Written by Dr. Spencer Johnson who also authored the book The One Minute Manager.
Homepage - Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Years ago I was given this book my dear friends who wanted to remind me that I had friends who supported me and would be there for me as time moved on. At first I thought the book was a joke, a book about cheese little did I know that I would be reading a guide to the soul and to dealing with change and your fears in the face of change…
Perhaps a little about myself first, I’m no stranger to change I have dealt with change all my life having parents from two different cultures and countries, a father in the military and moving around the world quite often left me with no choice but to accept change head on. Over the years though one gets comfortable with what they have and they like being where they are, yet change comes whether you want it to or not and you have choices to make.
I’ve made many changes in my life, big decisions and little decisions. I choice to move North away from home and take a new job which led me further North and eventually overseas to Germany. More choices were made and I left one company for another, I married, I had children, I changed jobs and moved again and now here I am amidst multiple changes occuring all around me and I wonder am I “Hem”, “Haw”, “Sniff” or “Scurry” at the moment as these things take place around me? Am I aware of these changes and how they might impact me or am I hunkerd down in my section enjoying what I think I still have?
This book and it’s cute story are all about facing those fears, understanding them and opening your mind to change and the future. Right now I’m surrounded by changes, changes are taking place around us in rapid succession and we need to open our eyes and be aware of what we see, hear and also and most critically we need to be able to separate the pieces and understand the true impacts and not get caught up in the hustle and bustle. This is certainly no time to close our eyes and think “this has nothing to do with me”.
This book, again a very cute story, is all about that and how one might be thinking or acting right now. Taking a look a basic look at 4 types of personality the book pokes fun and helps one to understand which personality they might be representing right now and of course how they might better approach the situation and alter their thoughts to maximize the benefits of the changes taking place.
Some lessons I learned from the book,
- It’s OK to be afraid, as long as you understand that it is just fear
- Fear of the unknown is often a good sign that you are ready to venture into the unknown
- Friends should sick together to overcome challenges but don’t let a friend hold you back from what you know is the righ thing to do
- Pay attention to your surroundings, listen to the broader community
- Adapt when things begin to aler and embrace those changes
Most importantly though change is a cycle and it will come again and again and the best thing you can do is keep doing what you are good at. I’ve lived by one main rule since I started working “everyone is replaceable and if you want to ensure your job then continue to show that you can adapt, learn and innovate and you do and are always willing to give more than 100%”
I too received this book, along with all my fellow workers in the IS department, most of whom were shortly to be be made redundant by a decision to outsource our job functions. As a parable, it has relevance to those facing redundancy. As a gift, it was along the lines of “Say it with flowers – send her a Triffid”.
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