Continuity books are very important, though many people do not create one. What I do, is I start my continuity book during my transition into the new job. As the person I am replacing shows me what to do or gives me lessons learned, I immediately (right then or later that day/evening) record those in a continuity book. It serves two purposes. First, it helps me do my job in case I forget anything I learned. Second, it allows me to capture everything for my future replacement. By starting to build the book before I officially even start the position, I will hopefully have a robust product. On my calendar, I set a reoccurring reminder once a month to ensure I update the book. My goal is to update it more frequently, but the reminder is a way to keep it on my priority list.

I use a simple word document to capture everything. I include step by step instructions for tasks, lessons learned, important calendar information, and POCs for various people I need to interact with. I also create a folder to include key supporting documents to pass along directly related to the continuity book. For example, I will include key forms to fill out when making a purchase.