steer

name	steer
description	Project-profile recalibration. Audits session calibration drift, presents per-cluster evidence for a user verdict, writes the updated project-profile rule, and inscribes a settled-direction clause.
user_invocable	true

Steer Skill

Project Profile Recalibration via Calibration Drift Audit — when the user wants to refresh the user-global or project-local project-profile rule layer based on observed Cognitive Partnership Move calibration drift in a target session, scan calibration moves for Constitution overapplication, Extension misapplication, and existing-profile drift, surface per-cluster evidence for user-constituted verdict, assemble a profile diff, and write an updated rule file with timestamped backup. Type: (CalibrationDriftOpaque, AI, INDUCE-with-inscription, SessionCalibrationMoves) → UpdatedProjectProfile.

Invoke directly with /steer when the user wants the project profile to track observed calibration practice rather than remain frozen at initialization time.

Definition

Steer (Periagoge specialization, "turning the helm"): A dialogical act of resolving the opacity of project profile drift into a recognized profile update, where AI scans target session calibration moves against the existing project-profile rule layer, classifies each move into drift clusters, presents per-cluster evidence for user-constituted verdict, assembles a diff over the six profile variables, and inscribes the approved diff back into the rule file — profile mutation belongs to the user's per-cluster verdict and final approval acts.

This skill is a Periagoge family extension. Generic Periagoge (/induce) crystallizes an unnamed essence from an instance set into a session-text abstraction. Steer narrows the instance axis to Cognitive Partnership Move calibration moves observed in a target session and extends the output axis with a writable rule inscription step — the inscribed project-profile.md becomes the new prejudgment baseline for the next invocation. This closing of the loop (audit → inscription → next invocation reads the inscribed baseline) is referred to as Circular Return in this skill: the inscribed artifact becomes the prejudgment input the next audit reads from, making the operation self-referential across sessions. The dialectical triangulation core is preserved (Phase 3 per-cluster verdicts and Phase 5 final approval realize the Confirm / Dismiss / Reorient pattern), but the write step crosses the preserves/mutates boundary that /induce itself respects.

This skill stands in time-axis dual relationship to /probe (prospective fit recognition). Both refuse AI-side resolution and treat user recognition as the constitutive act. The writable persistence layer is what makes Steer useful for keeping the profile current as a project's needs change.

Steer maintains a second inscription target alongside the profile: a Settled Directions registry. When a confirmed cluster shows that a resolution direction has been recurringly constituted the same way — observed practice consistently auto-resolves (relays) what the profile would gate — that direction has settled, and it graduates into a citable convention clause. Downstream gate decisions cite such a clause to present a finding as relay rather than re-gating a direction the project has already decided. The registry lives in the project guide (AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md), in a ## Settled Directions section placed adjacent to the project's Northstar/mission section (the section is created if absent). Both write targets are governed by the same Phase 5 final approval; the profile rolls back through a timestamped backup (when an existing profile is present) and the registry through version control (the project guide is git-tracked, matching the /realign convention for that file). A settled-directions clause is the output when a cluster's implication names a settled direction rather than a profile-variable value.

Phase 3 per-cluster recognition is verification-category — the user verifies the AI's classification accuracy of an already-detected drift cluster, not a forward-trajectory selection. The Differential Future Requirement does not apply to the per-cluster verdict gate by the same logic that exempts Anamnesis Phase 2 recognition gates (past-identity synthesis, not future-trajectory commitment): a 1-correct option structure (was-drift / was-aligned) is legitimate by purpose because downstream diff assembly is a deterministic consequence of the verdict, not a user-selected trajectory. Phase 5 final approve gate IS forward-looking (write or not write) and follows the Differential Future Requirement.

Paths below written {config_dir}/… take {config_dir} = CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR when set, else ~/.claude. Resolve it ONCE per invocation with Bash printf '%s\n' "${CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR-$HOME/.claude}" and substitute the absolute result before any Read/Glob/Grep call.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when:

• The project profile was set at initialization but the user senses observed calibration practice has drifted from the inscribed defaults
• The user wants to refresh {config_dir}/rules/project-profile.md (user-global) or .claude/rules/project-profile.md (project-local) based on a recent session's calibration moves
• The user wants empirical evidence about which Cognitive Partnership Move axes (Constitution / Extension / six profile variables) need recalibration
• A target session contains enough calibration moves (gate interactions, auto-resolutions, agent boundary actions) to support a meaningful audit
• A resolution direction has been constituted the same way often enough that re-gating it is over-gating, and the user wants it recorded as a citable Settled Directions clause adjacent to the project Northstar

Skip when:

• The deficit is forward-looking (use /probe for prospective deficit recognition)
• The audit target is past protocol contract integrity rather than calibration drift in Cognitive Partnership Move
• The session contains too few calibration moves to support audit (Phase 0 deactivates with no-op note)
• The user wants in-conversation abstraction crystallization without rule inscription (use /induce directly)
• The user wants accumulated session analytics without profile-update focus (use /report or /dashboard)

Distinction from Adjacent Skills

Skill	Time axis	Subject	Operation	Output	Persistence
/probe	Prospective (present situation)	Deficit recognition fit review	RECOGNIZE	ProtocolRoute or FitReviewNote	Session text
/induce	In-process (instance set)	Abstraction crystallization	INDUCE	CrystallizedAbstraction	Session text
/steer	Retrospective (target session)	Cognitive Partnership Move calibration drift	INDUCE extended with writable inscription, with routing to operational layer when finding shape mismatches	UpdatedProjectProfile, NoUpdateNote, DiffArtifact, or OperationalLayerRecommendation	Writable rule file + Settled Directions registry (Approve disposition) or session text (other dispositions)

The skill family coexists by operation and persistence — none replaces the others. Steer is for keeping the project profile current with observed practice; the other skills serve forward-looking or in-conversation needs.

Protocol

Phase 0: Scope Determination

Determine the audit scope before scanning. Three decisions:

• Target session — default is the current session only; the user may pass a session_id argument to target a different session
• Layer — user_global ({config_dir}/rules/project-profile.md) or project_local (.claude/rules/project-profile.md); when both files exist, default to the layer the user invoked from (project_local when CWD is inside a project with a local file, user_global otherwise); the user may override
• Cross-session evidence — default off; reading prior session calibration history beyond the target session requires explicit user confirmation

If the user invocation does not specify scope, present a Constitution interaction soliciting the three decisions before proceeding to Phase 1. If scope is fully specified, accept it and proceed.

Phase 0 is otherwise silent. If the target session contains fewer than the minimum-viable calibration move count (default: 3 moves), deactivate with a brief no-op note and route the user to invoke /steer against a richer session.

Phase 1: Prejudgment — Load Existing Profile

Read the existing project-profile rule file at the chosen layer:

• For user_global: {config_dir}/rules/project-profile.md
• For project_local: .claude/rules/project-profile.md

Parse the existing six profile variables (revision_cost, deploy_fan_out, dependency_lock_in, runtime_persistence, hermeneutic_circle_availability, notation_maturity) and the calibration result (Extension-default vs Constitution-default vs mixed). When the file does not exist, treat the existing profile as the empty profile P_∅ — the audit then operates as a first-time profile induction rather than a recalibration.

Phase 1 emits no surfacing. The loaded profile becomes the prejudgment baseline against which Phase 2 trial inscription operates.

Phase 2: Trial Inscription — Scan and Classify

Scan the target session for calibration moves and classify each into a drift cluster.

Scan procedure:

1. Read the target session transcript ({config_dir}/projects/{slug}/{session-id}.jsonl)
2. Extract calibration move candidates — gate interactions (Constitution / Extension presentations per TOOL GROUNDING), auto-resolutions where AI proceeded without user gate, agent boundary actions (Skill / Agent / SendMessage invocations), Standing-authority delegations
3. For each candidate, identify the move kind (Constitution / Extension / BoundaryAction) and the axis it implicates (which of the six profile variables it bears on, when applicable)

Classification — assign each move to one cluster of the partition:

• ConstitutionOverapplied — moves where AI presented a Constitution gate that the loaded profile would have routed to Extension; evidence: existing profile classification → Extension, observed move → Constitution gate. Implication: the existing profile's Extension scope may be too narrow; observed practice prefers user gating.
• ExtensionMisapplied — moves where AI auto-resolved (Extension) what the loaded profile would have routed to Constitution; evidence: existing profile classification → Constitution, observed move → auto-resolution. Implication: the existing profile's Constitution-required category may be too broad; observed practice prefers auto-resolution.
• ProfileDriftConflict — moves whose evidence supports a profile variable value different from the inscribed value. Implication: the variable assignment itself needs revision toward the value the observed evidence supports.
• Emergent — moves whose evidence signals a calibration concern that does not fit the named clusters. The Emergent cluster admits axes outside the six named variables and surfaces them as candidates for taxonomy revision pending accumulated use evidence under the project's calibration mechanism.

Phase 2 produces no cumulative score or rate. No "calibration accuracy index", no "drift percentage", no "profile fitness metric". Per-move classification is the entire structured output.

Phase 3: Validation — Per-Cluster Recognition (Constitution Loop)

For each non-empty cluster, present the cluster's evidence for user-constituted verdict.

Present cluster context as text output before the Constitution interaction. Format per cluster:

Cluster [Type] — N moves
  For each move (up to 5 representative moves; remaining counted):
    Move K — turn <turn_index>
      Move kind: <Constitution / Extension / BoundaryAction>
      Axis: <profile variable bearing on the move, if applicable>
      Evidence: <quoted excerpt or paraphrase showing the move and its calibration shape>
      Existing-profile expectation: <what the loaded profile would have classified this move as>
      Observed move: <what AI actually did>
  Cluster implication: <what profile change this cluster collectively suggests>

Then propose AI verdict before yielding turn for user constitution:

AI proposed verdict: <Confirm | Dismiss | Reorient(implication') | Stop> — one-paragraph classification justification: cluster evidence, counter-evidence considered, and why the cluster IS (or IS NOT) drift under the proposed verdict. Phase 3 is verification-category (1-correct option structure per definition section); the rationale supports classification accuracy, not competitive ranking among peer alternatives.

Then present the recognition Constitution interaction:

Did this cluster surface a real calibration drift?

Options:
1. Confirm — the cluster represents real drift; carry into the assembled diff
2. Dismiss — the cluster is noise (the moves were appropriate as-is); exclude from diff
3. Reorient — the cluster is real but the implication should be different from presented; specify the alternative implication
4. Stop — exit /steer without further cluster review (assembled-so-far diff goes to Phase 4)

Each cluster verdict belongs to the user — confirmation is constituted by the user's selection at this Constitution interaction. After response:

• Confirm — record the cluster as confirmed drift; carry implication into Phase 4 tier resolution
• Dismiss — record the cluster as user-dismissed noise; exclude from diff
• Reorient — accept the user's alternative implication; record cluster as confirmed-with-modified-implication; carry into Phase 4
• Stop — break loop; proceed to Phase 4 with whatever has been confirmed so far

Loop Phase 3 over clusters in evidential-strength order (highest-evidence first). Phase 3 honors the cluster set as enumerated in Phase 2 — no dynamic cluster injection during the loop.

Phase 4: Tier Resolution — Assemble Diff and Fit-Shape Check

Assemble a profile diff from confirmed cluster implications. First partition the confirmed clusters by implication target: a cluster whose implication names a settled direction routes to the settled-directions delta (assembled below) and is excluded from profile translation; every other confirmed cluster routes to the profile diff. The two targets are disjoint per cluster — no cluster contributes to both, so a registry-only cluster never becomes a (spurious) profile-variable change.

1. For each confirmed cluster routed to the profile diff (i.e., not partitioned to the settled-directions delta), translate the cluster implication into a concrete profile variable change (or calibration result change, when the cluster's implication is structural rather than per-variable)
2. Resolve cross-cluster conflicts where two or more clusters propose incompatible values for the same variable; when the conflict requires user judgment, surface it in Phase 5 alongside the candidate values
3. Construct the diff representation: before (existing profile) → after (proposed profile), variable-by-variable, with provenance citing the confirming cluster(s)
4. Fit-shape check — evaluate whether the assembled diff fits the project profile rule file structure (six variables + Floor / Bounded zone + calibration result). Mismatch signals:
   • Programmatic-trigger material: the diff's enforcement requires deterministic detection of a specific tool / command / event (e.g., a particular Bash invocation, a specific slash command, a tool result shape) — prose interpretation cannot reliably substitute
   • Layer mixing: the diff compresses universal principle, specific instance, recognition mechanism, and falsification metrics into a single rule-file bullet — the resulting contract is ambiguous between universal rule and concrete operational guidance
   • Behavioral enforcement focus: the diff's load-bearing requirement is what AI does at runtime, not what is visible to user judgment — behavioral enforcement is operational-substrate territory (system prompts, hooks, CI/CD, settings.json), distinct from the epistemic substrate where calibration prose belongs

When one or more signals fire, accumulate them into mismatch_signals (Set(MismatchSignal)) and carry it into Phase 5; the diff itself is still assembled (the user retains override authority — picking Approve forces prose inscription regardless of the recommendation).

Assemble the settled-directions delta in parallel with the profile diff. For each confirmed cluster whose implication names a settled direction — a resolution direction observed practice has constituted the same way often enough that re-gating it would be over-gating (commonly an ExtensionMisapplied cluster, where practice auto-resolves what the profile gates) — construct a SettledDirection clause: a one-line statement of the direction, the basis (the cluster evidence that settled it), and the originating cluster type. Clusters whose implication is a profile-variable value contribute to the profile diff, not the delta; the two outputs are disjoint per cluster. When no confirmed cluster names a settled direction, the delta is empty and the registry is left untouched at Phase 5.

Phase 4 emits no surfacing. The assembled diff and settled-directions delta (with mismatch_signals set, possibly empty) become the input to Phase 5.

Phase 5: Circular Return — Final Approve and Write

Present the assembled diff for final user approval. Format:

Project Profile Diff — [layer: user_global | project_local]

Before (existing profile):
  <variable>: <value>  — <existing rationale>
  ...

After (proposed profile):
  <variable>: <value>  — <new rationale citing cluster provenance>
  ...

Calibration result delta:
  Before: <Extension-default | Constitution-default | mixed>
  After:  <new classification>

Settled Directions delta (when non-empty):
  <clause> — basis: <cluster evidence> (origin: <cluster type>)
  ... (one line per settled-direction clause; merged into the registry by clause identity)

Conflicting clusters (if any):
  <variable>: <candidate_a> vs <candidate_b> — needs user choice

Backup target (when an existing profile is present; skipped on first-time induction): <existing_profile_path>.bak.YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS
Write target:  <existing_profile_path>
Registry write target (when delta non-empty): <registry_path> (## Settled Directions, adjacent to Northstar; rollback via version control)

When mismatch_signals is non-empty (Phase 4 fit-shape check fired one or more signals), surface them as text output between the diff presentation and the approval interaction:

Fit-shape mismatches detected: <signal_a, signal_b, ...> — <one-sentence explanation per signal>
Recommended operational layer: <hook event | system prompt | CI/CD | settings.json | other>
Realization template (if RouteToOperationalLayer is selected): <concrete trigger + behavior outline>

Then propose AI disposition before yielding turn for user constitution:

AI proposed disposition: <Approve | Modify | Reject | Defer | RouteToOperationalLayer> — one-paragraph rationale referencing diff scope, fit-shape signals (mismatch_signals), backup/rollback availability, and why the proposed disposition dominates alternatives. When mismatch_signals is non-empty, the rationale must address whether prose inscription or operational-layer routing better fits the diff.

Then present the final approval Constitution interaction. The option set includes RouteToOperationalLayer only when the Phase 4 fit-shape check fired one or more mismatch_signals; otherwise present the first four options only:

How would you like to proceed with this diff?

Options:
1. Approve — write the proposed profile to <write_target>; create backup at <backup_path> first (skipped on first-time induction, when no existing profile is present); also writes the Settled Directions registry when the settled-directions delta is non-empty, and appends this trial to the persistent trial index
2. Modify — adjust specific profile variables and/or settled-direction clauses before write (specify which and how)
3. Reject — discard the diff; the existing profile remains unchanged; emit NoUpdateNote
4. Defer — emit the diff and any settled-directions delta as a session-text artifact without writing; the user can apply manually later
5. RouteToOperationalLayer — emit OperationalLayerRecommendation artifact (mismatch signal + recommended layer + realization template); rule file unchanged, and this trial is appended to the persistent trial index

After response:

• Approve — execute write sequence: (i) create timestamped backup of existing profile file (or skip backup when existing file is absent), (ii) write the new profile to the target path, (iii) when the settled-directions delta is non-empty, write the ## Settled Directions section — merging each clause into the existing section by identity, or creating the section adjacent to the Northstar/mission section when absent (registry rollback is through version control, no .bak), (iv) append a structured entry to the trial index (steer-trials.md at the same layer scope), (v) emit UpdatedProjectProfile session-text artifact with the diff trace, the settled-directions delta, the profile backup path for rollback (when present), the registry write path when the delta was non-empty, and the index entry path
• Modify — accept the user's adjustments to profile variables and/or settled-direction clauses, regenerate the diff and the settled-directions delta, re-present Phase 5 Constitution interaction
• Reject — emit NoUpdateNote session-text artifact recording the reviewed clusters and dismissed diff; existing file unchanged; trial index untouched (no inscription to track)
• Defer — emit the diff and any settled-directions delta as paste-ready markdown blocks AND keep both write targets unchanged for now; the user retains the audit work for manual application later (distinct from Reject, which discards the diff entirely); trial index untouched until the user manually applies the diff
• RouteToOperationalLayer — emit OperationalLayerRecommendation session-text artifact recording: (i) the fit-shape mismatch signal that triggered the routing, (ii) the recommended operational layer per finding shape (hooks, system prompt, CI/CD, settings.json), (iii) a realization template (concrete trigger + behavior outline + scope) for downstream implementation. Append a structured entry to the trial index (steer-trials.md at the same layer scope) so the proposed routing is inventoried even when implementation is deferred to a downstream task. Existing rule file unchanged. Steer's role is to recognize the routing and emit the realization template; implementation belongs to a downstream task using the appropriate substrate tooling

After integration, log the disposition. The rule file write (Approve) or the index inscription (Approve and RouteToOperationalLayer) is the Circular Return — the inscribed profile becomes the new prejudgment baseline for the next /steer invocation, and the trial index becomes the at-a-glance inventory of trials this project's /steer has produced.

── FLOW ──
Steer(scope) → Phase0(scope, user_confirm) →
  insufficient(scope): deactivate(no-op note)
  scoped(scope): Load(existing_profile, layer) → P_existing →
    Scan(target_session, M[]) →
    |M[]| < min_viable: deactivate(no-op note)
    |M[]| >= min_viable: Classify(M[], Taxonomy) → clusters →
      Loop over clusters:
        present(cluster, evidence) → Qc(cluster) → Stop → V →
          Confirm(cluster): record_confirmed(cluster) → next
          Dismiss(cluster): record_dismissed(cluster) → next
          Reorient(cluster, implication'): record_modified(cluster, implication') → next
          Stop: break loop
      Assemble(confirmed_clusters, P_existing) → (diff, settled_directions_delta) →
      fit_shape_check(diff) → mismatch_signals →
      present(diff, settled_directions_delta, backup_path, mismatch_signals) → Qc(approve) → Stop → A →
        Approve: [P_existing ≠ P_∅: backup(P_existing)] → write(P_proposed, layer) →
                 [settled_directions_delta ≠ ∅: write(settled_directions_registry)] →
                 append_index(layer) → emit(UpdatedProjectProfile)
        Modify(adjustments): regenerate(diff, settled_directions_delta, adjustments) → re-present Phase5
        Reject: emit(NoUpdateNote) → no write
        Defer: emit(DiffArtifact) → no write
        RouteToOperationalLayer: append_index(layer) → emit(OperationalLayerRecommendation)
      converge

── MORPHISM ──
SessionCalibrationMoves
  → resolve_scope(user_confirm)         -- scope determination (target session, layer, cross_session)
  → load_existing_profile(layer)        -- prejudgment
  → scan(session, calibration_moves)    -- trial inscription start
  → classify(moves, drift_taxonomy)     -- trial inscription complete
  → present_per_cluster(cluster, V)     -- per-cluster validation
  → partition(confirmed) → assemble_diff(profile_bound) ∧ assemble_settled_directions_delta(settled_direction_bound)  -- tier resolution: disjoint partition of confirmed clusters (profile-bound vs settled-direction), two disjoint outputs
  → fit_shape_check(diff)                -- operational-layer material detection
  → present_diff(approve, settled_directions_delta, mismatch_signals)  -- final Constitution interaction
  → [Approve: write(profile, layer, backup) ∧ (settled_directions_delta ≠ ∅ → write(registry));
     Reject: (no write); Defer: (no write); RouteToOperationalLayer: (no write)]
                                          -- exhaustive over terminal dispositions; Modify(adjustments) re-enters Phase 5 (regenerate diff + delta), not a terminal branch; writes occur on Approve only; registry write gated on non-empty delta
                                          -- registry is project-scoped (the project guide), NOT layer-parameterized: a user_global profile run still writes the registry to the current project guide; rollback via version control, not a .bak
  → [Approve | RouteToOperationalLayer: append_index(layer); Reject | Defer: (no append)]   -- trial inventory append on Approve and RouteToOperationalLayer only
  → emit(UpdatedProjectProfile | NoUpdateNote | DiffArtifact | OperationalLayerRecommendation)
                                          -- per disposition: Approve → UpdatedProjectProfile; Reject → NoUpdateNote; Defer → DiffArtifact (carries diff + settled_directions_markdown); RouteToOperationalLayer → OperationalLayerRecommendation
  → UpdatedProjectProfile | NoUpdateNote | DiffArtifact | OperationalLayerRecommendation
requires: calibration_drift_opaque(scope) ∧ scope_resolved(user)  -- activation precondition + Phase 0 confirmation
deficit:  CalibrationDriftOpaque             -- activation precondition (user-invoked Layer 1)
preserves: SessionHistory                    -- read-only audit; SessionCalibrationMoves are derived
invariant: Recognition over Profile-Mutation, Backup over Risk
                                              -- ProjectProfileFile and the Settled Directions registry are mutated at Phase 5 Approve;
                                              -- both mutations are gated by the single Phase 5 Constitution final approve;
                                              -- the profile write is protected by a pre-write timestamped backup when an existing profile is present (skipped on first-time induction), the registry write (when delta non-empty) by version-control rollback (the project guide is git-tracked)

── TYPES ──
Scope             = { target_session: SessionId, layer: Layer, cross_session: Bool }
SessionId         = String          -- identifier of target session JSONL
Layer             ∈ {user_global, project_local}
CalibrationMove   = { turn_index: Int, kind: MoveKind, axis: Optional(ProfileVariable),
                      observed_classification: Classification,
                      profile_expected_classification: Classification,
                      evidence: String }
MoveKind          ∈ {Constitution, Extension, BoundaryAction}
Classification    ∈ {Constitution, Extension, Mixed, NotApplicable}
ProfileVariable   ∈ {revision_cost, deploy_fan_out, dependency_lock_in,
                     runtime_persistence, hermeneutic_circle_availability, notation_maturity}
                    ∪ Emergent
DriftCluster      ∈ {ConstitutionOverapplied, ExtensionMisapplied, ProfileDriftConflict, Emergent}
Cluster           = { type: DriftCluster, moves: List(CalibrationMove), implication: String }
V                 = ClusterVerdict ∈ {Confirm, Dismiss, Reorient(implication'), Stop}
ProjectProfile    = Map(ProfileVariable, ProfileValue)
ProfileValue      = { value: String, rationale: String }
Diff              = { before: ProjectProfile, after: ProjectProfile,
                      provenance: Map(ProfileVariable, List(DriftCluster)),
                      conflicts: List(VariableConflict) }
VariableConflict  = { variable: ProfileVariable, candidates: List(ProfileValue) }
A                 = ApprovalDisposition ∈ {Approve, Modify(adjustments), Reject, Defer, RouteToOperationalLayer}
MismatchSignal    ∈ {ProgrammaticTrigger, LayerMixing, BehavioralEnforcement} — atomic Phase 4 fit-shape signal
MismatchSignals   = Set(MismatchSignal) — Phase 4 fit-shape check output; empty set when diff fits the project profile rule file structure; non-empty set lists all detected signals (compound mismatches are common, e.g., ProgrammaticTrigger + BehavioralEnforcement co-occurring)
RecommendedLayer  ∈ {Hook(HookEvent), SystemPrompt, CI_CD, Settings, Other(String)}
HookEvent         ∈ {SessionStart, SessionEnd, UserPromptSubmit, PreToolUse, PostToolUse, Stop, SubagentStop, PreCompact, Notification}
UpdatedProjectProfile = session text { layer, diff, settled_directions_delta, write_path, index_entry_path,
                                       backup_path?, registry_write_path? }
                    -- backup_path present unless first-time induction (P_existing = P_∅); registry_write_path present only when settled_directions_delta ≠ ∅
NoUpdateNote      = session text { reviewed_clusters, dismissed_diff }
DiffArtifact      = session text { diff_markdown, settled_directions_markdown, suggested_apply_path }
OperationalLayerRecommendation = session text { mismatch_signals: MismatchSignals,
                                                recommended_layer: RecommendedLayer,
                                                realization_template: String,
                                                trial_scope: String,
                                                index_entry_path: Path }
TrialIndexEntry   = { date: ISO8601Date, disposition: A,
                      mismatch_signals: MismatchSignals,
                      recommended_layer: Optional(RecommendedLayer),
                      realization_refs: List(Path | String),
                      origin_context: String,
                      falsification: Optional(String),
                      reevaluation: Optional(String),
                      status: TrialStatus }
TrialStatus       ∈ {active, completed, retracted}
SettledDirection  = { clause: String, basis: String, origin_cluster: DriftCluster }
                    -- a resolution direction recurringly constituted the same way, promoted to a citable convention;
                    -- cited by downstream gate decisions to present a finding as relay rather than re-gating it
SettledDirectionsDelta = List(SettledDirection)
                    -- registry change assembled in Phase 4 disjointly from the profile diff; the write step merges
                    -- each clause by identity (new clause appended, matching clause revised) — no separate add/update branch;
                    -- empty (∅) when no confirmed cluster names a settled direction → registry untouched
Phase             ∈ {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

── SCOPE-BINDING ──
bind(scope) = explicit_arg ∪ defaults
Priority: explicit_arg > defaults

/steer "session-id"           → Scope.target_session = "session-id"
/steer --layer=user_global    → Scope.layer = user_global
/steer --cross-session        → Scope.cross_session = true
/steer (alone)                → Scope.target_session = current; Scope.layer inferred from CWD; Scope.cross_session = false

When defaults are inferred, Phase 0 surfaces them in the scope-confirmation Constitution interaction so the user can override before scan begins.

── PHASE TRANSITIONS ──
Phase 0: scope_seed → resolve_defaults → Qc(scope_confirm) → Stop → Scope    -- scope determination [Tool]
Phase 1: Scope → Read(existing_profile_path) → P_existing                     -- prejudgment load [Tool]
           file_absent → P_existing = P_∅ (first-time induction)
Phase 2: Scope → Read(session_jsonl) → extract(M[]) → classify(M[]) → clusters  -- trial inscription [Tool]
           |M[]| < min_viable → deactivate(no-op note)
Phase 3: clusters → loop:
           present(cluster, evidence) → Qc(cluster) → Stop → V → integrate    -- per-cluster Constitution interaction [Tool]
           V = Stop → break loop
Phase 4: confirmed_clusters → partition(profile_bound, settled_direction_bound) → assemble_diff(P_existing) ∧ assemble_settled_directions_delta → (diff, delta) →
           fit_shape_check(diff) → mismatch_signals                                -- tier resolution + fit-shape detection (sense)
Phase 5: diff, delta, mismatch_signals → present(diff, delta, backup_path, mismatch_signals) → Qc(approve) → Stop → A  -- final Constitution interaction [Tool]
           A = Approve → [P_existing ≠ P_∅: Write(backup)] → Write(P_proposed) → [delta ≠ ∅: Write(registry)] → Append(steer_trials_md) → emit(UpdatedProjectProfile)
           A = Modify → regenerate(diff, delta) → Phase 5 re-entry
           A = Reject → emit(NoUpdateNote)
           A = Defer → emit(DiffArtifact)
           A = RouteToOperationalLayer → Append(steer_trials_md) → emit(OperationalLayerRecommendation)

── LOOP ──
Phase 3 → Phase 4 → Phase 5 →
  Approve: write executed; converge
  Modify: regenerate diff + delta; Phase 5 re-entry
  Reject: no write; converge with NoUpdateNote
  Defer: no write; converge with DiffArtifact
  RouteToOperationalLayer: no write; converge with OperationalLayerRecommendation
Phase 5 Modify re-entry max 3 iterations. Exhausted: surface assembled diff + settled-directions delta as DiffArtifact (defer) → converge.
Convergence evidence: per disposition, emit one of {UpdatedProjectProfile, NoUpdateNote, DiffArtifact, OperationalLayerRecommendation}.

── CONVERGENCE ──
recognized = all clusters processed (each cluster has Confirm/Dismiss/Reorient verdict OR loop reached Stop)
approved   = A ∈ {Approve, Reject, Defer, RouteToOperationalLayer}
written    = A = Approve ∧ (backup_created ∨ first_time_induction) ∧ write_succeeded ∧ (settled_directions_delta = ∅ ∨ registry_write_succeeded) (profile — pre-write backup when an existing profile is present, skipped on first-time induction where P_existing = P_∅; the Settled Directions registry write must also succeed when settled_directions_delta ≠ ∅, rolled back through version control)
session_text(steer) ∋ {UpdatedProjectProfile | NoUpdateNote | DiffArtifact | OperationalLayerRecommendation}

── TOOL GROUNDING ──
-- Realization: Constitution → TextPresent+Stop; Extension → TextPresent+Proceed
Phase 0 resolve_defaults  (sense)        → Internal analysis (CWD inspection, layer inference)
Phase 0 scope_from_arg    (extension)    → TextPresent+Proceed (when explicit_arg fully specifies scope — target_session, layer, cross_session all explicit; proceed with bound scope; Phase 5 Modify re-entry can adjust)
Phase 0 Qc                (constitution) → present (scope confirmation; when scope partially or fully inferred)
Phase 1 Read              (observe)      → Read (existing project-profile.md at chosen layer)
Phase 2 Read              (observe)      → Read (session JSONL transcript at target session path)
Phase 2 extract           (sense)        → Internal analysis (calibration move identification)
Phase 2 classify          (sense)        → Internal analysis (per-move drift cluster assignment)
Phase 3 present           (extension)    → TextPresent+Proceed (cluster evidence pre-gate)
Phase 3 Qc                (constitution) → present (per-cluster verdict; constitutive user verdict per cluster; Active-authority required at every cluster)
Phase 3 integrate         (track)        → Internal Λ update (cluster verdict recording)
Phase 4 assemble_diff     (sense)        → Internal analysis (variable-level diff construction)
Phase 4 assemble_delta    (sense)        → Internal analysis (settled-directions delta construction from confirmed clusters naming a settled direction; disjoint from the profile diff)
Phase 4 fit_shape_check   (sense)        → Internal analysis (operational-layer material detection — programmatic-trigger / layer-mixing / behavioral-enforcement signals)
Phase 5 present           (extension)    → TextPresent+Proceed (diff + settled-directions delta + backup path(s) + mismatch_signals pre-gate)
Phase 5 Qc                (constitution) → present (final approval; writable side effect with cross-session persistence; user authority required; option set extends to RouteToOperationalLayer when mismatch_signals is non-empty)
Phase 5 backup            (transform)    → Write (timestamped backup of the existing profile; Approve disposition only; skipped on first-time induction when P_existing = P_∅)
Phase 5 Write             (transform)    → Write (proposed profile to layer path; Approve disposition only)
Phase 5 write_registry    (transform)    → Write (merge Settled Directions clauses into the `## Settled Directions` section of the project guide, adjacent to the Northstar/mission section, creating the section when absent; Approve disposition only, when settled_directions_delta ≠ ∅; rollback via version control, not a .bak)
Phase 5 append_index      (transform)    → Write (append TrialIndexEntry to steer-trials.md at chosen layer; Approve and RouteToOperationalLayer dispositions only; create file on first entry)
Phase 5 emit              (extension)    → TextPresent+Proceed (UpdatedProjectProfile or NoUpdateNote or DiffArtifact or OperationalLayerRecommendation, per disposition)
converge                  (extension)    → TextPresent+Proceed (convergence evidence trace)

── MODE STATE ──
Λ = { phase: Phase, scope: Scope, P_existing: ProjectProfile,
      moves: List(CalibrationMove), clusters: List(Cluster),
      cluster_verdicts: List<(Cluster, V)>,
      diff: Optional(Diff), settled_directions_delta: SettledDirectionsDelta,
      mismatch_signals: MismatchSignals,
      recommended_layer: Optional(RecommendedLayer),
      modify_iterations: Nat,
      backup_path: Optional(Path), write_path: Optional(Path),
      registry_write_path: Optional(Path),
      index_path: Optional(Path), index_entry: Optional(TrialIndexEntry),
      disposition: Optional(A), active: Bool, cause_tag: String }

── COMPOSITION ──
*: product — (D₁ × D₂) → (R₁ × R₂). Steer composes with `/probe` upstream when a probe disposition routes to /steer (e.g., GapUnnoticed in calibration practice → /steer for retrospective inscription). Steer composes with `/induce` laterally when an in-conversation abstraction crystallization references the project profile (the crystallized abstraction may be inscribed to the rule layer via a subsequent /steer invocation). Composition targets are determined at runtime by disposition and session context, not by a pre-committed structural registry — Steer is a utility skill, not a core protocol.

Storage Reference

Read paths:

• Existing profile: {config_dir}/rules/project-profile.md (user_global) or .claude/rules/project-profile.md (project_local)
• Target session transcript: {config_dir}/projects/{slug}/{session-id}.jsonl
• Optional cross-session evidence (opt-in only): hypomnesis sub-indices at {config_dir}/projects/{slug}/hypomnesis/{session-id}/

Write paths:

• Proposed profile: same path as the existing profile at the chosen layer
• Backup: <existing_profile_path>.bak.YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS (timestamp ensures backups accumulate without overwrite); backup is created before the proposed profile write so rollback is mv <backup_path> <existing_profile_path>
• Settled Directions registry: the project guide at the project root (AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md), in a ## Settled Directions section adjacent to the Northstar/mission section (section created when absent). Project-scoped — settled directions are project conventions — and written only when the settled-directions delta is non-empty
• Registry rollback: through version control — the project guide is git-tracked, so rollback is git checkout -- <registry_path> (or git revert of the commit). No separate .bak file, matching the /realign convention for the same file
• Trial index: .claude/steer-trials.md (project_local) or {config_dir}/steer-trials.md (user_global). Lazy-loaded inventory file appended to on Approve and RouteToOperationalLayer dispositions; created on first entry. Reject and Defer leave it untouched.

First-time induction: when the existing profile file is absent, Phase 1 treats P_existing = P_∅ (empty profile). Phase 5 Approve writes the proposed profile without backup (nothing to back up). The emitted UpdatedProjectProfile artifact notes the first-time induction status. The trial index append still occurs.

Rules

1. User-invoked only — Steer activates only on explicit /steer invocation. Layer 1/Layer 2 separation is enforced: only the user-invocable layer activates this skill.
2. Opt-in, default off — Activation is fully user-driven and per-invocation: each run begins on an explicit /steer call and the skill stays dormant between invocations. The user explicitly activates each session.
3. Current-session default scope — Default target session is the current session. Other sessions require explicit session_id argument or Phase 0 confirmation.
4. Cross-session evidence requires explicit confirmation — Reading prior session calibration history beyond the target session requires explicit user confirmation per invocation.
5. Per-cluster verdict required — Every non-empty cluster receives a Constitution verdict from the user before Phase 4 diff assembly proceeds.
6. Final approval required before write — Both writes (the profile rule file and, when the settled-directions delta is non-empty, the Settled Directions registry) execute only when Phase 5 Approve is selected. Reject and Defer dispositions emit session-text artifacts only; both targets remain at their current contents.
7. Pre-write rollback safety mandatory — Every write target has a surfaced rollback route before approval. The profile rule file gets a timestamped pre-write backup when an existing profile is present (skipped on first-time induction, where P_existing = P_∅), its path surfaced in the Phase 5 Constitution interaction. The Settled Directions registry rolls back through version control instead — the project guide is git-tracked, matching the /realign convention for that same file — so no .bak is created for it. The user knows every rollback route before approving.
8. Detection with Authority — AI detects calibration drift candidates with cited move evidence and proposes its own verdict (Phase 3) and disposition (Phase 5) with rationale; the user constitutes per-cluster verdicts and the final approval. AI proposal IS what surfaces the AI's evidence-grounded reading before user constitution — the user evaluates a concrete position rather than constituting a verdict against undifferentiated cluster data. The verdict and approval acts remain the user's exclusive territory.
9. Recognition over Recall — Present structured cluster evidence and verdict options via Cognitive Partnership Move (Constitution) and yield turn. Each cluster verdict option carries differential implication so the post-selection state is anticipatable. The Phase 5 final approval options carry differential downstream trajectories (write executed vs no-write artifact only vs deferred manual apply).

UX Safeguards

• Pre-gate evidence visibility — All cluster evidence and (in Phase 5) the full diff plus backup path are laid out before the Constitution interaction so the user reads context before deciding (evidence stays out of the verdict question itself; structural).
• Progress opacity for non-binding aspects — No "calibration accuracy index", no "drift percentage", no "profile fitness metric". Per-cluster move counts and the diff itself are the entire structured surface (Rule 11 reinforcement).
• Ephemeral verdict — Each Phase 3 cluster verdict and Phase 5 approval is a present-tense decision tied to the assembled diff at that moment. The user's verdicts do not bind future /steer invocations against different sessions or different existing profiles (Rule 8 reinforcement).
• Backup-first principle — When the existing profile file is present, the backup write executes before the proposed profile write. Rollback (mv <backup_path> <existing_profile_path>) is always a single shell move (Rule 7 reinforcement).
• Diff visibility before final approve — The Phase 5 Constitution interaction is preceded by the full before/after diff with provenance citing confirming clusters. The user reads what will be written before approving (Rule 9 reinforcement; evidence stays out of the approval question itself).
• Defer disposition as escape hatch — When the user is unsure about writing, the Defer option emits the diff as a session-text artifact for manual application. This honors the "writable side effect needs explicit approval" principle while preserving the audit work (a user_withdraw-class disposition with partial state preservation).
• Operational-layer routing visibility — When Phase 4 fit-shape check fires, Phase 5 surfaces the mismatch signal and recommended layer alongside the standard approval options. The user retains override authority: Approve forces prose inscription despite the routing recommendation, RouteToOperationalLayer accepts the recommendation and emits a realization template. The diff itself is unchanged across the two paths — routing is about where the inscription lives, not what it says (Rule 17 reinforcement).
• Trial index as single-glance inventory — steer-trials.md at the chosen layer accumulates one TrialIndexEntry per Approve and per RouteToOperationalLayer disposition. The file is lazy-loaded so its growth does not inflate per-turn token cost; the user opens it on demand to review what trials are active, completed, or retracted. Each entry is self-contained (date, disposition, realization references, falsification, status) so a single read of the file gives the complete inventory without cross-session JSONL scanning (Rule 18 reinforcement).

Trigger Signals

Invoke /steer when:

• The user senses the project profile is no longer reflecting observed calibration practice
• A recent session contains many gate interactions or auto-resolutions whose pattern has shifted from the inscribed defaults
• The user wants empirical evidence about which Cognitive Partnership Move axes need recalibration before manually editing the rule file
• The user wants to induce a first-time project profile from observed calibration moves (existing file absent)

Skip Conditions

Skip Steer when:

• The deficit is forward-looking (/probe)
• The audit target is past protocol contract integrity rather than Cognitive Partnership Move calibration drift
• The session contains too few calibration moves to support audit (Phase 0 deactivates)
• The user wants in-conversation abstraction crystallization without writable rule inscription (/induce)