Which questions show that important know-how lives in one person’s head?
Practical questions for teams that want to make practical know-how visible before a handover.
When a task depends on one person, this often only becomes visible during leave, a role change or retirement. A useful question is: what question would make a colleague call you while you're on holiday?
Approach
Choose one concrete task.
Collect recurring questions and exceptions.
Review responsibilities, sources and decisions with the people involved.
Test the handover with a suitable real-world case.
A working example
A team prepares a weekly report. The template exists, but only the usual coordinator knows when a submission is complete and whom to ask when it is not. Those decisions belong in the handover.
Boundary
A list does not replace expert review. Whether someone can actually take over becomes clear only with a suitable case and access to the information required.
Continue with
Author and status: Arjan Leuschner, 11 October 2026.