One of the most fascinating reads on change management is from an author called Dr Spencer Johnson in the book titled Who Moved My Cheese. the book highlights some of the most important issues around change and exposes different behaviours that are around change. It is a must-read for anyone as these nuggets hold true to any aspect of life that may experience change. below is a summary of the book hopefully you will learn one or two from this. Please read the book, you might get a different lesson that I too may have failed to pick.

🍀 Summary of the 4 Characters

The story is of 4 characters who lived in a Maze, 2 were mice and 2 were little people that were the size of the mice. These 4 lived in that maze and looked for cheese since they depended on it. The Little people were smarter than the mice using their advanced brain power to look for cheese. Whilst the 2 mice relied on their senses. The two little humans’ names were Haw and Hem, and the two mice’s names were Sniff and Scurry.

1. Sniff – team mice strength sniffing out cheese common morning routine
2. Scurry – team mice strength racing ahead to find the cheese also did the common early morning routine
3. Hem – team little human strength denies change did the early morning routine but later broke it after finding cheese station c
4. Haw – team little human strength ability to think and learn from past experiences also did the early morning routine but later broke it after finding cheese station c

📖 Story Summary

The 4 Characters lived in the maze and looked for cheese. The two mice relied on trial and error whilst the two little humans relied on their ability to think and learn from past experiences. Eventually, they found cheese station C which proved to be an infinite source of cheese.

Every morning they would go to cheese Station C however, team mice continued with their early morning routine and team little humans shifted to a relaxed late morning routine. As time went by they became accustomed to going to cheese station C. Then it so happened that one morning there was no cheese at cheese station C.

The mice quickly moved on and headed into the maze to look for cheese. This didn’t come as a surprise to team mice as they inspected Cheese station C each morning for any changes. Using their trial and error techniques they ventured into the maze. At first, they found small cheese supplies and they continued the search until they found cheese station N. Cheese station N was even better than cheese station C.

The little humans came in late as usual and to their surprise, there is no cheese they could not believe it. They didn’t expect it to happen since they were not doing daily inspections of cheese station C. Unlike the mice who quickly moved on the little humans spent most of their time in shock. They didn’t accept the fact that the cheese was gone so they spent most of their time waiting for the cheese and also searching for the cheese at Cheese Station C, for some time they did so up until Haw finally made up his mind to go into the maze and search for new cheese. Though initially, Hew talked him out of the idea he then picked himself up and began his difficult journey into the maze. In the maze, he left words on the wall as clues For Hem in case he decided to follow. (these are the golden quotes below). For Haw, it was a tiring journey. He even found small cheese supplies which he brought back to Hem so as to encourage him to join the search for new cheese. The good efforts failed to persuade Hem. Haw returned to his search and eventually, he also discovered Cheese Station N.

🗝 Key Lessons of the Story

1. Change is hard it is not an easy undertaking – The more important your cheese is to you the more you want to hold on to it.
2. Failing to change with times or events may be dangerous – If you don’t change you can become extinct
3. To embrace change involves stepping out of your comfort zone – What would you do if you were not afraid
4. Change is inevitable the key is to know when it is time to change hence constant checks and inspections – Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old
5. Venturing into something new will always present you with new experiences and those might be your new normal – Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese
6. The change will always make you feel afraid – When you stop being afraid feel good
7. The mere fact of dreaming of change or envisioning change can lead you to it – Imagining yourself enjoying your new cheese can lead you to it
8. Change favour the early adopters – The quicker you let go of old cheese the sooner you find the new cheese
9. When the situation is no longer pleasing acting out of your comfort zone is better than holding on – It is safer to search in the maze than remain in a cheeseless situation
10. Old ways will not lead to new things – Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese
11. A little bit of success is necessary to motivate the new course of change – When you see that you can find and enjoy new cheese you change course
12. Small changes lead to big changes – Noticing small changes early helps you adopt the bigger changes that are to come

Conclusion

Strategic Change Management is key in order to help oneself to navigate around the challenges it brings so as to arrive at the new normal. For leaders change management is critical as it helps the group move through the transition quickly which has its own benefits in the end. It is also vital that we accommodate each other as others will act like Sniff- who sniffs out change early, others like Scurry- who quickly gets into action, others are like Hem – who resists and fears change, or Haw – who learns to adapt to change in time.