The Knowledge Handoff · Ground Game

←

Back to the deck

Ground Game · Card CS–01

Strategy & Planning

CS–01

The Knowledge Handoff

Hand Off a Committee Role Without Losing Everything

4 steps · 1 audit

The problem

The committee secretary resigns. The meeting minutes are somewhere in their personal Google Drive. Nobody knows which version of the membership list is current, and the new secretary is discovering that “we’ve always done it this way” is not an instruction manual.

The technique

Capture. Organize. Verify. Hand off.

Capture.

Write down what the role actually requires, not just what’s in the official job description. Include recurring tasks, deadlines, records, unfinished work, and key contacts.

Capture.

Write down what the role actually requires, not just what’s in the official job description. Include recurring tasks, deadlines, records, unfinished work, and key contacts.

Organize.

Put the information somewhere the organization controls, with clear labels and a simple “Start Here” document. Identify current official records, separate them from old drafts, and protect restricted information.

Organize.

Verify.

Give the incoming officer three real tasks to complete using the handoff materials: find an official record, identify the next deadline, and explain how to perform an essential responsibility. Fix whatever they can’t do.

Verify.

Hand off.

Confirm that responsibilities, outstanding tasks, and authorized access have transferred. Update permissions through approved procedures and document who accepted responsibility for what.

Hand off.

Confirm that responsibilities, outstanding tasks, and authorized access have transferred. Update permissions through approved procedures and document who accepted responsibility for what.

See it work

Two ways to leave the job.

The handoff you usually get

Outgoing secretary

Everything’s in the shared folder. You’re all set.

Incoming secretary

Which minutes are the approved version?

Outgoing secretary

Oh. Those are still in my personal Drive.

What’s missing

The records never moved somewhere the committee controls, and nobody checked whether the new secretary could actually find them.

A handoff that works

The same handoff, using the four steps

1 · Capture

The outgoing secretary lists recurring duties, the next meeting, current records, and unfinished tasks.

2 · Organize

The official records are placed in the committee’s approved storage location, with a “Start Here” guide.

3 · Verify

The incoming secretary successfully locates the approved minutes, identifies the next meeting deadline, and explains how the next agenda will be prepared.

4 · Hand off

Both confirm outstanding assignments and authorized access. The organization updates permissions according to its procedures.

Adapt this to your committee

Where records live, how minutes are approved, and who grants access depend on your committee’s bylaws, systems, and rules. The example shows the habit, not the rules.

A handoff isn’t complete when the outgoing person says they’re done. It’s complete when the incoming person can do the job.

Your turn

The Could-You-Leave-Tomorrow Test

Imagine you unexpectedly had to step away from your committee role tomorrow.

If the answer to any question is no, identify the first missing piece and fix it.

Could another authorized person:

Find the current official records?

Identify the next important deadline?

Complete the next essential task without calling you?

Companion tool

Committee Role Handoff Checklist

A printable checklist for the outgoing and incoming officer to work through together.

Downloadable checklist coming soon

What the checklist will cover

Responsibilities and recurring tasks

Deadlines and outstanding work

Official record locations

Access and permissions verification

Incoming officer’s task verification

Final handoff confirmation

Done with this card?