Separate the presenting question from the underlying issue
Reads the client's situation and distinguishes the surface question they asked from the deeper issue driving it, framing the problem precisely enough to reason about.
In / outClient update, situation brief, or question → precise problem frame (presenting question vs. underlying issue)
You might say…
“They thought they had a pricing problem. It took me two minutes to see it was a positioning problem — and the difference mattered completely.”
What it does
Single-judgement skill: the advisor points it at the client's latest update, data, or situation brief and it reads the context, names the decision or difficulty actually at stake, distinguishes the surface question the client asked from the deeper issue driving it, and frames the problem precisely enough to reason about. Used at the top of a judgement cycle, with the advisor in the loop to confirm or redirect the framing before any analysis begins.
Trigger: Use at the top of a judgement cycle, before any analysis, to confirm you are solving the right problem.
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The primitives are the commodity part. The fastest next step is a conversation about composing them into something that works for you.
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