Write a Handover Document That Does Not Let People Down

Handover documents fail when they describe the role without capturing the things that are never written down: the contact who always needs a specific approach, the task that looks simple but has a hidden dependency, the risk that has been quietly managed for months. This writes the structure and flags the one thing most handovers leave out that causes the most problems in week one.

I am handing over {ROLE_OR_PROJECT} to {SUCCESSOR} and need to write a handover document. I have [time available and any information I already have compiled]. Write a handover document structure and draft content for: the state of play right now (what is done, what is in progress, what is blocked), the recurring tasks and their cadences, the key contacts and what each one is for, the things that are not written down anywhere but matter, and any risks or things the successor should watch out for in the first month. Tell me the one thing most handover documents leave out that causes the most problems.