What Should a Handover Preserve—and What Can Change?

When an experienced colleague moves on, a handover can preserve useful context—but it can also accidentally turn yesterday’s workaround into tomorrow’s rule.

A successor may need to know why a decision was made, which constraints still apply, and where to check an uncertain step. But they also need room to question routines that no longer fit.

What belongs in a handover so the next person can act with confidence without inheriting outdated instructions?