Write operational definitions for every high-stakes term — quality, success, productive, fair
For every high-stakes term in your reasoning (quality, success, productive, fair), write an operational definition specifying observable conditions that must be true for the term to apply, then store that definition as a canonical reference atom in your knowledge system.
Why This Is a Rule
High-stakes terms — "quality," "success," "productive," "fair," "ready," "done" — carry enormous decision weight while remaining operationally undefined. You decide a project was "successful" or a process is "fair" based on a feeling that the word applies, not on verified conditions. Two people can agree that "quality matters" while having completely different mental models of what quality means, leading to aligned-sounding conversations that produce misaligned actions.
An operational definition converts a vague term into observable conditions: "Quality for this codebase means: all tests pass, code review has no unresolved comments, documentation covers all public APIs, and performance benchmarks stay within 10% of baseline." Now "quality" is verifiable — you can check each condition independently. Disagreements become specific ("I think 10% is too generous") rather than abstract ("we need higher quality").
Storing these definitions as canonical reference atoms means they persist, can be linked to, and can be updated as your understanding evolves. The definition of "productive" you wrote six months ago may need revision — and having it as a versioned atom makes that revision visible.
When This Fires
- Making or evaluating decisions where high-stakes terms drive the outcome
- Noticing recurring disagreements that seem to be about values but might be about definitions
- Setting goals or success criteria for projects, teams, or personal practice
- Any time you use a word that would cause confusion if two people defined it differently
Common Failure Mode
Writing definitions that are just synonyms: "Quality means excellence and craftsmanship." This is a definition that defines nothing operationally. The test: can someone verify whether the term applies without asking you? If the definition requires interpretation, it's not operational. "All tests pass" is operational. "Code is well-crafted" is not.
The Protocol
For each high-stakes term in your reasoning: (1) Write the term. (2) List the observable conditions that must be true for the term to apply. Each condition must be verifiable by someone other than you. (3) Store the definition as a canonical atom in your knowledge system with a unique ID. (4) Link it from every note that uses the term. (5) Review and revise definitions quarterly — your operational understanding of "quality" or "success" should evolve as you learn.