Specification. Verification. Conviction.
Specification
Can people define what matters before asking AI, or anyone else, to act?
- Problem framing
- Clear communication
- Context setting
- Constraint definition
- Asking the right question
- Signal from noise
Without it: vague in, vague out. AI answers the question it was given, not the one that mattered.
Explore specification →Verification
Can people tell whether an answer, recommendation or assumption holds up?
- Critical thinking
- Evidence evaluation
- Assumption testing
- Contradiction detection
- Systems thinking
- Second-order effects
- Recognizing uncertainty
Without it: review becomes a rubber stamp on generated text.
Explore verification →Conviction
Can people make and defend a justified decision, and still update when the evidence changes?
- Decision quality
- Leadership judgment
- Persuasion
- Negotiation
- Accountable action
- Updating on evidence
Without it: the model decides, and nobody owns the call.
Explore conviction →From framework to behavior.
| Reasoning vector | Observable capabilities | What you would see |
|---|---|---|
| Specification | Communication, problem framing, analytical clarity | The problem is stated before work starts. Constraints are explicit. The question asked is the one that matters. |
| Verification | Critical thinking, systems thinking, evidence evaluation | Claims are checked. Contradictions are caught. Second-order effects are named before the decision, not after. |
| Conviction | Decision quality, leadership judgment, negotiation | A decision is made, owned and defended, and revised when the evidence changes. |
Where capability becomes visible.
Three examples from production, as managers see them.
| Microskill | Vector | What it looks like in a session |
|---|---|---|
| Steelmans the counter-view | Conviction | Argues the other side well before committing to their own. |
| Seeks the disconfirming case | Verification | Looks for the evidence that would prove them wrong before signing off. |
| Updates on new data | Conviction | Changes position when a new fact arrives, and says why. |
Six domains, one engine.
- Communication framing, clarity, questioning and active listening.
- Critical thinking evidence, assumptions and contradictions.
- Systems thinking second-order effects and feedback loops.
- Decision quality commitment, calibration and updating.
- Leadership judgment, accountability and moving a room.
- Negotiation competing interests and trade-offs made explicit.
See your team on all three vectors.
Common questions
What are Specification, Verification and Conviction?
They are the three reasoning vectors RCM ThinkLabs uses to describe AI-era capability. Specification is defining what matters before asking AI or others to act. Verification is testing whether an answer holds up. Conviction is making and defending a justified decision while staying willing to update.
How many capabilities and microskills are there?
Each skill domain runs on its own taxonomy. The communication taxonomy, for example, has 3 vectors of reasoning, 16 capabilities within them and 64 microskills, each with its own trajectory. Taxonomies are written as observable behaviors and agreed with each client.
Which skill domains does RCM ThinkLabs cover?
Communication, leadership, critical thinking, decision quality, negotiation and systems thinking. They run on the same engine, so results compare directly.