thinking-kepner-tregoe
Systematic rational process for complex problem analysis, decision making, and risk assessment. Use for high-stakes engineering decisions, root cause analysis beyond 5 Whys, and multi-factor evaluations requiring structured criteria.
Profile →npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill thinking-kepner-tregoe --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
What it does
Guides an AI agent through a structured, four-process framework (Situation Analysis, Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Potential Problem Analysis) to analyze complex problems, clarify concerns, identify root causes, evaluate alternatives, and anticipate risks. It emphasizes separating facts from assumptions, prioritizing concerns using a formal matrix, and planning actions with defined owners and deadlines.
How it works
- Process 1: Situation Analysis (SA): Inventorize concerns, separate and clarify them, set priorities using Timing/Impact/Trend (TIT), and plan approach for each prioritized concern. Provides an SA Template with sections for Concerns Inventory, Priority Matrix, and Action Plan.
- Process 2: Problem Analysis (PA): State the problem precisely, specify with IS/IS-NOT dimensions (WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, EXTENT), identify distinctions, note changes, generate possible causes, test against specification, and verify true cause using a verification plan. Provides an IS/IS-NOT Template for documentation.
- Process 3: Decision Analysis (DA): Clarify the decision, develop objectives (MUST vs WANT) with weights, generate Alternatives, screen against MUSTs, score WANTs, calculate weighted scores, assess risks, and select a final decision with rationale. Provides a DA Template for structured decision records.
- Process 4: Potential Problem Analysis (PPA): State the plan, identify potential problems, assess probability and seriousness (P×S), identify likely causes, develop preventive and contingent actions, and build monitoring/trigger mechanisms. Provides a PPA Template for planning risk mitigation.
When to use it
Applicable to complex engineering problems, high-stakes decisions, root cause analyses beyond 5 Whys, multi-factor evaluations with structured criteria, post-implementation risk assessment, and incident triage requiring systematic, defensible reasoning.
What it can touch
Relies on templates and structured steps within the skill; mentions tools such as plain text, Markdown templates, and analysis placeholders. The skill references process names (SA, PA, DA, PPA) and templates for documentation.
Caveats
Renders only explicitly stated steps and templates; does not invent new analysis steps beyond those defined in the four processes; outcomes depend on user-provided inputs and correct application of each process.
# Kepner-Tregoe Rational Process ## Overview The Kepner-Tregoe (KT) methodology, developed by Charles Kepner and Benjamin Tregoe in the 1950s, provides four integrated analytical processes for rational thinking. Unlike heuristic approaches, KT offers rigorous frameworks for separating fact from speculation and making defensible decisions. **Core Principle:** Separate what you know from what you assume. Use structured comparison to reveal truth. ## When to Use - Complex engineering problems with multiple potential causes - High-stakes decisions requiring documented rationale - Root cause analysis when 5 Whys yields ambiguous results - Evaluating alternatives with competing criteria - Post-implementation risk assessment - Incident response requiring systematic triage - Architecture decisions with long-term implications Decision flow: ```text Complex problem? → yes → Multiple concerns/unclear priority? → yes → Start with SA ↘ no → Known single problem? → yes → PA ↘ no → Decision needed? → yes → DA ↘ no → Implementation risk? → yes → PPA ↘ no → Simpler frameworks may suffice ``` ## The Four Processes | Process | Purpose | Key Question | |---------|---------|--------------| | **SA** - S
- Overview
- When to Use
- The Four Processes
- Process 1: Situation Analysis (SA)
- Purpose
- Steps
- SA Template
- Process 2: Problem Analysis (PA)
- Key Concept: The IS/IS-NOT Matrix
- IS/IS-NOT Template
- Process 3: Decision Analysis (DA)
- DA Template
- Process 4: Potential Problem Analysis (PPA)
- PPA Template
What does the thinking-kepner-tregoe skill do?
Systematic rational process for complex problem analysis, decision making, and risk assessment. Use for high-stakes engineering decisions, root cause analysis beyond 5 Whys, and multi-factor evaluations requiring structured criteria.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill thinking-kepner-tregoe --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From majiayu000/claude-skill-registry, a repository with 534 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.