(b) Defer: Is "decide later" viable? At what cost? Deferral is a real option — it has costs and benefits like any other. When can this be decided without foreclosing anything important?
(c) Hybrid: Can elements of multiple options be combined? Hybrids often emerge when options are treated as mutually exclusive when they aren't.
(d) Reframe: If the goal were slightly different, what options appear? Sometimes the option set is limited by the goal framing, not the constraints.
Step 4: Add Viable New Options
Before narrowing: Show the complete generated set to the user first. Use AskUserQuestion:
From the four moves, add the options that are genuinely viable. Discard the ones that don't survive basic scrutiny — not to narrow prematurely, but to keep the set useful.
Step 5: Recommend Next Step With the expanded set, recommend which analytical tool to apply: decision-criteria- weighting (multiple comparable options), decision-reversibility-analysis (one option being considered), or decision-premortem-analysis (a direction already being leaned toward).
Before proceeding, use the AskUserQuestion tool. State your interpretation of the situation in 1–2 sentences — what is being analyzed and what the core question is — then ask:
Proceed based on their selection. If the user reframes, incorporate the correction before running any analysis.
Decision as framed: [Statement] Currently-considered options: [List]
Frame challenge:
[Is this decision forced? What assumptions are built into the current option set?]
Expanded option set:
| Option | Source (original / expand / defer / hybrid / reframe) | Viable? | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
Options to add to the decision:
[Bulleted list with one-line rationale each]
Recommended next step:
[Which analytical skill to apply, and to which expanded option set]
The most commonly missed option is deferral. "Decide now" is itself a choice with costs — urgency is often assumed rather than real, and deferral with a defined review point is frequently the most rational option on the table.
After delivering this output, use AskUserQuestion to offer the next move:
/s4h-decision-criteria-weighting — Evaluate the options you've mapped against weighted criteria/s4h-decision-premortem-analysis — Stress-test the leading option before committing/s4h-probability-scenario-weighting — Weight options by their probability of successnpx claudepluginhub human-avatar/skills-for-humanityGenerates multiple options before evaluating any, using de Bono's APC tool. Useful when making decisions, feeling stuck between two paths, or planning to ensure all approaches are considered.
Generates probability-weighted alternative options to challenge default thinking and expose hidden assumptions. Useful for decision-point analysis.
Generates 5 probability-weighted alternative options, including at least one unconventional, with trade-offs to challenge default thinking and expose assumptions in decision points.