A good manager knows how to delegate. It means that he is organized and that he knows how to use his resources well. Here are some ideas on how to delegate work efficiently:

Understand the Task. You won’t be able to delegate a task if you do not know how to accomplish it. First, be sure that as a manager, you have both the responsibility and the authority to delegate the task. Mind that highly confidential or highly technical tasks should be considered crefully. If it entails you to do those tasks yourself, then do it. Find out if there are particular qualifications or skills or resources that are needed to accomplish the task.

Select the Right Person for the Job. After assessing what a particular task entails, it’s time to choose the person who has the right skills and abilities to work on it. Be sure to keep in mind that aside from choosing the right person, you also have to assign a reasonable time frame for it. Even the most capable person won’t be able to finish a project if given a non-workable deadline.

Define and Explain the Task. The right person for the job has been chosen. What’s next? Explain to the person who will do the task what that particular job entails and its importance and implications to the overall project. Try to leave no room for misunderstanding so that the deliverables will be submitted of quality and on time.

Monitor. Once somebody else is doing the job doesn’t mean that you are done at your end. As manager, you have to monitor how everyone is doing with their tasks. Inquire and ask for reports relentlessly. Check this against your own schedule and deadlines. Don’t forget to check the quality of the work too. If you are a stickler for follow-up, then you can easily have enough time and afford enough resources to revise or overhaul tasks if needed.