Reconcile lifecycle documentation

docs/operations.md

@@ -92,6 +92,14 @@ Execution rules:
   repeated self-skip with the same reason and no outputs is stable and does not
   perpetually rerun downstream work.
 
+An explicit self-skip is a durable `skipped` stage outcome that later runs
+reconsider. It differs from successful no-output execution: disabled `render`
+and `publish`, and absent or no-executable `analyze`, record `succeeded` with
+metadata and no outputs. Ordinary later runs reuse those successful results;
+force the affected stage after enabling or configuring it. Optional artifact
+inputs are omitted only from the consuming artifact invocation and do not make
+the stage self-skip.
+
 Single-stage execution:
 
 ```bash