Note 07 · Practice
Leave the next reader a clear starting point
A handoff preserves enough context for another person to continue a specific task. It should make the current result, remaining question and relevant source easy to find.
Lead with the current result
State what is complete and what still needs a decision. Keep an attempted action separate from a verified outcome. A reader arriving later needs the present state first; the detailed chronology can remain in a linked record when it is relevant.
Keep references close to their purpose
Link a source beside the statement it supports. Use a short description of why the source matters instead of pasting a large block of unexplained output. Private account details and full logs rarely belong in a shared handoff; reference their controlled location only when necessary.
End at an actionable boundary
Describe the smallest next step and who needs to take it. Distinguish that step from optional improvements which could become separate work. A handoff is complete when the next reader can act with the necessary context, not when every possible future question has been listed.