Dialogue: Structured Elicit

Gather structured information through framework-aware questioning.

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

Gather process context before designing capability flows
Elicit requirements or constraints from the user
Clarify ambiguous information
Get decisions on alternatives you've identified

Elicitation Patterns

Process Context Elicitation

When gathering context for process design, elicit information across six areas. Four are mandatory; two are contextual.

Mandatory Questions (must elicit before proceeding)

| Area | Purpose | Example Question | |------|---------|------------------| | Phase | Determine SDLC phase | "Which phase does this process belong to?" | | Purpose | Understand process goal | "What should this process accomplish?" | | Inputs | Identify input documents/data | "What information flows into this process?" | | Outputs | Identify deliverables | "What artifacts does this process produce?" |

Contextual Questions (elicit when relevant)

| Area | Purpose | When to Ask | |------|---------|-------------| | Actors | Understand who's involved | When unclear who participates; multi-team processes | | Constraints | Surface limitations | When regulatory, security, or technical constraints likely |

Minimum Coverage Requirement

Do not proceed to decomposition until all four mandatory areas have answers.

If the user cannot answer a mandatory question:

Note the gap as an observation
Propose a reasonable default with rationale
Get explicit confirmation before proceeding

Example: "I don't have information about inputs yet. Based on similar Phase 3 processes, I'd expect requirements documents and stakeholder notes. Does that seem right?"

Coverage Checklist

Before proceeding from elicitation, verify:

[ ] Phase identified
[ ] Purpose stated
[ ] Inputs defined (or default confirmed)
[ ] Outputs defined (or default confirmed)
[ ] Elicited context logged as observation

Information Composition Elicitation

To estimate formal/tacit/emergent composition:

| Question | Indicates | |----------|-----------| | "Is there documented procedure for this?" | High formal if yes | | "Does this require expertise that's hard to document?" | High tacit if yes | | "Does new understanding emerge during execution?" | High emergent if yes | | "Could someone follow written instructions to do this?" | Low tacit if yes |

Pattern Selection Elicitation

When AI involvement is unclear:

| Question | Helps Determine | |----------|-----------------| | "Should a human always make this decision?" | Human-Only vs other | | "Could AI do this entirely without human review?" | AI-Only suitability | | "Is human judgement essential, or just review?" | Partnership vs AI-Led |

Using AskUserQuestion

Structure questions using the AskUserQuestion tool:

Use AskUserQuestion with:
- question: Clear, specific question
- header: Short label (max 12 chars)
- options: 2-4 distinct choices with descriptions
- multiSelect: true if multiple answers valid

Example: Phase Elicitation

question: "Which SDLC phase does this process belong to?"
header: "Phase"
options:
  - label: "Initiation (Phase 1)"
    description: "Project setup, feasibility, initial stakeholder engagement"
  - label: "Planning (Phase 2)"
    description: "Resource allocation, timeline, risk assessment"
  - label: "Requirements (Phase 3)"
    description: "Gathering and documenting what the system should do"
  - label: "Design (Phase 4)"
    description: "Architectural decisions, component design"

Example: Collaboration Pattern

question: "How should humans and AI collaborate on this step?"
header: "Pattern"
options:
  - label: "Human-Only"
    description: "Human does all work; AI not involved"
  - label: "Human-Led"
    description: "Human drives; AI assists and supports"
  - label: "Partnership"
    description: "Both essential; continuous collaboration"
  - label: "AI-Led"
    description: "AI drives; human reviews and approves"

Recording Elicitation Results

After eliciting information, use the dialogue-log-observation skill to record:

Key requirements noted
Constraints identified
User preferences stated

This preserves the elicited context for future reference.

Escalation

If the user cannot answer or indicates uncertainty:

Note the uncertainty as an observation
Propose reasonable defaults with rationale
Ask if defaults are acceptable

Phase 1 (Initiation) Specific Elicitation

Phase 1 has 75% tacit information composition. Standard elicitation patterns need adaptation.

Key Differences from Later Phases

| Aspect | Later Phases | Phase 1 | |--------|--------------|---------| | Information source | Documents, code, systems | Stakeholder minds | | Capture urgency | Can revisit documents | Must capture now or lose | | AI role | Can lead elicitation | Facilitates human articulation | | Validation | Check against formal specs | Probe for unstated assumptions |

Phase 1 Elicitation Questions

Opportunity/Problem Framing

| Question | Why Important | |----------|---------------| | "What triggered this initiative?" | Captures origin story before it's forgotten | | "What problem are you solving?" | Distinguishes problem from solution | | "Why now? What changed?" | Surfaces temporal context | | "What would happen if we did nothing?" | Tests problem significance | | "What other ways could this problem be framed?" | Explores alternatives |

Stakeholder Mapping

| Question | Why Important | |----------|---------------| | "Who requested this?" | Identifies primary stakeholder | | "Who must approve?" | Identifies decision authority | | "Who will be affected but isn't at the table?" | Surfaces hidden stakeholders | | "Who might resist? Why?" | Surfaces political dynamics | | "Whose expertise is essential?" | Identifies knowledge holders |

Rationale Capture (Critical)

These questions preserve tacit knowledge:

| Question | Captures | |----------|----------| | "Why do you think that?" | Reasoning behind positions | | "What alternatives did you consider?" | Negative knowledge | | "What assumptions are we making?" | Embedded constraints | | "What would change your mind?" | Decision criteria | | "What have we tried before?" | Historical context |

Capture Window Awareness

Phase 1 insights are highly perishable. When a significant insight emerges:

Log it immediately using dialogue-log-observation
Confirm you captured it correctly with the human
Note if there's more context you should probe for

Do not wait until the end of a conversation to capture Phase 1 observations.

Example: Phase 1 AskUserQuestion

question: "What problem is this initiative trying to solve?"
header: "Problem"
options:
  - label: "Clear and documented"
    description: "Problem statement exists; I can point you to it"
  - label: "Clear but undocumented"
    description: "We know the problem but haven't written it down"
  - label: "Still being defined"
    description: "We're not sure yet; exploring options"
  - label: "Multiple competing framings"
    description: "Different stakeholders see it differently"

If "Still being defined" or "Multiple competing framings", switch to Facilitator mode:

Help structure the exploration
Surface different perspectives
Document alternative framings as they emerge
Avoid premature convergence

Phase 1 Process Suggestions

When Phase 1 work is substantial, consider offering structured processes:

| User Need | Suggest Process | Default Mode | |-----------|-----------------|--------------| | "I have an idea/opportunity" | PROC-1.1 Opportunity Identification | QUICK | | "Need to align stakeholders" | PROC-1.2 Stakeholder Alignment | QUICK | | "Problem isn't clear" | PROC-1.3 Problem Framing | QUICK | | "Need to justify investment" | PROC-1.4 Business Case | QUICK |

Offer these lightly: "Would you like to work through this systematically? I can guide you through a structured process that typically takes about 15 minutes."

If complexity emerges during elicitation, suggest upgrading to FULL mode.

Part of the Dialogue Framework