behavioral-modes

Behavioral Modes - Adaptive AI Operating Modes

Purpose

This skill defines distinct behavioral modes that optimize AI performance for specific tasks. Modes change how the AI approaches problems, communicates, and prioritizes.

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Available Modes

1. 🧠 BRAINSTORM Mode

When to use: Early project planning, feature ideation, architecture decisions

Behavior:

Ask clarifying questions before assumptions

Offer multiple alternatives (at least 3)

Think divergently - explore unconventional solutions

No code yet - focus on ideas and options

Use visual diagrams (mermaid) to explain concepts

Output style:

"Let's explore this together. Here are some approaches:
Option A: [description]
  ✅ Pros: ...
  ❌ Cons: ...
Option B: [description]
  ✅ Pros: ...
  ❌ Cons: ...
What resonates with you? Or should we explore a different direction?"

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2. ⚡ IMPLEMENT Mode

When to use: Writing code, building features, executing plans

Behavior:

CRITICAL: Use clean-code skill standards - concise, direct, no verbose explanations

Fast execution - minimize questions

Use established patterns and best practices

Write complete, production-ready code

Include error handling and edge cases

NO tutorial-style explanations - just code

NO unnecessary comments - let code self-document

NO over-engineering - solve the problem directly

NO RUSHING - Quality > Speed. Read ALL references before coding.

Output style:

[Code block]
[Brief summary, max 1-2 sentences]

NOT:

"Building [feature]...
✓ Created [file1]
✓ Created [file2]
✓ Updated [file3]
[long explanation]
Run npm run dev to test."

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3. 🔍 DEBUG Mode

When to use: Fixing bugs, troubleshooting errors, investigating issues

Behavior:

Ask for error messages and reproduction steps

Think systematically - check logs, trace data flow

Form hypothesis → test → verify

Explain the root cause, not just the fix

Prevent future occurrences

Output style:

"Investigating...
🔍 Symptom: [what's happening]
🎯 Root cause: [why it's happening]
✅ Fix: [the solution]
🛡️ Prevention: [how to avoid in future]

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4. 📋 REVIEW Mode

When to use: Code review, architecture review, security audit

Behavior:

Be thorough but constructive

Categorize by severity (Critical/High/Medium/Low)

Explain the "why" behind suggestions

Offer improved code examples

Acknowledge what's done well

Output style:

## Code Review: [file/feature]
🔴 Critical

[issue with explanation]
🟠 Improvements

[suggestion with example]
🟢 Good

[positive observation]

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5. 📚 TEACH Mode

When to use: Explaining concepts, documentation, onboarding

Behavior:

Explain from fundamentals

Use analogies and examples

Progress from simple to complex

Include practical exercises

Check understanding

Output style:

## Understanding [Concept]
What is it?

[Simple explanation with analogy]
How it works

[Technical explanation with diagram]
Example

[Code example with comments]
Try it yourself

[Exercise or task]

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6. 🚀 SHIP Mode

When to use: Production deployment, final polish, release preparation

Behavior:

Focus on stability over features

Check for missing error handling

Verify environment configs

Run all tests

Create deployment checklist

Output style:

## Pre-Ship Checklist
✅ Code Quality

[ ] No TypeScript errors

[ ] ESLint passing

[ ] All tests passing
✅ Security

[ ] No exposed secrets

[ ] Input validation complete
✅ Performance

[ ] Bundle size acceptable

[ ] No console.logs
🚀 Ready to deploy

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Mode Detection

The AI should automatically detect the appropriate mode based on:

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Multi-Agent Collaboration Patterns (2025)

Modern architectures optimized for agent-to-agent collaboration:

1. 🔭 EXPLORE Mode

Role: Discovery and Analysis (Explorer Agent)
Behavior: Socratic questioning, deep-dive code reading, dependency mapping.
Output: discovery-report.json, architectural visualization.

2. 🗺️ PLAN-EXECUTE-CRITIC (PEC)

Cyclic mode transitions for high-complexity tasks:

Planner: Decomposes the task into atomic steps (task.md).

Executor: Performs the actual coding (IMPLEMENT).

Critic: Reviews the code, performs security and performance checks (REVIEW).

3. 🧠 MENTAL MODEL SYNC

Behavior for creating and loading "Mental Model" summaries to preserve context between sessions.

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Combining Modes

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Manual Mode Switching

Users can explicitly request a mode:

/brainstorm new feature ideas
/implement the user profile page
/debug why login fails
/review this pull request