The summer holidays are almost here and if your work assignments have run like mine so far this year, your carefully planned deadlines don't always correspond with the dates that you are going to be on holiday. So what exactly constitutes the ideal handover, and how can you ensure that your colleagues know exactly how to manage your workload while you are out of the office? Here are my top tips for handing over...

Be honest - Be clear about what needs to be done because you are not going to be there to do it anyway.

Be early - Think about handing over a lot earlier than you think you need to. Why? Because something always comes up before you head off on holiday and the handover end up being rushed and things are missed.

Write it down - All the handover notes need to be written down and over a period of time rather than all at once. Make the document clear and break it down by client so that it is not one endless list. Hyperlinks to documents and websites are also very helpful. Provide context into tasks in case a colleague has forgotten what you have verbally discussed, and when you can, forward them any helpful email trails. Think about smaller details too such as sending log in details if needed.

Don't act like the ships Commander - What the other person really needs to know is the constraints and the contacts rather than you saying this is how it should to be done. They are going to do the job differently from you anyway!

Check-in with your clients and customers - Let them know you are off on holidays and who will be handling your work while your away. This way, if there is anything urgent, you can help them before head off on holiday.

Desk time - Rather than overloading the person, get them to come and sit with you at your desk for a couple of hours to see what you actually do on a day to day basis.

Use your email signature - Make sure you have an out of the office message with clear instructions on your email account detailing when you are on leave from and to and who can be contacted in your absence and also a similar message on your voice mail for mobile and landline. Even if you are still responding to emails while you are away, people will know to expect a delay.

Don't be surprised if things have changed when you get back - You can't expect 'handoveree' (made up word solely for the purposes of this blog) to do it the same way as you - things might have changed when you get back.

Let go - You have to let go of the job and enjoy being away. And be open-minded rather than frightened that the other person will outperform you.

Just call if you need me - There is a tendency to say 'feel free to call me." Try to hand over more confidently and let the person get on with it. Knowing that they can always get in touch with you makes it tempting for the person you are handing over to calling to ask questions.

Be encouraging - "You are going to do a great job," is so much better than "You will remember to water the plants and get check we have enough coffee?" Have the confidence to hand the job over and let the person get on with it.