The Perfect Handoff: How to Move Fast Without Meetings
Stop waiting for the next sync. Use this 4-point template to pass work across time zones so progress never sleeps. —
The biggest advantage of a global team isn't cost; it's the 24-hour workday.
When the London team signs off, the San Francisco team signs on. When SF sleeps, Tokyo works. In theory, your project should never stop moving.
In practice, work often stalls for 12 hours at every handoff point because of missing information.
- "Where is the latest design file?"
- "Did they deploy to staging yet?"
- "What exactly am I supposed to test?"
If the incoming team has to ask these questions, the day is wasted. The outgoing team is asleep, and the blockers remain until tomorrow.
The Solution: The "Baton Pass" Note
You need a standardized handoff protocol. Before anyone signs off for the day, they must post a "Baton Pass" in the project channel.
It doesn't need to be long. It needs to be unblockable.
Here is the 4-point template that works:
1. Status: What is done?
Be specific. Not "worked on the API," but "API endpoints for User Login are complete and merged to staging."
2. Next Steps: What needs to happen?
"The frontend needs to be connected to these new endpoints."
3. Location: Where are the assets?
Never assume they know where the file is. Link it. "Figma file is here [Link]. API docs are here [Link]. Credentials are in 1Password under 'Staging'."
4. Blockers/Risks
"I couldn't get the error handling to work perfectly. Watch out for 500 errors on bad passwords."
Timing the Handoff
The best handoff happens asynchronously. Don't wait for a meeting. Post the note 15 minutes before you leave.
Use Timezoners to check who is coming online next. If you see that your teammate in Sydney is coming online in 2 hours, you can tag them specifically:
"@Sarah (Sydney) - passing this to you. See the note above. I'll be asleep when you see this, but everything is linked."
Why This Works
This habit forces "documentation by default." It prevents knowledge silos where only one person knows the status.
It also gives you peace of mind. Once you post the Baton Pass, you are done. You don't need to check Slack at 9pm "just in case." You have effectively downloaded your brain to the channel, allowing the relay race to continue while you rest.
Start today. Post your status before you close your laptop. Make sure the next runner can grab the baton without stumbling.