The handoff is part of the work.

A designer exports an asset. A developer is waiting for specifications. Marketing needs approval before scheduling. Each person may have finished their task, but the work is still stuck between teams.

A useful handoff makes four things explicit: what is being delivered, who accepts it, what “ready” means, and what happens next. Agree on those details before the deadline, while there is time to resolve gaps.

In a project plan, I treat reviews, decisions, and handoffs as real work. They need owners and time just as much as production does. That makes the plan more honest and helps people spot dependencies early.

Define the receiving side

“Sent” and “received” are not the same as “ready to use.” The person accepting a deliverable needs a way to confirm that it meets the next stage’s requirements. A campaign asset, for example, may need final copy, dimensions, usage guidance, an approval record, and a destination link before it is useful to the publishing team.

The goal is not a longer checklist for every task. It is a shared agreement about the few things that would otherwise trigger another round of questions. Ask the receiving team what they need to begin, and use their answer to define completion.

Put the decision in the plan

Reviews are often represented as a single milestone, even when several people must contribute. That can conceal the most important dependency: who has authority to make the final decision when feedback conflicts?

For each review, identify the decision owner, the contributors, and the time available. Make the difference between input and approval clear. A deadline becomes more useful when everyone knows what decision it represents and what work depends on it.

Make exceptions visible

A good process also has room for reality. If a deliverable is incomplete but urgent, capture what is missing, who owns the follow-up, and what the receiving team can safely do now. An explicit exception is easier to manage than a quiet assumption.

For your next project, choose one handoff that regularly creates friction. Ask both sides to describe what a useful transfer looks like. Turn that conversation into a short agreement, try it on real work, and adjust it together.

Clarity at the handoff gives creative and technical teams more room to focus on their own expertise. It also gives leaders a more accurate view of where delivery actually stands.