If you want the delegated work completed within a certain period, make that clear to the employee. Also, if you want portions of the work completed by certain dates, make that clear. Establish a follow-up schedule. Monitoring the progress avoids a discovery two days before the due date that the task is not on schedule. It also can serve as an indication of whether the employee needs assistance.
Some employees hesitate to ask questions.
They fear the manager will interpret this as a sign of weakness or inadequacy for the job. Follow-up meetings give them the opportunity to ask questions within the context of a meeting designed for that purpose. The frequency of follow-up meetings will vary from project to project and employee to employee. You may schedule more frequent meetings when delegating to a new employee than when delegating to an experienced and proven employee. In extreme circumstances, a manager may have no alternative other than to take the task back in order to avoid permanent damage to his or her own performance record.