Every organization that aspires to greatness has something to learn from relevant success stories of the past. But how should managers go about unlocking the lessons of those efforts? Many of their consultants advocate an engineering approach:
Find multiple examples of organizations that have coped with equivalent challenges successfully. Reverse-engineer the reasons for their success, looking for features that they share in common. Present these shared “success factors” as precepts, rules, and principles that should be implemented by all those who wish to achieve similar levels of success.
