AI operational modes (brainstorm, implement, debug, review, teach, ship, orchestrate). Use to adapt behavior based on task type.
37
34%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
—
No eval scenarios have been run
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./skills/behavioral-modes/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
42%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
The description names seven operational modes but fails to explain what each mode concretely does or when Claude should select this skill over others. The trigger terms are too generic and would conflict with many other skills, and the 'when' clause is vague rather than providing explicit selection criteria.
Suggestions
Add explicit 'Use when...' triggers that distinguish this skill, e.g., 'Use when the user explicitly asks to switch modes, change operational approach, or requests a specific working style like brainstorming vs. implementation.'
Improve distinctiveness by clarifying this skill is about meta-level behavior adaptation rather than performing the tasks themselves, e.g., 'Configures Claude's working style and response format based on explicitly requested operational modes.'
Add brief concrete descriptions of what each mode changes about behavior, e.g., 'brainstorm mode generates many ideas without filtering; debug mode systematically traces errors; review mode provides critical feedback on existing work.'
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Lists seven named operational modes (brainstorm, implement, debug, review, teach, ship, orchestrate), which gives some specificity, but doesn't describe what concrete actions each mode entails—they are labels rather than detailed capabilities. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | The 'what' is partially addressed (AI operational modes) and there is a 'Use to...' clause ('adapt behavior based on task type'), but the 'when' is vague and implied rather than providing explicit trigger conditions. The guidance 'adapt behavior based on task type' doesn't clearly tell Claude when to select this skill. | 2 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes some natural keywords like 'brainstorm', 'debug', 'review', and 'implement' that users might say, but these are extremely common terms that overlap with many other skills. Missing natural phrases users would actually say like 'change your approach', 'switch mode', or 'act as a reviewer'. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Terms like 'debug', 'review', 'implement', and 'brainstorm' are extremely generic and would overlap with virtually any coding, debugging, code review, or brainstorming skill. The description lacks a clear niche and would likely conflict with many other skills. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 7 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
27%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill is overly verbose, explaining behavioral patterns that Claude already understands (how to brainstorm, debug, review code) rather than providing novel, actionable constraints. The output templates are useful but could be dramatically condensed. The multi-agent section feels incomplete and speculative, the 'Combining Modes' section is empty, and the entire document would benefit from being split into a lean overview with mode-specific reference files.
Suggestions
Reduce each mode to 3-5 bullet points of genuinely novel behavioral constraints, removing explanations of concepts Claude already knows (e.g., 'think systematically', 'be thorough but constructive').
Fill in the empty 'Combining Modes' section or remove it entirely—empty sections waste tokens and signal incompleteness.
Split detailed mode descriptions into separate files (e.g., modes/implement.md, modes/debug.md) and keep SKILL.md as a concise overview with the mode detection table and links.
Remove or substantially condense the multi-agent section—it introduces concepts (discovery-report.json, Mental Model Sync) without concrete schemas, examples, or supporting files, making it unactionable.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely verbose at ~200+ lines. Explains concepts Claude already understands (what brainstorming is, what debugging is, what code review is). The output style templates are largely things Claude would naturally produce. The mode detection table, multi-agent patterns, and boilerplate limitations section add significant token bloat with minimal actionable value. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides concrete output templates and trigger keywords, which is somewhat actionable. However, the guidance is mostly behavioral descriptions ('think systematically', 'be thorough but constructive') rather than executable instructions. The multi-agent section references outputs like 'discovery-report.json' and 'task.md' without concrete schemas or examples. The 'Combining Modes' section is completely empty. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The mode detection table provides a clear trigger-to-mode mapping, and PEC describes a sequential workflow. However, there's no guidance on how to transition between modes, the 'Combining Modes' section is blank, and there are no validation checkpoints or feedback loops for any mode. The SHIP mode checklist is the closest to a proper workflow but lacks verification steps. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Monolithic wall of text with all seven modes fully described inline. No bundle files exist, yet the IMPLEMENT mode references a 'clean-code' skill without linking to it. The multi-agent section introduces new concepts (discovery-report.json, task.md) without any supporting files. Content would benefit greatly from splitting mode details into separate files with a concise overview. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 6 / 12 Passed |
Validation
90%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 10 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
8854d4e
Table of Contents
If you maintain this skill, you can claim it as your own. Once claimed, you can manage eval scenarios, bundle related skills, attach documentation or rules, and ensure cross-agent compatibility.