Article contributed by Fiona Powell.
Have you ever read the book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson, M.D?
The book is a short parable that deals with four characters – two mice named ‘Sniff’ and ‘Scurry’ and two mini-humans, ‘Hem’ and ‘Haw.’ They all live together in a maze, and spend their time looking for cheese. They all find this HUGE stash of cheese and begin to establish comfortable routines centered on the seeming abundance of cheese. But one day, they discover that the cheese is gone. The remainder of the story describes how each of the characters responds to the cheese’s disappearance.
Although simplistic, the book reminds all of us that with any change comes opportunity. We can choose to venture out and seek our fortune, or simply sit back and waste valuable time trying to over analyse why an event occurred.
Given all of the events that have unfolded recently – the international financial crisis, talks of potential depression not to mention the upcoming election, I’d say the chances are the one thing we can all bank on is change!
The question is how will we respond to that change? Will we end up like ‘Hem’ and simply sit around waiting for the cheese to return? Or, will we embrace the change, look for the new opportunity and embark on an exciting new chapter of life?
The “Who Moved My Cheese?” parable offers the following outline for change:
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 & Again – They keep moving the cheese.
A “Who Moved My Cheese?” Gaining Change Skills workshop is being held in Auckland on 25 November 08. The workshop is being run by an accredited Spencer Johnson trainer and promises to be both fun and enlightening. Anyone interested in finding out more about the workshop can enquire directly at cheese@cardinalresources.biz
