"Stick to the knitting," is a phrase that I came across in that book by Peters and Waterman, In Search of Excellence. They outlined some successful businesses that emerged in this country following the Second World War. One of the characteristics they said successful businesses had in common was that they focused on what they did best. Peters and Waterman called that, "stick to the knitting."

There have been other studies of businesses since then, founded after America's rude awakening that it was no longer the most advanced industrial power in the world, and that other nations had emerged to compete with American products. Then came these new companies and their emphasis that to be a success, they must focus on one thing, do one thing well, "stick to the knitting."

I found it interesting th…