Provide support

When you say, "I want this done by next Friday. And I'd like to meet with you on Wednesday afternoon to see how things are going," you're monitoring. Monitoring provides you with opportunities to coach the person and provide feedback—two important managerial responsibilities.

Depending on the number and complexity of the assignments you've delegated, you can use one or more of the following techniques for monitoring:

• Work updates to a project wiki

• Quick, standing meetings to deliver updates and handle questions

• Progress updates during regular staff meetings

• Weekly status reports on the delegated assignment

• Project management and tracking software

In monitoring, be alert to early signs of trouble—such as missed deadlines or serious mistakes in the work. If your subordinate hits a seemingly insurmountable barrier or starts falling behind, you may have to intervene.