How to Delegate (Essential Managers Series)
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