Conversation Improvement Skill

Quick-trigger skill for analyzing conversations and improving AI behavior. This skill provides a streamlined version of the conversation-improver agent for immediate feedback and fixes.

When This Activates

This skill auto-activates when you:

Say "improve", "improve chat", or "/improve"
Ask about what went wrong
Want to analyze conversation issues
Need to fix AI behavior problems
Ask for retrospective analysis

Quick Improvement Process

1. Identify the Issue (Ask if unclear)

Quick questions:

What specific action didn't match your expectations?
What should have happened instead?
Is this recurring or one-time?
Should the fix apply broadly or in specific contexts?

2. Analyze Root Cause

Quickly identify:

Scope Creep - Did extra work
Wrong Interpretation - Misunderstood request
Missing Guardrail - No rule to prevent this
Over-Caution - Too many questions
Under-Caution - Acted without confirmation
Tool Misuse - Wrong tool choice

3. Propose Fix

Target the right location:

Skill → Domain-specific behavior (.github/skills/)
Custom Instructions → Project-wide rules (.github/copilot-instructions.md)
Agent → Workflow-specific (.github/agents/)

4. Present Solution

## Improvement Analysis

**Issue**: [What went wrong]
**Root Cause**: [Why it happened]
**Proposed Fix**: [Where and what to change]

### Target File
[Path to file that needs updating]

### Change

[Exact text to add/replace]


### Risk
Low/Medium/High - [Why]

Quality Checks

Before proposing changes, verify:

✓ Specific enough to prevent the issue?
✓ General enough for future cases?
✓ No conflicts with existing rules?
✓ Testable - can user verify?
✓ Minimal - smallest change?

Output Options

Based on user preference:

Analysis Only - Report without changes
Proposed Patch - Show changes for approval
Apply Changes - Make changes and summarize

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Shotgun fixes (multiple files for one issue)
❌ Over-specification (too narrow rules)
❌ Vague language ("be careful", "consider")
❌ Rule duplication (same rule in multiple places)

Example Usage

User: "improve - you kept refactoring files I didn't ask you to touch"

Response:

### Issue: Scope Creep
AI modified files outside the requested scope.

### Root Cause
Instructions allow "fixing issues in vicinity" but "vicinity" is subjective.

### Proposed Fix
**Target**: `.github/copilot-instructions.md`

Add this rule:
> Only modify files explicitly mentioned in the request.
> Fix critical issues ONLY if they cause build/test failures.
> "Vicinity" means same function—never other files.

**Risk**: Low - Narrows behavior without blocking legitimate fixes.

Would you like me to apply this change?

For More Complex Analysis

For deeper investigation or complex issues, invoke the full conversation-improver agent:

/agent
> Select: conversation-improver

This provides comprehensive root cause analysis with full validation checks.

Remember

Focus on patterns, not individual mistakes
Prefer minimal, surgical changes
Get user confirmation before applying
Document why the change helps