The People Code

⏰ Today in 5 minutes or less:

• Assembling a SteerCo should be part of your scope.

• Great SteerCos make you look great too.

• Relationship building keeps you away from the feast-or-famine cycle.

How to Be Unstoppable With Steering Committees

Early in my consulting career, I found SteerCos to be intimidating. 

Imagine yourself as a junior in an organization, dealing with senior executives in a meeting room who – at best will debate, but at worst, will fight to decide. 

Who wouldn’t be shaking in their boots? 

As my experience grew, I learned that the discussions in SteerCo meetings are pivotal for moving projects forward across a large organization. 

Now, whenever I parachute into a client team, the first two questions I ask are:  

• "Who’s on the Steering Committee?” 

• “What do they care about?” 

Because if you don’t understand who the pivotal people are and their motivations, you’re toast. 

(And by toast, I mean frozen in panic and stricken with anxiety while your client quietly wonders if you know what you’re doing. But if you know what to do, you can manage it.) 

Here’s how I approach defining the client’s SteerCo – and how you can do it, too. 

Why You Need a Defined SteerCo 

Let me paint you a picture: you’re brought into a project where IT, Sales, and Finance all had different opinions on what success looked like. 

IT wanted stability, Sales wanted to max out their incentive plan, and Finance wanted to cut costs. 

No one was aligned, and the project was stalled. 

What would your move be? For me, I’ll assemble a SteerCo. 

I will sit down with the client and say, “We need the people who can make a decision and the five people who are critical in implementing that decision.” 

The goal is to have a team with an Executive Sponsor, a key decision maker, and people who will implement the results of that decision within 30 days. 

Your SteerCo will form after your 30 days with a new team. Meetings will be choppy at first, but it will develop a regular cadence. By meeting three, we’ll have alignment, clear trade-offs, and momentum. 

What I learned (and re-learned over the course of my career) is that if you don’t define the SteerCo early, you’ll end up playing mediator between middle managers while your project goes nowhere. 

How I Define My Client’s SteerCo 

If the client hasn’t set up a SteerCo, I make it part of the scope. If they have set one up and it’s already a mess, I help them fix it. 

Here’s what I do: 

1. Pick the Right People (and Gently Exclude the Wrong Ones) 

A SteerCo should have about 5-7 people. Any more and you’re running a town hall, not a decision-making body. 

Here’s who I want: 

• The Executive Sponsor: The person who owns the project outcome. This is the ‘power player’ who can say, “Yes, we’re doing this." 

• Decision Influencers: People with real authority to approve scope, budget, or priorities. No proxies, no stand-ins. 

• Impact Owners: Leaders of teams who are directly affected. You need their buy-in to avoid mutiny when changes roll out. 

• Constructive Skeptics: You know the type: the person who will fight the project tooth and nail if you don’t include them. Bring them in, let them air concerns early, and keep them engaged. 

But who doesn’t make the cut? The fillers. 

• The passive observer. If they’re just here to listen, they don’t need to be in a SteerCo. 

• Anyone who doesn’t have decision-making power. Otherwise, meetings will grind to a halt. 

• People who are there for optics. Figure out a way to include them in another form. 

2. Clarify What the SteerCo Actually Does 

I’ve seen too many Steering Committees turn into status update snoozefests so I’m explicit about their purpose: This group makes decisions, resolves escalations, and aligns on priorities. That’s it. 

These meetings are incredibly expensive. 

Every senior executive in that meeting room is paid an expensive hourly rate. Don’t set a million dollars on fire by having them sit and discuss in a room with no clear direction.  

To be clear on what these executives are in the room for, here’s how I frame it to the client: 

• What decisions will this group make? This includes scope changes, budgets, approvals, or conflict resolutions. 

• What do they provide feedback on? You need to be clear about what area of the project they’re affecting or weighing in on. 

• What do we escalate to them? Tell them about major risks or issues that the working team can’t resolve. 

• What’s the cadence of the meeting? Typically, bi-weekly or monthly. Any more and you risk overkill. 

When a client says, “But what about project updates?” I tell them, “We’ll send pre-reads. The meeting is for decisions, not show-and-tell.” 

And let me tell you – that single tweak saves everyone hours. 

3. Anchor Every Meeting Around Decisions 

Most meetings often get derailed by unimportant things. But you need to keep your SteerCo in line because the fate of your project lies with them. 

To keep them anchored to the topic, here’s the agenda I swear by: 

1. Decisions needed today: What big calls does leadership need to make? 

2. Escalations or risks: What roadblocks do we need cleared? 

3. Progress against milestones: A brief, no-fluff update to connect the dots between work and outcomes. 

That’s it. If I see the meeting wandering into minutiae, I say something like, “That’s an operational detail – let’s keep this focused on decisions at this level.” People usually thank me later. 

If a decision doesn’t get made in the meeting, I always close with “What else do you need to decide, who owns it, and by when?” 

Follow-up is everything. 

4. Make Accountability Non-Negotiable 

Here’s something I learned the hard way: A decision made in the meeting is meaningless unless someone follows through. That’s why I document everything in real time: decisions made, actions items, owners and deadlines. 

Then I send a quick recap to the group within 24 hours. If someone misses their commitment? I will follow up before the next meeting. 

It keeps the wheels turning and makes you look like the pro you are. 

Pitfalls I’ve Seen (and How I Steer Clients Around Them) 

SteerCos fail all the time, and it’s usually for the same reasons. If you know how these pitfalls look like, it’s easier to steer clear of them. 

Here’s what I watch for: 

1. Too Many People: Have I said this enough? One too many captains will sink the ship. 

   🛠️ The Fix: Keep the SteerCo small. When clients suggest adding “everyone,” I say, “Who’s making decisions here?” That shuts it down. 

    

2. No Authority in the Room: Some people’s decisions don’t have bearing to the project. 

   🛠️ The Fix: Confirm that every member has decision-making power before the first meeting. If their yes isn’t that important, they don’t need to be there. 

3. The Meeting Becomes a Status Update: Everyone’s time is precious, so use the SteerCo meetings to make important decisions. 

   🛠️ The Fix: Redirect the agenda to decisions and risks. Pre-reads handle the rest. 

4. No Follow-Through: People easily forget. And if they forget, things won’t get done. 

   🛠️ The Fix: Send action recaps immediately. Assign names and dates. Follow up like clockwork. 

Final Thoughts (Or: Lessons I Learned So You Don’t Have To) 

If you’re an indie consultant or fractional executive, defining your client’s SteerCo is one of the smartest things you can do. More than managing the project, you’re also helping the client lead more effectively. 

And here’s the kicker: A great SteerCo makes you look great, too. 

You’re not stuck chasing middle managers or resolving petty squabbles. You’re driving decisions, clearing roadblocks, and showing your client what good leadership looks like in action. 

So, the next time you start a project, don’t just ask for the plan. Ask, “Who’s on the Steering Committee?” Then help them get it right. 

Because it’s not just a governance tool. It’s your project’s jet fuel. 

The Referral Formula for Indie Consultants

What’s your secret to keeping a steady stream of clients? 

I’ve been an independent consultant for 10 years and have built a seven-figure consultancy. But I didn’t go into this with the perfect plan – I only threw spaghetti at the wall until things started working.   

 I soon noticed a pattern in our success and developed The Referral Formula. 

You can go back to this longer article for a more detailed explanation of the formula, but we’re including our practical tools for each phase here. 

To keep referrals steady and avoid the feast-or-famine cycle, I realized consistent relationship-building was essential. 

At first, it felt like work. 

But when I reframed it as the key to serving others and maintaining my independence, everything shifted. 

Building relationships became about showing up, supporting others, and finding ways to help. 

With this mindset in place, I needed a simple, scalable way to stay consistent. Here’s how I keep my relationship pipeline flowing:   

1. INTAKE – Never stop growing your network. A well-targeted network fuels referrals by connecting you with people you can serve. This year, we’re helping more consultants grow their network through the ongoing “100 Calls” challenge. The challenge is currently closed, but stayed tuned for more.

2. REACH – Find decision makers. Not everyone who faces the problem you solve has the budget and authority to hire you. You have to navigate and connect with decision-makers. It’s a tough challenge but our network map might make it easier for you.   

3. CULTIVATE – Stay visible and in service of your network. This keeps you top-of-mind when they need help or know someone you can help. Check out this email template for reigniting relationships with clients and other people in your network. 

4. EVANGELIZE – Invest in people who champion your work. Serve your evangelists continuously and build meaningful relationships beyond business deals. Here’s another useful email template you can send to your evangelists to solicit some referrals.  

What’s one relationship-building habit that has worked for you? 

🚨 Chart Crimes!

Why would you assign a color another RANDOM color? 

Consultants – if you’re going the extra mile, don’t let it be for something this heinous.

Remember, the path to success is paved with continuous learning and embracing fresh perspectives.

Let's stay connected, share ideas, and elevate your consulting business.

Stay curious, friends.

The 2×2 is brought to you by Keenan Reid Strategies

Having trouble viewing this email? Check out this and past issues on our website.

Was this newsletter forwarded? Someone is looking out for you. You should definitely subscribe!