K–12Collaborative teams
Use this checklist whenever responsibility for a task or decision moves from one person to another.
Include five things
- Context: Why this work matters now.
- Current state: What has already happened.
- Next action: The specific step the receiver is being asked to take.
- Resources: The single best link or source of information.
- Timing: When the action is needed and what follows it.
Quick test
Before sending, ask: Could the receiver act without scheduling another conversation just to reconstruct the request?
If not, add the missing context—or reconsider whether the handoff is ready.