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The Busy Manager's Guide to Delegation
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The Busy Manager's Guide to Delegation

Richard A. Luecke and Perry McIntosh
AMACOM, 2009
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Recommendation

Some managers don’t manage. Instead, they try to do everything themselves. This never works, because most supervisors have too many tasks and too little time. The solution is to learn to delegate, a basic managerial skill, like planning or budgeting, that you can develop. Business experts Richard A. Luecke and Perry McIntosh offer a simple, straightforward five-step plan you can use to delegate job assignments. The authors outline their approach to delegation in clear language backed by numerous helpful examples. Additionally, they detail typical delegation problems and supply practical solutions. This short, basic manual is smartly laid out, easily accessible and immediately practicable. getAbstract recommends it to anyone who manages others and wants to elicit their best work through effective delegation.

Summary

Do You Delegate?

As a manager, time is your most precious commodity. Phone calls, e-mails, meetings, business lunches and all the unforeseen events that require your immediate attention rob you of the time you need to perform your actual management duties, such as planning and controlling activities, as well as organizing employees and directing their efforts on primary tasks. These tasks are, of course, why you are on the job. How do you get through your busy day-to-day agenda so you can manage proactively? The answer is clear: delegate.

Think not? Take this quick quiz to determine whether you delegate enough. If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you need to reassign more of your tasks:

  • Are you so busy you barely have time to blink, but your direct reports seem to have lots of breaks when they can chat, goof-off and browse the Internet?
  • Are your tasks pretty much the same as they were before you became a manager?
  • Do your managerial colleagues seem less pressed for time than you are?
  • Is the idea of taking a few days off a dismal joke?
  • Do your subordinates confer with you before making any decisions on their...

About the Authors

Richard A. Luecke is an entrepreneur and business writer. Perry McIntosh is the co-author of a self-study management-trainee course.

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