The clear handoff: tag a teammate with all context • Breeze

The clear handoff: tag a teammate with everything they need

Lucas February 19, 2026 3 min read

You reassign a task and feel a tiny wave of relief. Five minutes later, the questions start. Where is the file? Which version are we using? What is the deadline? What does done mean? You end up doing a second round of work just to explain the first round.

A clear handoff is one short note that makes the task self-contained and tells the next person exactly how to start.

The clear handoff: tag a teammate with everything they need

The 10-minute breakdown

3 mins: Make the task self-contained
4 mins: Add the handoff note
3 mins: Tag with one clear ask

The 10-minute fix

This works best when you treat the task card as the single source of truth. If the handoff lives in chat, it will be lost.

1. Make the task self-contained (3 minutes)

Before you tag anyone, make sure the card can stand on its own.

Title: rewrite it as verb + object (not a vague noun)
Owner + date: assign the next owner and set a realistic due date
One-line outcome: add a single sentence that says what will exist when the task is done

This takes the edge off most follow-up questions because the basics are already visible.

2. Add the handoff note (4 minutes)

Paste this mini-template at the top of the description or as the latest comment:

Context: one sentence on why we are doing this now
Done looks like: a link, a screenshot, or a clear acceptance line
Starting point: the very next action (15 minutes max)
Links: file, doc, design, or thread that matters
Watch-outs: one risk or constraint

In Breeze, attach the key file or paste the link directly on the task so the handoff does not depend on someone searching their inbox.

3. Tag with one clear ask (3 minutes)

Now @mention the teammate on the task and ask for exactly one thing, not a vague "take a look".

Example: "@Jamie can you start with the Starting point step above and reply here with your ETA for first draft?"

If you are handing off a multi-step task, use an action plan format so the teammate can confirm the next step, not re-figure out the whole plan.