Three-component handoff spec

For each handoff between agents or pipeline stages, specify three components—defined output format, explicit expectations, and return protocol—to prevent ambiguous handoffs from creating bottlenecks.

When This Fires

When designing any collaborative workflow where work passes between people, teams, or stages
When handoff points consistently produce delays, rework, or misunderstanding
When delegation (Every delegation needs three written components) produces outputs that don't match expectations
When pipeline stages have unclear boundaries about what "done" means for handoff purposes

Common Failure Mode

Implicit handoffs: "Send it to Sarah when you're done." What format? What quality bar? What if Sarah needs changes? All three are implicit, producing: wrong format (Sarah expected a spreadsheet, got a document), inadequate quality (the work needs another editing pass before Sarah can use it), and no return protocol (Sarah sits on it for a week trying to make it work rather than returning it for revision).

The Protocol

(1) For each handoff point in a workflow, specify three components: Output format: exact deliverable description. What file type, structure, content elements, and naming convention? What does "done" look like in concrete terms? Expectations: quality criteria the output must meet before handoff. Checklist of minimum requirements. The upstream agent self-verifies against this list before handing off. Return protocol: if the downstream agent can't use the output as-is, how do they communicate what's needed? What's the expected turnaround for returns? What format do return requests take? (2) Document all three alongside the workflow (Map agent dependencies and arrange in topological order…). (3) At each handoff, the upstream agent verifies against the expectations checklist before delivering. The downstream agent verifies receipt against the format spec. Mismatches are caught at the handoff rather than downstream.