The real test of a handover is not the document — it is whether someone who was not there yesterday can pick up the work today without a phone call. Most handovers fail that test because they were written for the person leaving, not the person arriving.
One screen, not one document
A handover that needs scrolling gets skimmed. Everything that matters for the next 24 hours should fit on one screen: what is in progress, what is waiting on someone else, and what cannot wait until you are back.
Write it as you go, not at the door
A handover written in the last five minutes before leaving is a memory dump, not a briefing. Update the same screen through the week, so leaving unexpectedly costs nothing extra.
The test that matters
Could someone who was out sick today read this screen and know what to do next, without needing to call you? If not, the handover is not finished — it is just written down.