Handoff
The transfer of work context and current responsibility from one person or team to another.
Plain English
Pass the work with enough information for the next owner to continue.
In context
A reliable handoff includes current state decisions dependencies risks access and an explicit receiving owner.
Example
“The on-call handoff includes active alerts and the next diagnostic step.”
When you'll hear this
- shift changes
- cross-team delivery
- leave coverage
Common misunderstanding
A handoff is incomplete when files are sent without context or confirmed ownership.
Also known as
hand-overwork transfer
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-27
