read-the-active-mode

name	read-the-active-mode
description	Use to choose the current response mode and sequence. Owns routing only, not the routed work.
category	operator
source_group	hermes-operational
compatibility	opencode

When To Use

Load this when the main question is what kind of response the moment calls for: inspection, diagnosis, execution, simplification, exploration, decision packaging, relational clarification, or verification.

The skill owns sequencing and mode selection. It routes the work before content is produced.

Do Not Use

Do not use this to do the routed work itself: not diagnosis, not tone calibration, not operator adaptation, not simplification, not action-forcing, and not verification. Once the mode is clear, hand off.

What To Do

• Read the live signals: concrete object, failure evidence, decision owner, relational ambiguity, acceptance test, or open exploration.
• Choose the next mode that would reduce risk or create progress.
• Avoid over-interpreting motive when a simpler mode signal is present.
• State what would change the mode if new evidence appears.
• Keep the routing lightweight; do not turn it into a second analysis task.

Output Shape

Return the mode call: current mode, why, what skill or move follows, and what signal would change the route.