This project started out as an idea and became what you have been reading as a result of the good wishes and deeds of many individuals who provided guidance, support, and feedback over several months. A word, a gesture, a reference, a text message, or a joke was sometimes all we needed to shift our thinking or stretch our limits. When we did not see the light at the end of the tunnel, they were already throwing a party on the other side of the tunnel. When we needed to take a break from our work, they were there for us. When we could not find typographical errors or see if something made sense, they read, read, and read the manuscript and helped us to improve it—thinking about what you, the manager or business owner, our intended reader, would find useful.
Our special thanks to:
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Manuel and Frank, our husbands, thank you for understanding the sounds of silence when we were in the beginning, middle, and end of our creative process. Your engagement throughout our ride and our path paid off.
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Yldefonso (Ylde), the first endorser of this project who saw the gleam in our eyes when it was just a dream and unequivocally told us that writing it was the right thing to do. We are glad that we listened to you.
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Ramón Rivera-Grau, for believing in us and in the value of what we do.
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Alfredo Carrasquillo, for guiding Wanda to find her answers when the book was not yet a book.
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Tere and Nelsi, for your patience to wait for the best time to read, read, and read the manuscript in all of its forms so that your comments would be most useful. We cannot imagine having a better team of readers and support group.
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Luis Santiago, for envisioning our future.
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Simón and Magaly, for supporting Wanda each one in your unique way.
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Manuel Bermúdez, for your support and trust in Wanda’s ideas along the way.
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Kurt Schindler and Clara Pérez O’Neill, for knowing when to ask and how to ask about our progress. Your words kept Norma focused on the future.
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Ron Lippock, Manager of ASTD’s Workforce Development Community, for guiding us through the process of turning our idea into a book; and to the team at ASTD Press for ensuring that the final product met the standards that you deserve.
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Ashley McDonald, Manager of ASTD Press, for being more than an editor and being open to learn with us about engagement.
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Our past and present clients who inspired us to create.
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All those managers and their direct reports who are, in one way or another, represented throughout the book’s stories and examples.
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All those people who, in one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly, helped us to turn thoughts into an outline that became countless drafts of what you are reading today.
It’s an ending and a beginning.
Norma and Wanda