Who moved my cheese?

Change is as good as it sounds!!!!

Why even talk about change?

Things change, whether it is planned or not. (Usually not!) How we adapt to change determines our future success (or failure).Resistance to change leads to stress and bitterness. Developing a “Why Change?” statement helps all stakeholders reflect on areas of weakness, and addresses future needs. This collaboration gives everyone a piece of ownership in the organization.

What does cheese have to do

with all of this?Spencer Johnson’s best-selling book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” uses a simple parable to address how accepting and preparing for change can impact your outlook on life. “Cheese” is what we are looking for in life, personally and professionally.

Change is change, right?

According to Johnson, there are actually three stages of change:– Preparing for Change

•Gives people ideas for success.– Gaining Change Skills

•Gives people a chance to learn skills in order to help them adapt easier.

– Achieving a Change•Aids people to work together as a team to achieve measurable success.

But I don’t have time for cheese…

“Who Moved My Cheese?” is a mere 94 pages (with large type!) It can be read in an hour or so.The “mice vs. men” story is a basic, but powerful, parallel to the “rat race” many of us experience.

Author

Spencer Johnson– 1998– M.D. from Royal College of Surgeons

– Known for simplicity–One Minute Manager; The Precious Present

Who Moved My Cheese

The BookPart I: Gathering of FriendsPart II: The StoryPart III: Discussion of the Story

Part I: A GatheringBook begins with four college buddies reuniting.They talk about changes in their livesMichael begins to tell them the story of Who Moved My Cheese?Things don’t necessarily turn out like we plan.Who likes to deal with change?What are some consequences if we don’t change?Being open and honest about ‘fear’ of change.Willingness to share information that would benefit others.

“Cheese” – a metaphor for what we want to have in life, whether it is a job, a relationship, money, a big house, freedom, health, recognition, spiritual peace, or even an activity like jogging or golf.Each of us has our own idea of what Cheese is, and we pursue it because we believe it makes us happy. If we get it, we often become attached to it. And if we lose it, or it’s taken away, it can be traumatic.The maze is where you spend your time looking for what you want (Cheese) - your organization, community or family.What is YOUR Cheese, and where are you looking for IT?

Part I: A Gathering

ONCE, long ago, there lived 4 little characters who ran through a maze looking for cheese to nourish them & make them happy.Two were mice named “Sniff” & “Scurry” and two were little people named “Hem” & “Haw”.

Part II: The Characters

Differences In The Characters

MiceSimplistic ThinkersUsed InstinctsWas Aware of Changes In Surrounding (Watchful)When The Environment Changed, They Changed With It.

Little PeopleComplex ThinkersUsed ReasonIgnorant to Changes In Surrounding (Familiar)Not Prepared For Change and Did Not Change With Environment.

Discussion Point: What did each group do when they came to Cheese Station C each day? As the days went on?

Every morning, the mice & the little people dressed in their running gear & headed over to Cheese Station C where they found their own kind of cheese. It was a large store of Cheese that Hem & Haw eventually moved their homes to be closer to it & built a social life around it.

To make themselves feel more at home, Hem & Haw decorated the walls with sayings. One read:

One morning, Sniff & Scurry arrived at Cheese Station C & discovered there was no cheese.They weren’t surprised. Since they had noticed the supply of cheese had been getting smaller every day, they were prepared for the inevitable & knew instinctively what to do. They were quickly off in search of New Cheese.Later that same day, Hem & Haw arrived. “What! No Cheese? Who moved my Cheese? It’s not fair!”, Hem yelled. They went home that night hungry & discouraged. But before they left, Haw wrote on the wall:

The next day Hem & Haw left their homes, & returned to Cheese Station C. But situation hadn’t changed. Haw asked, “Where are Sniff & Scurry? Do you think they know something we don’t?” Hem scoffed, “What would they know? They’re just simple mice. They just respond to what happens. We’re little people. We’re smarter.”

Haw suggested, “Maybe we should stop analyzing the situation so much and just get going & find some New Cheese.

Haw decided to leave Cheese Station C while Haw was more comfortable staying in the cheeseless Station C. Hem announced, “It’s MAZE time!” and wrote:

If You Do Not If You Do Not Change, You Can Change, You Can Become ExtinctBecome Extinct

Meanwhile, Sniff & Scurry went farther into the maze until they found Cheese Station N. They found what they had been looking for: a great supply of New Cheese. It was the biggest store of cheese the mice had ever seen.

Haw on the other hand become more anxious & wondered if he really wanted to go out into the Maze. He wrote a saying on the wall ahead of him & stared at it for some time:

What Would You Do What Would You Do If You WerenIf You Weren’’t t Afraid?Afraid?

Haw now realized that the change probably would not have taken him by surprise if he had been watching what was happening all along and if he had anticipated change. He stopped for a rest & wrote on the wall of the Maze:

Smell The Cheese Smell The Cheese Often So You Know Often So You Know When It Is When It Is Getting Old.Getting Old.

Haw wondered if Hem had moved on, or if he was still paralyzed by his own fears. Then, Haw remembered the times when he had felt his best in the Maze. It was when he was moving along. He wrote:

Movement In A New Movement In A New Direction Helps Direction Helps You Find New You Find New Cheese.Cheese.

As Haw started running down the dark corridor, he began to smile. Haw didn’t realize it yet, but he was discovering what nourished his soul. He was letting go & trusting what lay ahead for him, even though he did not know exactly what it was. To his surprise, Haw started to enjoy himself more & more. He stopped to write again on the wall:

When You Move When You Move Beyond Your Fear, Beyond Your Fear, You Feel Free.You Feel Free.

To make things even better, Haw started to paint a picture in his mind again. He saw himself in great realistic detail, sitting in the middle of a pile of all his favorite cheeses-from Cheddar to Brie! He saw himself eating the many cheeses he liked, & he enjoyed what he saw. The more clearly he saw the image of himself enjoying New Cheese, the more real & believable it became. He wrote:

Imagining Myself Imagining Myself Enjoying New Enjoying New Cheese, Even Cheese, Even Before I Find It, Before I Find It, Leads Me To It.Leads Me To It.

Haw wondered why he had always thought that a change would lead to something worse. Now he realized that change could lead to something better. Then he raced through the Maze with greater strength & agility. Until he found bits of New Cheese. He entered the Cheese Station but it was empty. Someone had already been there. He stopped & wrote on the wall:

The Quicker You The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Cheese, The Sooner you Find Sooner you Find New Cheese.New Cheese.

Haw made his way back to Cheese Station C to offer Hem bits of New Cheese but was turned down. Hem wanted his own Cheese back. Haw just shook his head in disappointment but this does not stop him from finding New Cheese. He smiled as he realized:

It Is Safer To It Is Safer To Search In The Search In The Maze Than Remain Maze Than Remain In The Cheeseless In The Cheeseless Situation.Situation.

Haw realized again, that what you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.He realizes it was natural for change to continually occur, whether you expect it or not. Change could surprise you only if you didn’t expect it & weren’t looking for it.When he realized he had changed his beliefs, he paused to write on the wall:

Old Beliefs Do Old Beliefs Do Not Lead You To Not Lead You To New Cheese.New Cheese.

Haw now realized that his new beliefs were encouraging him to behave in a new way. He was behaving differently from the way he had when he had kept returning to the same cheeseless station. It all depends on what you choose to believe. He wrote on the wall:

When You See That When You See That You Can Find And You Can Find And Enjoy New Cheese, Enjoy New Cheese, You Change You Change Course.Course.

Haw just hoped he was heading in the right direction. He thought about the possibility that Hem would read The Handwriting On The Wall & find his way.He wrote on the wall what he had been thinking about for some time:

Noticing Small Noticing Small Changes Early Changes Early Helps You Adapt To Helps You Adapt To The Bigger Changes The Bigger Changes That Are To Come.That Are To Come.

He continued on through the Maze with greater strength & speed. He proceeded along a corridor that was new to him, rounded a corner and found New Cheese at Cheese Station N where he saw the greatest supply of Cheese he had ever seen. Sniff & Scurry welcomed him.

““Hooray for Change!Hooray for Change!””

Haw wrote down a summary of what he had learned on the largest wall of Cheese Station N & smiled as he looked at what he had learned:

– Change Happens (They keep moving the cheese)

– Anticipate Change (Get ready for the cheese to move)

– Monitor Change (Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old)

– Adapt to change quickly (The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese)

– Change (Move with the Cheese)– Enjoy Change (Savor the adventure

and enjoy the taste of new cheese)

– Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again and again!

THE WRITING ON THE WALLTHE WRITING ON THE WALL

No Cheese?When the cheese was gone so were the mice!Reflect on the different reactions of the mice and the little people.Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.When change happens is it as sudden as we think or are there clues?

Getting Out Of A Cheese-less Situation

Accept the situation: this cheese is gone!Remember your journey: you had to find cheese the last time and you didReflect on your source: there has always been cheeseBlock nay-sayers: Folks with fear and negative thoughts who only want to HEM you in.Have faith: you will find new cheese if you start to search on itVisualize success: ”it’s the cheesiest!”

The Journey Is A-Mazing!

The journey is as important as the destinationYou’ll go faster the sooner you get rid of old fearsAs you proceed, you’ll find morsels of the new cheese along the way – a promise of what lies ahead!Everyone has to find new cheese for themselves– Be supportive, leave a trail that can be followed

Cheez-Whiz!You found new cheese!Now chew on this…

Q: What did the little people have that the mice didn’t have?

A: The ability to reflect on the lessons learned and apply it for the next time as well as the opportunity to share it with others.Let’s Not Waste Our Lessons…There Are People Who Need To Hear Our Stories

As Leaders How Do We Want To Handle Change?

US

Our commun

ity, colle

agues, and

corporatio

ns will be

looking a

t us

on how we

deal with

changes.

They will

take their

cues from

us.

Change is often prompted by unseen forces. Think Back:Has your cheese ever been moved? Have you ever found new cheese?

Move With The Move With The Cheese & Enjoy Cheese & Enjoy It !It !

Some Reflection…What did you think?What connections were you able to make with the story?What are some change scenarios that cause anxiety in a school/workplace?What causes this anxiety?

Some More Reflection…What is your cheese?Which character do you most identify with?Do you see parallels between the story and your life? Your school/work environment?When was the last time change (or the idea of it) caused you some anxiety?Why do you think people are of afraid of change?

Who are you?Which character do you most identify with?– Sniff, able to determine when change is on its way…

– Can you see the early signs of change coming before others are aware of it?

Who are you?– Scurry, who runs out and seeks change head-on…

– Can you see what is needed and take action immediately?

Who are you?– Haw, who is initially resistant to change, but realizes it’s not so bad…

– Can you laugh at yourself for not wanting to change, then move on to explore the maze and come to enjoy the taste of new cheese?

Who are you?– Or Hem, who is resistant to change, regardless of the situation?

– Do you “hem” and “haw” in a new situation and wish the change wasn’t happening?

Part III: Concluding…Change can be a positive thing As leaders we are to be flexible and adaptableNo one admits they fear change but think everyone around them does – denial.Old cheese is sometimes old behavior – new cheese is a new or renewed relationship

Thank you!“I refuse to accept the idea that man cannot influence

the unfolding events that surround him. ” Martin Luther King

For more, visit www.whomovedmycheese.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION