Often, the hardest part of managing isn't being in charge of everything, but knowing what you can farm out to others, and how to do it (especially when the buck nonetheless stops with you). This zingy little 72-page guide simplifies the often slippery process of "letting go," and shows you not only how to delegate effectively--for example, deciding on which tasks you can pass around and which ones you should keep, planning a delegation structure, choosing the right person for the right job, and briefing delegates effectively--but also how to monitor progress (by minimizing risk, providing support, maintaining boundaries, and giving feedback), and improve both your own and your delegates' skills by appointing "deputies" of various areas. On every jazzily designed page, boxed tips, lists of dos and don'ts, handy checklists, mini case studies, and easy-to-follow flow charts demystify the delegation process--from inception to activation to maintenance. Granted, if you're looking for very specific or in-depth guidance, you might find this book too cursory and general in its approach. But, if you're looking for a thumbnail guide to the basics, it'll do just fine.
It's worth mentioning that the book is part of the "Essential Managers" series by reference publisher Dorling-Kindersley--a series comprising 20 itty-bitty books on business and career topics that range from communication, leadership, and decision-making to the management of time, budgets, change, meetings, people, projects, and teams. Combining the talent of the "For Dummies" book series for breaking down a lot of information into bite-sized bits and sidebars with Dorling-Kindersley's signature design style of crisp, classy graphics on a gleaming white backdrop, the books don't represent the cutting edge of business thinking or reflect necessarily any unique individual perspective. Instead, it's as if someone had collated the best general thinking on these 20 topics, and rolled them out into 72 brightly designed and easy-to-read pages--studded along the way with boxed tips, color shots of a multiracial cast of "coworkers" animatedly hashing through the workplace issues of the day, and, on the last few pages of each volume, a self-test of one's skills in the topic at hand. Again, they're not for anyone who's looking for more in-depth or focused help on any of the covered subjects, but they're perfect as a quick general-interest reference; and, let's face it, they're so damn cute, and look so smart in a neat little stack or row, that probably you'll want to buy a whole bunch to give as gifts to your entire staff or department. --Timothy Murphy
