gathered_skill

Overview

This skill guides a participatory discernment process when the user has a stake or perspective in a decision. It teaches and enacts a Quaker-style gathered discipline so the user participates alongside agent voices rather than simply receiving advice. The outcome is clarity owned by the user and shaped by multiple perspectives.

How this skill works

When triggered, the agent invites the user into a gathered process, explains clear ground rules, and frames the question to be discerned. The agent proposes a short committee of perspectives (including the user), then has each agent speak sequentially while pausing for the user to absorb and optionally contribute one careful statement. After all voices, the agent synthesizes a unity that explicitly references the user’s contribution and invites next steps.

When to use it

• User expresses a stake or long-standing engagement ("I've been thinking about this for weeks").
• User resists being given a direct opinion or asks to work through it together.
• Decision involves personal values or identity where the user must own the outcome.
• You want a slower, reflective process rather than quick expert analysis.
• User asks for permission or reassurance and likely needs to discover their own clarity.

Best practices

• Offer the gathered option when you detect stake or a request to participate; let the user accept or decline.
• Teach the discipline up front: speak once, silence is valid, don’t react—discern. Say it plainly.
• Keep the committee small and named; include the user's perspective explicitly.
• Have agents speak sequentially and pause after each voice. Ask the user: anything arising, or shall we continue?
• Be gentle but direct about over-participation or silence; honor both as meaningful contributions.

Example use cases

• A founder torn about open-sourcing a product and wanting to own the outcome.
• A person weighing a career move who has a strong but tangled personal stake.
• A team member seeking permission to change a process and needing clarity aligned with values.
• A community leader deciding trade-offs between reach and sustainability with competing perspectives.