3 Ways to Help Ensure a Seamless Project Handoff

  Change Management  

Most project managers know they need to expect the unexpected. Projects end, new projects begin—and sometimes, you just may be pulled off (or even assigned to) a project halfway through. How do you manage the handoff? More importantly, if the unexpected happens, how can you ensure that an in-flight project can be easily handed over to another project manager—or completed projects handed over to another team—without fail?

Here are three ways to ensure that you and your fellow project managers are set for handoff success going forward:

1. Document key events throughout the project
Carving out time to document key project activities throughout the project can be challenging, especially if you’re involved with several projects and daily back-to-back meetings. There were times early on in a project when I had to sift through hundreds of emails to find details of a decision from weeks or months prior.

Whether you are a staff PM, a consultant or a contractor, properly document details throughout the lifecycle rather than at the end when details may not be top of mind. This will not only save valuable time, it will also provide critical information if questions arise later. Above all, it helps bring project managers up to date quickly when they have to take over in a pinch.

For example, all project documentation—the charter, project plan, …

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