Colorist Workflow Without a Show LUT? Asking for Advice!

Hey everyone, as a Script Supervisor, I'm often involved from prep, but I've always been curious about the post-production side, especially color. I keep seeing guides emphasizing colorist involvement from pre-production, establishing show LUTs, etc. That all sounds ideal.

However, in practice, I've seen projects, even ones shot on an ALEXA Mini or a V-RAPTOR XL, arrive in post with no dedicated show LUT. The colorist is brought on late, and they're essentially starting from scratch to establish the look. I understand the DIT might have applied a basic CDL or creative look for dailies, but that's not always the final vision.

So, my real-world question to the colorists and post-pros here is: when you're handed a project late, with no pre-defined show LUT, how do you approach establishing the aesthetic and mood? What's your practical workflow to define the look without that early creative input from production?