So you're going to manage people. Your life will never be the same.

You're embarking on a stage of your career that will be an unending challenge. That challenge will be the achievement of goals or objectives through others. That is what supervision and management are all about.

Application of the principles described here should benefit anyone who is about to embark on a managerial career. Our relationship with other human beings is the most challenging opportunity that exists for us. It covers all aspects of our lives.

There are many books on the subject of management, but few of them address themselves to -- or zero in on -- those individuals who are about to begin a career of leading others. These people are not interested in a lot of academic claptrap; rather, they are in a state of mixed emotion -- absolutely delighted with the promotion and absolutely panic-stricken with the realization that from now on they'll be judged by how well their subordinates perform.

This book is for those people, not for top management with thirty years' experience, even though many top managers would do well to refresh their acquaintance with some of the basic principles that will be discussed.

Since the first edition of this book appeared, I've conducted numerous seminars for first-time managers, and some for experienced managers. One comment made repeatedly by participants is, "My boss needs this information even more than I do." This then, creates for the new manager the problem of how you manage in an environment where your own manager violates principles and concepts that you practice and believe in. This new edition provides some insight and assistance in that arena.

Many experienced managers have moved away from the basics. While they understand the principles, their management style is contradictory. The late football coach Vince Lombardi got back to basics by holding a football in his hands and declaring to his players, "Gentlemen, this is a football." Perhaps when it comes to management, we could paraphrase it and say, "Executives, this is a human being."

I've attempted to write this guide in a conversational manner, as if I were talking directly to you. I trust you'll find it easy to refer back to specific areas when problems arise in the future. After a few months of managing people, reread the book. Some of the concepts may take on additional usefulness at that time.

Several new chapters have been added in this fourth edition, and many chapters have been modified or enlarged. You will note the significance of the attitudes you bring to management, and how most of the problems you encounter are not technical in nature: the role appreciation plays; the way things are, and the way some think they are; management style; coaching; the broad base of experiences an effective manager needs to bring to the daily environment; and other tools for your management toolbox.

Lastly, almost all of the problems you will encounter as a new manager may be new to you, but they've been experienced by many others. The problems you encounter are balanced by the joy and satisfaction of a management job well done.

Thanks for deciding to spend some time with me.