Tough Calls : At&T and the Hard Lessons Learned from the Telecom Wars

by Martin, Dick

• ISBN13: 9780814472439
• ISBN10: 0814472435
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-11-26
• Publisher: Amacom Books

Summary

Tough Calls is an insider's account of the turmoil AT&T experienced during the dot-com bust. Unblinkingly honest, the book recounts how one of the world's biggest and best companies became one of its most battered-and explains how others can avoid the same fate. At turns funny and sober, this cautionary tale is also a handbook in navigating corporate and public interests. Its lessons range from practical advice in managing public relations to a principled guide in corporate governance. The author shows how events from AT&T's recent history demonstrate the outsized influence of small groups with big interests, the dangers of hardball PR and the defining power of clear purpose.

Author Biography

Dick Martin was executive vice president of public relations, employee communications, and brand management for AT&T from 1997 to 2002.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
Don't Dance to the Music of Your Own Buzz	p. 11
Understand the Power of Symbols	p. 31
Take Control	p. 53
Complete the CEO	p. 69
Expect the Dumbing Down of Reality	p. 85
Work Inside Out Toward Your Customers	p. 103
Don't Let Plugging Leaks Become an Obsession	p. 121
Casting Is Everything	p. 139
Pay Attention to the Power of the Few	p. 155
Don't Confuse Politics and Public Relations	p. 169
Say Good-Bye to the Rah-Rah Brother- and Sisterhood	p. 183
Stay Off the Treadmill of Expectations	p. 197
It's Okay to Change Your Mind	p. 211
Credibility Breaks All Ties	p. 227
Reimagine Your Company's Mission	p. 241
Practice Ambidextrous Leadership	p. 257
Selective Chronology	p. 269
Notes	p. 273
Index	p. 287
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