Book Summary: Who Moved My Cheese? – An Amazing Way to Deal With Change In Your Work and In Your Life

Circa 2002.

While doing some research today, I came across one of the papers I did back in graduate school.  It’s a good read (the book I mean).  You guys should check it out.

Who Moved My Cheese?

An Amazing Way to Deal With Change In Your Work and In Your Life

By Dr. Spencer Johnson

Summary:

“Who Moved My Cheese?” is set in a far away land wherein four protagonists—two mice named “Sniff” and “Scurry” and two “Littlepeople” (or men the size of mice) called “Hem” and “Haw”—would attempt to find their own kind of cheese each day in a vast labyrinth of corridors.

One day, after an extensive search, both groups found a reservoir of cheese in a place called Cheese Station C. In this station, both groups were able to eat cheese to their hearts’ content. In fact, Hem and Haw even moved closer to the Cheese Station as it provided for their daily provisions and eliminated the need to look elsewhere for more cheese. As time went by, Hem and Haw grew comfortable with their surroundings and became neglectful to the fact that their cheese supply was running out. Hem and Haw had always believed that there would be more.

Sniff and Scurry, on the other hand, braced themselves for such inevitability and scurried away to look for more cheese once it did run out. Hem and Haw, despite having the ability to think and learn from their experiences, did not follow suit as they remained firm on their belief that the cheese would eventually come back if they were patient enough.

Sniff and Scurry’s search for new cheese were laced with dead ends, bouts of fear, and hunger. But eventually, in an uncharted area of the maze, the mice came across the biggest store of cheese they had ever seen—Cheese Station N.

Days had passed and still there was no sign of any cheese at Cheese Station C. Hem and Haw were now starting to feel the effects of not having any cheese. Their growing hunger was starting to get the better of them, leading their once causal discussions into bickering about their predicament. It was then that Haw started to think about his friends Sniff and Scurry. Had they found any cheese with their efforts? These thoughts gave Haw the courage and the strength to leave the comforts of Cheese Station C and venture out into the maze again. But before leaving, Haw attempted to convince Hem to join him by explaining the rationality of leaving and finding new cheese. But to Haw’s disappointment, Hem refused and decided to remain at Cheese Station C.

Finally out of Cheese Station C, Haw now faced the same struggles his predecessors had faced. The journey of Haw was filled with new knowledge that he inscribed from time to time onto a wall in the event that Hem would decide to follow.

Eventually, Haw reached Cheese Station N and was greeted by Sniff and Scurry. Thoughts of Hem filled his head constantly and he wondered if he should go back for his friend to convince him to move out of Cheese Station C. However, Haw realized that he had already tried that and it didn’t work. The best that Haw could hope for was for Hem to finally decide on his own to move out of Cheese Station C…maybe even follow the signs that he had made during his journey to Cheese Station N so that Hem too could benefit from the cheese that now lay before him.

The Handwriting On The Wall
(Johnson, 1998)

Changes Happen
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
They Keep Moving The Cheese