Kersten Lanes, 38, the New York City-based partner who came on board to work with the threesome, says the assignment is proving to be unique. "I usually run projects, and the people who work for me listen to me and do what I say. It's not like that with this group," Lanes laughs. "They're just a total blast -- they're so ambitious and idealistic. They don't know the rules, and they're not afraid to call anybody or see anybody. We can't have 100,000 people who don't know the rules, but we can have at least three."

Sgaragli explains it this way: "In Italy, we have an expression, faccia posta, which means 'be shameless.' We had nothing to lose. We were willing to risk failing."

How Will It End?

The team's next hurdle is a presentation to PWC's global leadership team at a retreat slated for January 2000. The goal is to persuade the partners to endorse the proposal and commit to a plan of implementation.

The three won't leave anything to chance. They've created flip charts that include the names of the members of the global-leadership team, their level of interest in the project, and their relationships to known allies. They've mapped out the events that need to happen -- through 2001 -- to make PWC an advocate for social responsibility. And they've signed on to the project an impressive list of outside advisers, including legendary environmental advocate Ray Anderson, who is chairman and CEO of Interface Inc., a carpet manufacturer in Atlanta.

Not that they believe that a win will come easily. "It's always: 'Is the firm really willing and able to change?' " Shaw says. "It's a long shot, but it's a chance in a million to affect the world's leading business-advisory firm. The impact would be so significant, much bigger than the firm itself. Let's put it this way: This is going to happen -- it's just a matter of whether it takes 5 years or 25 years."

Brooks is hopeful but less optimistic than his young protégés. "If we're successful in this first stage, we'll have some people who will agree that it's not a fad," he says. "But there will be plenty of people whose noses are so far down to the level of delivering their daily targets, they'll regard this as nice but basically unessential. My role will be to gain as many senior-level allies as I can so that when I'm gone, this project will continue."

Win or lose, these three change agents are pleased with their progress. "We've had an impact on the firm because we're starting conversations," Sgaragli says. "I'm absolutely convinced that we've already planted some seeds of change."

Coordinates: Fabio Sgaragli, fabio.sgaragli@uk.pwcglobal.com; James Shaw, james.shaw@uk.pwcglobal.com; Amy Middelburg, amy.middelburg@uk.pwcglobal.com

Change Manual: Built to Last

Change Agent

Working with two coconspirators, Amy Middelburg has introduced an audacious plan to revolutionize the way that PricewaterhouseCoopers practices business.

Change Manual

"Built to Last," by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras (HarperBusiness, 1994).

Change Lesson

Although Middelburg hasn't yet succeeded in effecting large-scale change at PWC, she hasn't given up either, largely because of the proof-of-concept examples she found in "Built to Last," an invaluable tool for people who want to help their organization change for the social good. "The book gives me hard evidence," says Middelburg, "that we're pushing for the right thing at PWC, on all fronts." Even though much of "Built to Last" is directed at senior-level executives, anyone at any level can apply its insights. "Just because the corporation as a whole might not have a strong core ideology," write Collins and Porras, "doesn't mean that your work group should be deprived of one."

Coordinates: $26. "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies," HarperBusiness, www.harpercollins.com