 in failed computer ventures. Executive motivation. If you perform in the computer in- dustry you do well. Your career prospers. Bill Gates says he only wants to hire people who've made serious mistakes. He won't hire anyone from the phone industry. No one in the phone industry makes decisions that fail. They just don't make decisions. The rule in the phone industry is simple: You'll never be penalized for not making a decision. So the ten- dency is never to make a decision. Go to meetings. Commission studies. Go to more meetings. Commission more studies. Don't ever do anything. Here's a true story. New York Telephone employed me as a marketing consultant. I went to the first meeting. I asked, "Who's your largest prospect?" It was a customer who could give New York Telephone (now called Nynex) about $115 million a year in revenues and about $15 million to $20 million in profits a year. I asked, "Who's the salesman on the account?" Turns out that New York Telephone didn't have a sales- man dedicated full-time to the account, and worse, the customer hadn't been visited in over four months. I suggested that they appoint someone. This recommendation took rocket science intellect on my part. Everyone on the third level management The Telecom Handbook THE TELECOM HANDBOOK agreed. The vice president (fifth level) agreed this was a good idea. But the assistant vice president (fourth level) said that he wanted "to think about it" and have a meeting or two. I gave him till 5 PM the following day. At 5:05 PM, I walked into his office and asked what his decision was? He said he needed more time to think. I said there was no more time. I went upstairs to the vice president, who had already warned me that his $140,000 a year AVP was "use- less." I told the VP that his AVP was being stupid and I recommended that he fire him on the spot. The VP answered, "You're 100% right. The man is stu- pid. He should be fired. But we can't do that around here." I immediately handed in my resignation. A couple of years later, I met the AVP. H