Pass Precision: Winning Outcomes Begin at the Handoff

Every summer Olympics the event I look forward the most is the 4×100 meter finals. Winning here takes more than just speed. The baton exchanges look so easy and they happen so fast but it’s in the four, 30 meter exchange zones where make or break can happen.

Imagine you’re in the thick of a relay, baton in hand, ready to pass it to the next runner. You can feel the intensity from runners on either side trying to do the same thing. You think you have your teammate in sight, have they started too fast, forcing you to sprint harder, possibly causing them to slow down? Or maybe they’re too slow, risking a collision. How steady is their hand, will you be able to make a clean pass?

While we’re not world-class sprinters, we can draw some useful parallels. Just as a seamless baton pass can shave off or add critical seconds influencing the next runner’s performance, so too does the project handoff between sales and project teams critically impact the trajectory and success of a project.

The Handoff: Where success is shaped

In agencies where projects are consistently getting off-track, one of the first places I look at is history on the handoff phase. I define the handoff phase as the period between when a project is officially signed and gets transitioned from the business development phase to the service phase.

In the handoff phase, sales might get a moment to celebrate the success but needs to get back onto the next deal. And before they can turn their full attention to something new, the project team is focused on wrapping up remaining work on an existing project. There might be in informal check-in at some point but it’s typically ad hoc, rushed and lacking preparation from all sides. No doubt it will be recorded but ‘that was a great recording’ said very few people. Just like in the relay, everyone knows they’re on the team but also needs to stay focused on running their own leg.

In many agencies, the handoff doesn’t get much attention because it’s not a client facing milestone or deliverable. And since the project clock hasn’t officially started yet, no one is officially allocated the time to spend on it. The point here is that if you don’t invest the time up front to align the teams, you’re setting them up to fail before the work even starts.

Keys to Growth: Empowerment and accountability

For agencies focused on growth, being able to stick to a planned scope of work is essential. The complexity of creative projects, however, presents a challenge: multiple paths can lead to the desired outcome, and choosing the right one requires team that’s both empowered and accountable.

Yet, when teams feel they lack the influence over project outcomes, they’re more likely to be caught in a continuous loop of crisis management. And rather than accumulating valuable insights and experiences, they find themselves perpetually fire-fighting.

Moreover, if feedback consistently blames “over-promising” by sales, it’s a clear indicator of gaps in the project handoff process. This situation underscores the urgent need for a putting deliberate attention on creating a handoff process, so that teams have the opportunity to be informed, and ready to contribute to the project’s success.

Less busy work, more impact

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s some reassurance: reaching the stage where a handoff process becomes crucial means you’ve already done the heavy lifting. The next steps are easy in comparison and once they become part of your process should lead to increased focus.

Implementing the Handoff Process

The baton for the handoff process is best driven by sales, or whomever has been in the trenches with the client from the beginning, but most certainly the person who created the SOW. This person is best positioned to guide the handoff, to ensure continuity and clarity. Running the handoff meeting should be the last to-do on their list before considering their work, marked by the completion of the handoff process, complete.

STEP 1: The Handoff Brief

• Objective: Establish a comprehensive ‘source of truth’ containing all critical project and client information to date. This document is the cornerstone of your handoff, ensuring everyone is on the same page from the start. (Make a copy of this template to get started and refine it for your needs)

🔗 Handoff Brief [TEMPLATE]

Step 2: Schedule the Handoff Meeting

• Objective: Set a time for the crucial handoff meeting, allowing the team to assimilate all shared information beforehand. A focused attendee list and timely reminders will keep everyone on track and ready to engage. Use this template for the agenda, and remember to give your team enough time to prepare.

Event Title: 
Project Handoff - [CLIENT/PROJECT]

Event Details: 
Now that our contract's been signed, the purpose of this meeting is to officially brief the project Team and transition ownership. 

The Handoff Brief is linked below and includes all context for the call. In order to make the most the time, please plan to review the Brief in advance.  

Handoff Brief: [link]

Feel free to add comments/questions directly into the doc anytime. I'll try to answer anything I can async so we can use the meeting time for topics that may require discussion. 

Call Goals: 
1. Officially brief the project Team on the project. 
2. Provide answers/clarification on questions from Team.
3. Confirm Team has everything needed to take on ownership.  
4. Identify any remaining actions for Sales.

If you have any questions or cannot access any of the docs please let me know asap. 

Step 3: Conduct the Meeting

• Objective: With pre-meeting prep assumed, the meeting should focus on addressing any questions, concerns, and discussion of any issues that requiring it. Successful completion will have the project team taking ownership, marking the official project handoff.

Achieving objectives here means that:

✅ A Handoff document is created serving as the project’s foundational document.

✅ Sales has effectively communicated all pertinent information.

✅ The team team has reviewed, understood, and accepted their roles and the project scope.

✅ There’s alignment between both teams on the objectives and expected outcomes of the project.

Once finalized, the Handoff Brief becomes the first official project artifact.

The Feedback Loop: Discover new opportunities

The effort you invest in establishing a streamlined handoff process is just the beginning. If you’re already reviewing projects post-mortem, you’re setting the stage for a robust feedback loop. This continuous cycle of reflection and improvement will become the secret to pinpointing precise areas for action, and the best way to help team learn from each race and be better prepared for the next.

And beyond the benefits of smoother projects, fostering open communication between sales and project teams acts can become a catalyst for enhancing your services. It opens doors to new ideas and opportunities for growth, much like how a well-executed handoff in a relay can be the difference between maintaining speed and falling behind #wink

At the end of the day, our ultimate goal is to deliver exceptional work that exceeds our clients’ expectations. By integrating the Handoff Brief into your project process, you’re on the path to setting up every project for a podium finish.