| name | next-best-actions |
| description | Identify the highest-value next actions from the current workspace or project state without loading unnecessary context. |
Skill: Next Best Actions
Purpose
Identify the highest-value next actions from the current workspace or project state without loading unnecessary context.
When To Use
- top-level sessions
- planning the next slice of work
- recovering after a pause or context loss
- deciding whether to continue, delegate, review, or clean up
Recommended Roles
Required Inputs
ACTIVE-CONTEXT.md
OPERATOR-NOTES.md when the run may benefit from Operator todos, ideas, or workspace-level human notes
- today's daily brief if present, otherwise the latest daily brief file if any exist
- relevant task handoffs or project library files when needed
Steps
- Read the smallest set of current-state files that can explain what is active.
- If useful for the run, scan
OPERATOR-NOTES.md for human todos, ideas, or pending decisions that may affect prioritization.
- Identify what is already in progress, what is blocked, and what is effectively complete. If the workspace uses task-browser metadata, use the task-browser board or
framework/tools/task-browser/metadata-cli.mjs list as supporting triage evidence, including any numeric order values as Operator-assigned prioritization signals; lower order values should generally be considered before higher or blank values within the same status/priority band. Prefer task files when metadata conflicts.
- Prefer actions that remove ambiguity, unlock work, or finish an active slice before creating new work.
- If multiple paths are possible, choose the one with the best value-to-complexity ratio.
- State the next actions explicitly and in priority order.
- Update coordination files if the real priority changed. If task-browser metadata is used and priority/status decisions changed, align metadata with the chosen next actions.
Outputs
- a short prioritized next-step list
- updated active state if priorities changed
- task-browser metadata aligned with priority/status/order decisions when the workspace uses task-browser
Stop Conditions
- the next actions are explicit and grounded in current state
- relevant coordination files reflect the current priority
Pitfalls / Anti-Patterns
- reading too much history before choosing the next step
- proposing speculative work while active work is unfinished
- leaving decisions only in chat instead of files
- ignoring Operator-assigned task-browser
order values when comparing otherwise similar tasks
- treating task-browser metadata as authoritative when task files disagree
Related Files / Tools
ACTIVE-CONTEXT.md
OPERATOR-NOTES.md
projects/[name]/library/plans.md
projects/[name]/work/[task-slug]/HANDOFF.md
framework/tools/task-browser/metadata-cli.mjs when task-browser metadata is used