Who Moved My Cheese?

• Author: Hubbard, Susan A.

TITLE: Who Moved My Cheese? AUTHOR: Spencer Johnson, M.D. ISBN: 0-3991-44463 PUBLISHER: Putnam Pub Group PUBLICATION DATE: 1998 LENGTH: 94 pages PRICE: $19.95 (paperbook) SOURCE: Any major bookstore or Amazon.com Is it the fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or complacence and reluctance to move outside our comfort zone that makes many of us resistant to change? The premise of Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, M.D., is that change is constant and inevitable. Rather than manage change itself, one must modify behavior toward change.

The book is divided into a foreword and three sections. In Section 1, "A Gathering," several in a reunion of former classmates discuss dealing with change in their lives. Section 2, "The Story," is the core of the book. Section 3 returns to the classmates who are finding real-life applications for the new insights gleaned from the story.

The foreword by Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D., who co-authored The One Minute Manager with Johnson, sets up the story by defining terms and characters: "Cheese" is a "metaphor for what you want in life, whether it is a job, relationship, money, a big house, freedom, health, recognition, spiritual peace, or even an activity like jogging or golf. The `maze' in the story represents where you spend time looking for what you want. It can be the organization you work in, the community you live in, or the relationships you have in your life."

The cast of characters includes two mice, Sniff and Scurry, who are given human character traits and actions, and two "little people," Hem and Haw, complete with complex emotions and belief systems. Sniff is quick to identify change. Scurry is quick to act. Hem is in eternal denial, experiencing fear of the unknown and strongly resisting any and all changes. Haw learns to adapt to change once he sees the benefits.

Reminiscent of Aesop's Fables, the tale begins with Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw in their daily jog to the maze in search of cheese, only to discover one day that their cheese has disappeared. The reaction of the characters lends itself to comparisons with our own family's and/or co-workers' reactions when experiencing change.

Johnson uses the story to describe the desired behavior patterns for dealing with change. The first concept is that change...