ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

WRITING A BOOK is a journey and throughout our careers, we have encountered situations and had experiences that we have been able to incorporate into this book. There have also been many managers with whom we were able to share advice and who, in turn, shared their knowledge with us. Thanks to all of you who inspired many of the questions and answers in this book.

There are certain people to whom we are especially grateful for their help in writing The Manager's Answer Book. First, thanks to Ralph Kidder for sharing your experiences as a CFO and your insights on managing many of the staff functions in organizations. Rich Cohrs, you generously provided us with your observations from years of working with and leading Corporate Communications. Erik Gamlem, we greatly appreciate your thoughts and experiences regarding what employees wish a new manager would do. Marna Hayden, you always have great insights, and we appreciated your thoughts about diversity and corporate manners. Beth Gilley, we are grateful for the excellent information about Employee Assistance Programs you've provided us over the years. Jennifer Whitcomb, you remain our go-to person for questions about coaching employees. And Steve Dorfman, thanks for sharing your experiences and insights over the years about the customer experience.

Our “writing life” has also been a journey, and there are many people who have supported us along the way. At the top of the list is Marilyn Allen, our literary agent, for responding to our endless questions and ideas. You're a wonderful coach and advocate who gives us great advice and encouragement to want to keep writing. The staff at Career Press continues to present us with ideas and believe in us. We appreciate all your support, especially from the editors with whom we have worked and for putting us in the hands of good public relations professionals who get us great exposure.

We cannot forget the booksellers who see the value of our books and display them on their shelves of both brick-and-mortar and virtual stores. One of those booksellers deserves special recognition. Thanks to Cal Hunt, manager of the business book section of Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue in New York, New York, for displaying The Big Book of HR as a top pick in business books!

Finally, we want to acknowledge you, our readers. Leaders can't lead without followers. Authors can't write without readers. Thank you.