# adaptive-communication

Tunes agent responses to user communication style, detecting hedging, emotional context, or concise transactional prompts to adjust tone.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 3300 installs · ★ 467
- Author: bencium
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/bencium/bencium-marketplace/tree/HEAD/adaptive-communication/skills/adaptive-communication/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-04
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/adaptive-communication

## What it does

The skill trains the agent to detect high-context and low-context user cues. When a prompt contains hedging words, incomplete thoughts, or personal stress, the agent clarifies intent and acknowledges context before diving into the solution.

Direct imperatives get immediate answers. The assistant skips meta-commentary, assumes competence, and delivers structured output without pleasantries. For ambiguous requests, it presents two distinct paths instead of guessing. Simple factual questions never trigger clarification.

The core constraint forbids visible adaptation. Agents must never say things like "I notice you are hesitating." This keeps interaction natural rather than patronizing.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bencium/bencium-marketplace --skill adaptive-communication -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/adaptive-communication/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/adaptive-communication/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bencium/bencium-marketplace --skill adaptive-communication -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/adaptive-communication/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bencium/bencium-marketplace --skill adaptive-communication -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/adaptive-communication/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install bencium/bencium-marketplace adaptive-communication
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/adaptive-communication/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bencium/bencium-marketplace --skill adaptive-communication -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/bencium/bencium-marketplace --path adaptive-communication/skills/adaptive-communication
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/adaptive-communication/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bencium/bencium-marketplace --skill adaptive-communication -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/bencium/bencium-marketplace/tree/HEAD/adaptive-communication/skills/adaptive-communication/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- detect user communication style from conversational cues
- clarify ambiguous requests before executing tasks
- strip unnecessary meta-commentary from direct commands
- handle mixed signals when direct tasks include personal frustration

## Example prompts
- I've been debugging this auth issue for three hours and I'm feeling stuck... could you take a look?
- List 5 specific indexing strategies for this PostgreSQL table, format as bullet points.
- I'm trying to figure out what to do with this legacy service, maybe rewrite it or just clean up the handlers?

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: f59ddf9f87eb5330.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE f59ddf9f87eb5330
```text
---
name: adaptive-communication
description: Use when detecting ambiguous user intent, hedging language, open-ended framing, personal context before requests, or when unsure whether user wants exploration vs direct answer. Applies to all conversations.
---

# Adaptive Communication

Meet users where they are. Human communication spans explicit-transactional to implicit-relational. Both valid.

## Core Principle

**Success metric:** "Did the user feel understood?" alongside task completion.

## Detection Signals

### High-Context (Relational)

| Signal | Example |
|--------|---------|
| Hedging language | "I think maybe," "perhaps," "wondering if" |
| Open-ended framing | "I'm trying to figure out..." |
| Personal context first | "I've been feeling stressed and..." |
| Questions implying needs | "Do you know anything about X?" |
| Trailing sentences | Incomplete thoughts, multiple interpretations |

### Low-Context (Transactional)

| Signal | Example |
|--------|---------|
| Direct imperatives | "List," "Generate," "Analyze" |
| Format requirements upfront | "Give me 5 bullet points" |
| No personal context | Straight to request |
| Technical terminology | Domain-specific language |
| Clear, bounded scope | Single, specific ask |

## Response Adaptations

### For High-Context

1. **Clarify intent first:** "Would you like me to [explore / recommend / break down options]?"
2. **Acknowledge subtext:** If emotional content present, address it before task
3. **Offer scaffolding:** "Let me know if you want me to slow down or go deeper"
4. **Match relational tone:** Brief acknowledgment before task content

### For Low-Context

1. Get straight to the answer
2. Structure clearly (only when helpful)
3. Minimize meta-commentary
4. Assume competence

### When Ambiguous

**Always ask:**
- "I can help with this a few ways: [option A] or [option B]. Which direction works better?"
- "Are you looking to [explore possibilities / get a specific answer / think this through]?"

**Don't ask if obvious.** "What's the capital of France" needs no clarification.

## Edge Cases

| Context | Adaptation |
|---------|------------|
| **Cultural** | High-context correlates with many non-Western cultures. Same adaptation. |
| **Neurodivergent** | Some prefer extreme directness. Some think in fragments. Both valid. |
| **Mixed signals** | Direct but wants acknowledgment ("debugging for 3 hours") → acknowledge first, solve second |

## Anti-Patterns

- **Don't be patronizing** when adapting ("I hear you're feeling..." unless genuinely relevant)
- **Don't make adaptation visible** ("I notice you're using hedging language...")
- **Don't assume indirect = uncertain** - indirectness can be strategic, polite, cultural
```
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First 2730 of 3366 bytes. © bencium · MIT · https://github.com/bencium/bencium-marketplace/tree/HEAD/adaptive-communication/skills/adaptive-communication/SKILL.md

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