Observe (Guidance)

Coach human in field study: frame → protocol → witness → record → analyze → report. Separate fact from interpretation.

Use When

• Person wants understand system before intervene (debug by obs, not trial-error)
• Conducting research / evidence → needs structured method
• Person jumps to conclusions → needs obs discipline
• Preparing evidence-based report (not opinion)
• Team dynamics, user behavior, process effectiveness via direct obs
• After meditate-guidance cultivated attention → direct it at system

In

• Required: What to observe (system, process, behavior, codebase, team, phenomenon)
• Required: Why (debug, research, audit, curiosity, improvement)
• Optional: Time available (single vs multi-day)
• Optional: Prior attempts
• Optional: Specific Qs / hypotheses
• Optional: Recording tools (notebook, screen capture, logging, metrics)

Do

Step 1: Frame

Help set bounded frame.

1. Ask what: "What system/behavior trying to understand?"
2. Narrow scope: "What specific aspect interests you most?"
3. Purpose: understanding / debug / improve / evidence / curiosity
4. Boundaries: in/out scope → prevents endless expansion
5. Hypothesis? state explicit, then set aside → "look for evidence both for + against"
6. Stance:
   • Naturalist: no interfere (best for behavior)
   • Controlled: change one var, observe effect (best for debug)
   • Longitudinal: over time (best for trends)

→ Clear frame: target, scope, purpose, stance defined.

If err: can't narrow ("understand everything") → pick one entry point: "what behavior most confusing?" Already committed conclusion ("just prove X") → gently challenge: "what would disprove it?"

Step 2: Prep protocol

Systematic recording.

1. Method by type:
   • Codebase/system: paths, line numbers, timestamps, log entries
   • Behavior/process: time-stamped notes — actor, action, context
   • Team/communication: quotes, speaker IDs, non-verbal cues
   • Natural/physical: sketches, measurements, env conditions
2. Template:

Field Notes Template:
┌─────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Timestamp   │ When the observation occurred                          │
├─────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Observation │ What was seen/heard/measured (fact only)               │
├─────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Context     │ What was happening around the observation              │
├─────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Reaction    │ Observer's response (thoughts, emotions, surprises)    │
├─────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Hypothesis  │ Tentative interpretation (kept separate from fact)     │
└─────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

3. Stress separation: "obs row = fact. hypothesis row = interpretation. Never mix."
4. Min count: "≥10 obs before any conclusion"
5. Set up monitoring tools if applicable

→ Recording method ready. Person gets obs↔interpretation distinction. Prepared.

If err: too formal → simplify: "write what you see, separately what you think it means." Resist recording ("I'll remember") → unrecorded = memory bias; writing makes obs accurate.

Step 3: Witness

Guide actual obs session.

1. Remind stance: "naturalist studying new species. No interfere — just watch"
2. First 5min: pure obs no recording — just attend
3. After immersion: begin recording w/ template
4. Coach neutral lang: instead "system crashed" → "system stopped responding 14:32 after 47th request"
5. Watch interpretation creeping: "that's interpretation — record in hypothesis row"
6. Note surprises: "what surprised? surprises = most valuable data"
7. Check frame: "still observing what set out, or drifted?"
8. Wants to intervene: "note what + why, but don't change yet — keep observing"

→ ≥5-10 concrete obs w/ specific evidence. Experiences obs vs interpret diff. Finds harder than expected.

If err: keep interpreting → exercise: "describe as if to someone never seen this. Only verifiable facts." Run out fast → too high level → zoom in: timing, ordering, edge cases, exceptions.

Step 4: Record

Organize raw → structured.

1. Review together
2. Completeness: enough context for later?
3. Factual accuracy: verifiable, or hidden assumptions?
4. Group similar: "patterns forming?"
5. Frequencies: how often?
6. Absences: "what expected but not there?"
7. Strong (clear evidence) vs weak (ambiguous)

→ Organized field notes cleanly separate obs from interpretation. Detailed enough another can verify.

If err: too vague ("things slow") → add specifics: "how slow? compared to what? which conditions?" Too detailed (record everything) → which relate to frame, which noise.

Step 5: Analyze

Obs → structured analysis.

1. Look for patterns:
   • Repetition: "happened many times — systematic?"
   • Correlation: "X always w/ Y — related?"
   • Sequence: "A always before B — A causes B?"
   • Absence: "X never in condition Z — why?"
   • Anomaly: "all follow P except this — what diff?"
2. Each pattern: "alternative explanation?"
3. 2-3 hypotheses
4. Correlation ≠ causation: "co-occur ≠ proves cause"
5. Testable + what test confirms/refutes
6. Confidence levels: well-supported vs speculative

→ Raw obs → structured hypotheses, data/theory separation kept. ≥1 testable hypothesis for original Q.

If err: jumps single explanation → challenge: "one possibility. another?" No patterns → too few obs → continue. Every obs same conclusion → filtering → ask: "what would contradict your theory?"

Step 6: Report

Communicate findings.

1. Structure:
   • Context: what/when/why/conditions
   • Method: protocol, tools, duration
   • Findings: key obs w/ evidence (data, not interpretation)
   • Analysis: patterns, hypotheses, confidence
   • Recommendations: next steps (more obs, test, intervene)
   • Limitations: not covered, potential biases
2. Findings in neutral lang separating fact from interpretation
3. Review for hidden assumptions / unsupported claims
4. Debug? translate hypotheses → concrete tests
5. Report? evidence cited specifically
6. Personal? summarize insights + remaining Qs

→ Clear report communicates obs/patterns/hypotheses, distinction kept. Reader can evaluate evidence independently.

If err: buries obs in interpretation → restructure: "facts one section, theories another." No confidence ("definitely because...") → calibrate: "how sure? what would change mind?"

Check

• Frame set before obs (not wandering)
• Recording protocol established + used consistently
• Obs as facts, separate from interpretations
• ≥5 concrete evidence-backed obs
• Patterns from analysis, not assumed
• Hypotheses testable, stated confidence
• Person experienced obs-before-interpret discipline

Traps

• Confirmation bias: only obs supporting belief. Frame must include "look for evidence against your hypothesis"
• Intervention urge: see + fix immediately → masks root cause → observe first
• Recording fatigue: detail = taxing. Breaks + realistic lengths (30-60min focused = substantial)
• Over-protocol: simple obs needs notebook+timestamps. Protocol serves obs, not replaces
• Obs ≠ surveillance: ethical boundaries matter. Visible behavior, no spy. People → transparency > secrecy
• Skip frame: no target → attention scatters → unfocused. Rough frame > none

→

• observe — AI self-directed variant
• learn-guidance — obs feeds learning
• listen-guidance — focused obs of speaker; obs broader to any system
• remote-viewing-guidance — shares method adapted for non-local
• read-garden — garden obs uses similar CRV-adapted sensory protocols