What you’ll learn
- Recognise the moments that need a person.
- Decide what context travels with a handoff.
- Test ownership, waiting and failure paths.
Spot the moments that need a person.
A workflow includes more than the path where every input is complete. It also includes missing details, unfamiliar requests and decisions that need context.
Mark the points where someone should review a result, ask a question or approve the next step. These points may be part of the ordinary process, rather than signs that something has gone wrong.
Consider an enquiry with unclear requirements. The workflow might gather the available details and send them to your team. A person can then decide what to ask next. Naming that responsibility makes the system easier to understand.
Carry the context forward.
The person taking over should be able to understand what happened without reconstructing the whole story. Decide what they need to see before they act.
A concise handoff can include the original request, the relevant information already gathered, the steps already completed and the reason for escalation. Include only the information needed for the decision.
Worked example / An unclear support question
Request: a customer needs help choosing the right service.
What happened: the workflow collected the customer’s question but could not match it to an approved answer.
Next step: the named team member reviews the context and replies with a useful follow-up question.
Name the owner and the next step.
“Someone should check this” leaves an important part of the process unresolved. Agree who receives the item and how they will know what needs attention.
Also describe what happens while the item waits. Does the customer receive a clear acknowledgement? Can another teammate take over when the usual owner is unavailable? How will the team tell whether the item is still open?
Test the awkward path.
Walk through an incomplete request, an unavailable tool and a draft that needs correction. Ask the person receiving the handoff whether the context helps them make the next decision.
Check that the workflow can identify a failure without presenting an unfinished result as complete. Decide who should notice and what information will help them investigate.
Use what you learn to simplify the handoff. A smaller amount of relevant context is often easier to work with than a long, unstructured activity history.
Try it: sketch one handoff.
Take one review point in your workflow and answer these questions in your own notes.
- What makes the workflow ask for help?
- Who receives the item, and where?
- Which facts do they need to make the next decision?
- How will everyone know the item is resolved?
A useful handoff names the next person, explains the situation and makes the next decision clear.