Successful GIS implementations are driven by organizations prepared to meet the challenges that will invariably stall GIS projects. All organizations face obstacles when setting up their GIS groups including loss of experienced personnel, finding adequate technical resources, fighting for ongoing funding, and "selling" GIS within their corporation. BellSouth has taken a unique approach to the people side of GIS implementation to ensure continued success now and into the future. Employee morale is a key element of a successful organization. Having gone through the era of "downsizing," "reengineering," and "outsourcing," BellSouth was faced with the potential for morale to decline in its GIS organization. Aggressive measures were taken to provide growth paths for individuals in key positions. Internal funding through consulting services was sought to "self fund" additional projects to build a foundation for future growth. An aggressive effort was undertaken to educate all organizations on the value of GIS to the corporation to solve day-to-day business problems. Through the education program, additional interest was generated in the use of GIS throughout the corporation. The success of BellSouth in undertaking a sizable GIS implementation is directly related to the quality of the team of people possessing the varied backgrounds required to understand how to apply the technology to solve real business problems. This is the key to success when facing the issues and challenges confronting the telecommunications industry in today's environment.