I recently advised a company that was getting nervous about the recession and how it could sharpen its business. Every time I visited my friend, the chief executive, we would try to find a free conference room, but none of the 10 or so were available. "What's everyone doing in them?" I asked.

I knew exactly what he had to do to bring his company into the 21st century. "You need to get rid of all the chairs in the conference rooms," I told Bill. He laughed.