Hug Your People is filled with real stories about real people. Jack offers his principles on "hugging" your associates--whether they are the sales team, the cleaning staff, the delivery people, the backroom financial wizards, the marketing and advertising departments, or outsourced staff. Hug Your People is just what today's employees and managers need.

"Giving great personalized customer service has always been the foremost goal in my family, but one thing we never lose sight of is that you can't possibly deliver great service if you don't treat your own associates right." So says Jack Mitchell, CEO of his family's astoundingly successful chain of clothing stores. In Hug Your People, he shares his secrets for creating happy employees, secrets as simple as they are revolutionary:

• Be NICE to them (and hire nice people to begin with)

• TRUST them (they deserve it and will work even harder and smarter to continue to earn that trust)

• Instill PRIDE in them (they are more productive when they are proud of their work)

• INCLUDE them (since you can't do it alone)

• Generously RECOGNIZE them (and not only with money--but don't be chintzy, either)

JACK MITCHELL is the CEO of Mitchells/Richards/Marshs, three of the most successful clothing stores in the business. He and his wife, Linda, live in Wilton, Connecticut, where they raised four sons.

"Hug Your People is totally inspiring. Jack Mitchell takes you on a journey that is as much about life as it is about business. This book will not only help you become a better leader but also make you a better person. At Starbucks we experienced firsthand what the lessons that Jack imparts can do to help an organization. If you want a more rewarding relationship with another human being, read this book." - Howard Behar, Director, Starbucks Coffee