Constraint Workaround Mapping
Some constraints are real and cannot be inverted or removed. The question then is not how to eliminate the constraint, but how to route around it to the same destination. A workaround is not a compromise — it is a valid path that respects a real limit while still delivering the outcome.
Your Process
Step 1: State the Constraint and Confirm It's Hard Write the constraint. Then confirm: is this actually fixed? A truly hard constraint has a concrete source — law, technical impossibility, signed contract. If the source is unclear, use constraint-hardness-testing first.
Framing check: Confirm the specific constraint and the goal it is blocking before continuing. State what you've identified — the actual constraint and the outcome the user is trying to reach — in one sentence, then use AskUserQuestion:
- Question: "I'm reading this as: [your one-sentence framing of the constraint and the goal it is blocking]. Is that right?"
- Header: "Framing"
- Options:
- Yes — proceed — framing is correct
- Adjust — one element is off; user will correct it before you continue
- Reframe — different situation than read; incorporate the correction before proceeding
Step 2: Map the Exact Boundary What does this constraint specifically prevent? What does it explicitly not prevent? Most constraints are narrower than they appear. Mapping the boundary precisely reveals the space around it.
Step 3: List All Paths Blocked Enumerate every approach to the goal that the constraint forecloses. Be thorough — you are building a map of what's off the table.
Step 4: Find Adjacent Paths For each blocked path: is there an adjacent path that reaches the same goal without crossing the constraint? Adjacent means achieving the same underlying outcome through a different mechanism — not a lesser outcome through the same mechanism.
Step 5: Generate 3-5 Workarounds with Cost
Before narrowing: Show the complete set of adjacent paths identified in Step 4 to the user first. Use AskUserQuestion:
- Question: "I've identified [N] adjacent paths. Before I select the most feasible workarounds, are there any you'd flag as especially important, or any I've missed?"
- Header: "Prioritise"
- Options:
- Proceed with your selection — the set looks right
- Flag one — user will name a specific path to include
- Add a missing one — user will describe it
For each viable adjacent path, state the cost relative to the direct approach: additional time, complexity, dependency, quality reduction, or reversibility loss.
Step 6: Select Best Cost/Benefit Choose the workaround where the cost is lowest relative to the outcome achieved. If all workarounds are too costly, the right answer may be to re-examine the goal.
Human Check-in
Before proceeding, use the AskUserQuestion tool. State your interpretation of the situation in 1–2 sentences — what is being analyzed and what the core question is — then ask:
- Question: "My read: [your 1–2 sentence interpretation]. How do you want to proceed?"
- Header: "Scope"
- Options:
- Full analysis — Complete all steps, reasoning shown throughout
- Key findings only — Bottom-line output, skip step-by-step detail
- Two best workarounds only — Highest-feasibility paths around the constraint
- Reframe — The read is off; correct it and the analysis will follow the corrected framing
Proceed based on their selection. If the user reframes, incorporate the correction before running any analysis.
Output Format
Constraint:
[Statement + source confirming it's hard]
Constraint boundary:
- Blocks: [what it prevents]
- Does not block: [what remains available]
Blocked paths:
[Bulleted list]
Workarounds:
| # | Path | How it reaches the goal | Cost vs direct path |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 |
Recommended path:
[Workaround name] — [rationale for cost/benefit selection]
Notes
The map is only useful if the constraint boundary in Step 2 is drawn accurately. People regularly assume constraints block more than they do — which is why checking what a constraint does NOT prevent is as important as what it does.
What's Next
After delivering this output, use AskUserQuestion to offer the next move:
- Question: "Workarounds mapped. What's next?"
- Header: "Next"
- Options:
/s4h-decision-option-mapping— Map decision options using the available workarounds/s4h-logic-check— Validate the logic of the proposed workarounds/s4h-decision-premortem-analysis— Stress-test each workaround before committing- Done — Wrap up and synthesise what we have so far
