POST 1
Write Handoffs That Help the Next Person Decide
A useful project handoff tells the next person what decision they can make. In our fictional studio, the handoff note opens with the waiting decision, then supplies the context needed to make it. We keep confirmed facts separate from open questions so a reader does not mistake a working assumption for an agreement. The note also names the source document holding the underlying detail, which keeps the short summary useful without pretending it contains everything. When a question stays unresolved, we describe who can answer it and what work depends on the answer. We avoid adding a deadline simply because a template includes a date field. A good handoff supports the next person's judgment instead of replacing it. Before sharing, we read the note as someone who did not attend the meeting. If that reader cannot identify the next decision, the note needs another pass.