ABSTRACT
We began by visiting all three companies and meeting with the owners and top company leaders. We spent many weeks in different areas of the business asking how work was being done, then observed to verify the results. We examined company histories, old reports, announcements of changes, photographs, previous business plans, and Web sites. With old, successful companies, it was important to segment the company history into linear time lines of important events, such as acquisitions, new product introductions, or company leadership succession. Grouping the history into such categories of change over many decades, started to show patterns that led to the success and sustainment of the enterprise. We discovered that there were common recipes and ingredients between companies even though the names of the ingredient action were not always the same. After sifting the volumes of data and analysis, we identified seven common recipes:
1. Leadership 2. Financial Management 3. Strategy Deployment 4. Continuous Improvement 5. Listen, Learn, Understand, and Act 6. Employee Programs 7. Customer Satisfaction
