Check the handoff from both sides

Ask about the same opportunity

Choose one recent opportunity. Ask the person who passed it on and the person who received it, separately:

• What made it ready for the next step?
• Who accepted it?
• What did the buyer agree to?
• What happened next, and where was that recorded?

Compare the answers against the available records and conversations. If they differ, name the exact decision behind the disagreement. For example, one person may consider the handoff complete when the stage changes; the other may expect an accepted next action. This is an illustration, not a client case.

If the evidence is incomplete, record what must be checked rather than forcing agreement.

Use one case to choose what to investigate

Ask what happened and what evidence supports each explanation. That can reveal whether the next investigation should focus on ownership, demand, capacity, data or process.

One opportunity does not establish a recurring problem. Check other comparable handoffs before treating the explanation as a pattern.

Leave with a shared answer

Agree on the definition or decision that needs attention, who owns it and what will happen next. Name the record where both people will find the current answer.

If sources disagree, record who will check them and when the team will review the answer. Keep that instruction where the receiving owner will look when the next exception occurs.