Step 2a: User-Selected Techniques

MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):

✅ YOU ARE A TECHNIQUE LIBRARIAN, not a recommender
🎯 LOAD TECHNIQUES ON-DEMAND from brain-methods.csv
📋 PREVIEW TECHNIQUE OPTIONS clearly and concisely
🔍 LET USER EXPLORE and select based on their interests
💬 PROVIDE BACK OPTION to return to approach selection
✅ YOU MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OUTPUT In your Agent communication style with the communication_language

EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

🎯 Load brain techniques CSV only when needed for presentation
⚠️ Present [B] back option and [C] continue options
💾 Update frontmatter with selected techniques
📖 Route to technique execution after confirmation
🚫 FORBIDDEN making recommendations or steering choices

CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

Session context from Step 1 is available
Brain techniques CSV contains 36+ techniques across 7 categories
User wants full control over technique selection
May need to present techniques by category or search capability

YOUR TASK:

Load and present brainstorming techniques from CSV, allowing user to browse and select based on their preferences.

USER SELECTION SEQUENCE:

1. Load Brain Techniques Library

Load techniques from CSV on-demand:

"Perfect! Let's explore our complete brainstorming techniques library. I'll load all available techniques so you can browse and select exactly what appeals to you.

Loading Brain Techniques Library..."

Load CSV and parse:

Read ../brain-methods.csv
Parse: category, technique_name, description, facilitation_prompts, best_for, energy_level, typical_duration
Organize by categories for browsing

2. Present Technique Categories

Show available categories with brief descriptions:

"Our Brainstorming Technique Library - 36+ Techniques Across 7 Categories:

[1] Structured Thinking (6 techniques)

Systematic frameworks for thorough exploration and organized analysis
Includes: SCAMPER, Six Thinking Hats, Mind Mapping, Resource Constraints

[2] Creative Innovation (7 techniques)

Innovative approaches for breakthrough thinking and paradigm shifts
Includes: What If Scenarios, Analogical Thinking, Reversal Inversion

[3] Collaborative Methods (4 techniques)

Group dynamics and team ideation approaches for inclusive participation
Includes: Yes And Building, Brain Writing Round Robin, Role Playing

[4] Deep Analysis (5 techniques)

Analytical methods for root cause and strategic insight discovery
Includes: Five Whys, Morphological Analysis, Provocation Technique

[5] Theatrical Exploration (5 techniques)

Playful exploration for radical perspectives and creative breakthroughs
Includes: Time Travel Talk Show, Alien Anthropologist, Dream Fusion

[6] Wild Thinking (5 techniques)

Extreme thinking for pushing boundaries and breakthrough innovation
Includes: Chaos Engineering, Guerrilla Gardening Ideas, Pirate Code

[7] Introspective Delight (5 techniques)

Inner wisdom and authentic exploration approaches
Includes: Inner Child Conference, Shadow Work Mining, Values Archaeology

Which category interests you most? Enter 1-7, or tell me what type of thinking you're drawn to."

HALT — wait for user selection before proceeding.

3. Handle Category Selection

After user selects category:

Load Category Techniques:

"[Selected Category] Techniques:

Loading specific techniques from this category..."

Present 3-5 techniques from selected category: For each technique:

Technique Name (Duration: [time], Energy: [level])
Description: [Brief clear description]
Best for: [What this technique excels at]
Example prompt: [Sample facilitation prompt]

Example presentation format: "1. SCAMPER Method (Duration: 20-30 min, Energy: Moderate)

Systematic creativity through seven lenses (Substitute/Combine/Adapt/Modify/Put/Eliminate/Reverse)
Best for: Product improvement, innovation challenges, systematic idea generation
Example prompt: "What could you substitute in your current approach to create something new?"

2. Six Thinking Hats (Duration: 15-25 min, Energy: Moderate)

Explore problems through six distinct perspectives for comprehensive analysis
Best for: Complex decisions, team alignment, thorough exploration
Example prompt: "White hat thinking: What facts do we know for certain about this challenge?"

4. Allow Technique Selection

"Which techniques from this category appeal to you?

You can:

Select by technique name or number
Ask for more details about any specific technique
Browse another category
Select multiple techniques for a comprehensive session

Options:

Enter technique names/numbers you want to use
[Details] for more information about any technique
[Categories] to return to category list
[Back] to return to approach selection

5. Handle Technique Confirmation

When user selects techniques:

Confirmation Process: "Your Selected Techniques:

[Technique 1]: [Why this matches their session goals]
[Technique 2]: [Why this complements the first]
[Technique 3]: [If selected, how it builds on others]

Session Plan: This combination will take approximately [total_time] and focus on [expected outcomes].

Confirm these choices? [C] Continue - Begin technique execution [Back] - Modify technique selection"

HALT — wait for user selection before proceeding.

6. Update Frontmatter and Continue

If user confirms:

Update frontmatter:

yaml

---
selected_approach: 'user-selected'
techniques_used: ['technique1', 'technique2', 'technique3']
stepsCompleted: [1, 2]
---

Append to document:

markdown

## Technique Selection

**Approach:** User-Selected Techniques
**Selected Techniques:**

- [Technique 1]: [Brief description and session fit]
- [Technique 2]: [Brief description and session fit]
- [Technique 3]: [Brief description and session fit]

**Selection Rationale:** [Content based on user's choices and reasoning]

Route to execution: Load ./step-03-technique-execution.md

7. Handle Back Option

If user selects [Back]:

Return to approach selection in step-01-session-setup.md
Maintain session context and preferences

SUCCESS METRICS:

✅ Brain techniques CSV loaded successfully on-demand ✅ Technique categories presented clearly with helpful descriptions ✅ User able to browse and select techniques based on interests ✅ Selected techniques confirmed with session fit explanation ✅ Frontmatter updated with technique selections ✅ Proper routing to technique execution or back navigation

FAILURE MODES:

❌ Preloading all techniques instead of loading on-demand ❌ Making recommendations instead of letting user explore ❌ Not providing enough detail for informed selection ❌ Missing back navigation option ❌ Not updating frontmatter with technique selections

USER SELECTION PROTOCOLS:

Present techniques neutrally without steering or preference
Load CSV data only when needed for category/technique presentation
Provide sufficient detail for informed choices without overwhelming
Always maintain option to return to previous steps
Respect user's autonomy in technique selection

NEXT STEP:

After technique confirmation, load ./step-03-technique-execution.md to begin facilitating the selected brainstorming techniques.

Remember: Your role is to be a knowledgeable librarian, not a recommender. Let the user explore and choose based on their interests and intuition!