Reflection Stage

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Step 1: Compare Outcome to Expectation

Start with the gap between what was expected and what happened.

OUTCOME COMPARISON:

- Original goal: [what we set out to do]
- Expected outcome: [what we thought would happen]
- Actual outcome: [what actually happened]
- Gap: [where expectation and reality diverged]
- Gap direction: [better than expected / worse than expected / different than expected]

Rule: Be specific. “It went okay” is not a comparison. Use concrete details.

Step 2: Identify What Worked

Catalog the things that went well and why.

WHAT WORKED:

1. [thing that worked]:
   - Why it worked: [causal explanation, not just correlation]
   - Repeatable: [yes/no — can this be done again deliberately?]
   - Transferable: [yes/no — does this apply to other situations?]

2. [thing that worked]:
   - Why it worked: [causal explanation]
   - Repeatable: [yes/no]
   - Transferable: [yes/no]

3. [thing that worked]:
   - Why it worked: [causal explanation]
   - Repeatable: [yes/no]
   - Transferable: [yes/no]

Step 3: Identify What Didn’t Work

Catalog failures and problems without blame.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK:

1. [thing that failed]:
   - Why it failed: [root cause, not symptoms]
   - Predictable: [yes/no — could we have seen this coming?]
   - Preventable: [yes/no — could we have avoided it?]
   - Cost: [what the failure cost — time, money, quality, trust]

2. [thing that failed]:
   - Why it failed: [root cause]
   - Predictable: [yes/no]
   - Preventable: [yes/no]
   - Cost: [what it cost]

Rule: Focus on systems and processes, not people. “The review process missed it” not “Bob missed it.”

Step 4: Extract Transferable Lessons

Pull out lessons that apply beyond this specific situation.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. [Lesson]: [one-sentence principle]
   - Evidence: [what happened that taught this]
   - Applies to: [what other situations this lesson covers]
   - Action: [concrete change to make going forward]

2. [Lesson]: [one-sentence principle]
   - Evidence: [what happened]
   - Applies to: [other situations]
   - Action: [concrete change]

3. [Lesson]: [one-sentence principle]
   - Evidence: [what happened]
   - Applies to: [other situations]
   - Action: [concrete change]

Rule: A lesson without an action is just an observation. Every lesson must produce a change.

Step 5: Update Beliefs

Explicitly state how this experience changes your understanding.

BELIEF UPDATES:

| Before | After | Confidence |
|--------|-------|------------|
| I believed [X] | Now I believe [Y] | [high/medium/low] |
| I assumed [X] | Now I know [Y] | [high/medium/low] |
| I expected [X] | Evidence shows [Y] | [high/medium/low] |

SKIP: If no beliefs changed, state that explicitly — it may mean the reflection isn’t deep enough.

Step 6: Decide What to Do Differently

Commit to specific changes for next time.

CHANGES FOR NEXT TIME:

1. STOP: [something to stop doing]
   - Because: [what happened when we did it]

2. START: [something to start doing]
   - Because: [what we learned that motivates this]

3. CONTINUE: [something to keep doing]
   - Because: [evidence that it works]

4. MODIFY: [something to adjust]
   - From: [current approach]
   - To: [adjusted approach]
   - Because: [what we learned]

Step 7: Reflection Summary

Distill everything into a compact takeaway.

REFLECTION SUMMARY:

What happened: [one sentence]
Key win: [single most important success]
Key lesson: [single most important learning]
Key change: [single most important thing to do differently]

Integration

Use with:

• /exst -> Reflect after execution is complete
• /ornt -> Use reflection to orient on the next challenge
• /kta -> If reflection reveals errors in thinking, capture key takeaways
• /rmm -> If reflection uncovers mistakes worth documenting