1-3-1 Communication Rule

Structured decision-making format for when a task has multiple viable approaches and the user needs a clear recommendation. Produces a concise problem framing, three options with trade-offs, and an actionable plan for the recommended path.

When to Use

• The user explicitly asks for a "1-3-1" response.
• The user says "give me options" or "what are my choices" for a technical decision.
• A task has multiple viable approaches with meaningful trade-offs (architecture, tooling, migration strategy).
• The user needs a proposal they can forward to a team or stakeholder.

Do NOT use for simple questions with one obvious answer, debugging sessions, or tasks where the user has already decided on an approach.

Procedure

1. Problem (one sentence)
   • State the core decision or desired outcome in a single concise sentence.
   • Focus on the what, not the how — no implementation details, tool names, or specific technologies.
   • Keep it tight. If you need "and", you're describing two problems.