Who Moved

My Cheese?

An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

Dr Spencer Johnson

Foreword by KENNETH BLANCHARD Ph.D.

The Story Behind The Story by Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D.

I am thrilled to be telling you “the story behind the story” of Who Moved My Cheese? because it means the book has now been written, and is available for all of us to read, enjoy and share with others. This is something I’ve wanted to see happen ever since I first heard Spencer Johnson tell his great “Cheese” story, years ago, before we wrote our book The One Minute Manager together. I remember thinking then how good the story was and how helpful it would be to me from that moment on. Who Moved My Cheese? is a story about change that takes place in a Maze where four amusing characters look for “Cheese”-cheese being a metaphor for what we want to have in life, whether it is a job, a relationship, money, a big house, freedom, health, recognition, spiritual peace, or even an activity like jogging or golf. Each of us has our own idea of what Cheese is, and we pursue it because we believe it makes us happy. If we get it, we often become attached to it. And if we lose it, or it’s taken away, it can be traumatic. 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. I tell the Cheese story that you are about to read in my talks around the world, and often hear later from people about what a difference it has made to them. Believe it or not, this little story has been credited with saving careers, marriages and lives! One of the many real-life examples comes from Charlie Jones, a well-respected broadcaster for NBC- TV, who revealed that hearing the story of “Who Moved My Cheese?” saved his career. His job as a broadcaster is unique, but the principles he learned can be used by anyone. Here’s what happened: Charlie had worked hard and had done a great job of broadcasting. Track and Field events at an earlier Olympic Games, so he was surprised and upset when his boss told him he’d been removed from these showcase events for the next Olympics and assigned to Swimming and Diving. Not knowing these sports as well, he was frustrated. He felt unappreciated and he became angry. He said he felt it wasn’t fair! His anger began to affect everything he did. Then, he heard the story of “Who Moved My Cheese?” After that he said he laughed at himself and changed his attitude. He realized his boss had just “moved his Cheese.” So he adapted. He learned the two new sports, and in the process, found that doing something new made him feel young.

It wasn’t long before his boss recognized his new attitude and energy, and he soon got better assignments. He went on to enjoy more success than ever and was later inducted into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame-Broadcasters’ Alley. That’s just one of the many real-life stories I’ve heard about the impact this story has had on people-from their work life to their love life. I’m such a strong believer in the power of “Who Moved My Cheese?” that I recently gave a copy of an early pre-publication edition to everyone (more than 200 people) working with our company. Why? Because like every company that wants to not only survive in the future but stay competitive, Blanchard Training & Development is constantly changing. They keep moving our “cheese.” While in the past we may have wanted loyal employees, today we need flexible people who are not possessive about “the way things are done around here.” And yet, as you know, living in constant white water with the changes occurring all the time at work or in life can be stressful, unless people have a way of looking at change that helps them understand it. Enter the Cheese story. When I told people about the story and then they got to read Who Moved My Cheese? you could almost feel the release of negative energy beginning to occur. Person after person from every department went out of their way to thank me for the book and told me how helpful it had been to them already in seeing the changes going on in our company in a different light. Believe me, this brief parable takes little time to read but its impact can be profound. As you turn the pages, you will find three sections in this book. In the first, A Gathering, former classmates talk at a class reunion about trying to deal with the changes happening in their lives. The second section is The Story of Who Moved My Cheese?, the core of the book. In the third section, A Discussion, people discuss what The Story meant to them and how they are going to use it in their work and in their lives. Some readers of this book’s early manuscript preferred to stop at the end of The Story, without reading further, and interpret its meaning for themselves. Others enjoyed reading A Discussion that follows because it stimulated their thinking about how they might apply what they’d learned to their own situation. In any case, I hope each time you re-read Who Moved My Cheese? you will find something new and useful in it, as I do, and that it will help you deal with change and bring you success, whatever you decide success is for you. I hope you enjoy what you discover and I wish you well. Remember: Move with the cheese! Ken Blanchard San Diego

A Gathering Chicago

One sunny Sunday in Chicago, several former classmates gathered for lunch, having attended their high school reunion the night before. They wanted to hear more about what was happening in each other’s lives. After a good deal of kidding, and a good meal, they settled into an interesting conversation. Angela, who had been one of the most popular people in the class, said, “Life sure turned out differently than I thought it would when we were in school. A lot has changed.” “It certainly has,” Nathan echoed. They knew he had gone into his family’s business, which had operated pretty much the same and had been a part of the local community for as long as they could remember. So, they were surprised when he seemed concerned. He asked, “But, have you noticed how we don’t want to change when things change?” Carlos said, “I guess we resist changing because we’re afraid of change.” “Carlos, you were Captain of the football team,” Jessica said. “I never thought I’d hear you say anything about being afraid!” They all laughed as they realized that although they had gone off in different directions – from working at home to managing companies – they were experiencing similar feelings. Everyone was trying to cope with the unexpected changes that were happening to them in recent years. And most admitted that they did not know a good way to handle them. Then Michael said, “I used to be afraid of change. When a big chance came along in our business, we didn’t know what to do. So we didn’t do anything differently and we almost lost it.” “That is,” he continued, “until I heard a funny little story that changed everything.” “How so?” Nathan asked “Well, the story altered the way I looked at change, and after that, things quickly improved for me – at work and in my life.” “Then, I passed the story on to some people in our company and they passed it on to others, and soon our business did much better, because we all adapted to change better. And like me, many people said helped them in their personal lives.” “What’s the story?” Angela asked. “It’s called, ‘Who Moved My Cheese?” The grouped laughed. “I think I like it already,” Carlos said, “Would you tell us the story?” “Sure,” Michael replied. “I’d be happy to – it doesn’t take long.” And so he began:

The Story Once, long ago in a land far away, there lived four little characters who ran through a maze looking for cheese to nourish then and make them happy. Two were mice named “Sniff” and “Scurry” and two were littlepeople – beings who were as small as mice but who looked and acted a lot like people today. Their names were “Hem” and “Haw”. Due to their small size, it would be easy not to notice what the four of them were doing. But if you looked closely enough, you could discover the most amazing things! Every day the mice and the littlepeople spent time in the maze looking for their own special cheese. The mice, Sniff and Scurry, possessing only simple rodent brains, but good instincts, searched for the hard nibbling cheese they liked, as mice often do. The two people, Hem and Haw, used their brains, filled with many beliefs, to search for a very different kind of Cheese – with a capital C – which they believed would make them feel happy and successful. As different as the mice and littlepeople were, they shared something in common: every morning, they each put on their jogging suits and running shoes, left their little homes, and race out into the maze looking for their favorite cheese. The maze was a labyrinth of corridors and chambers, some containing delicious cheese. But there were also dark corners and blind alleys leading nowhere. It was easy place for anyone to get lost. However, the two littlepeople, Hem and Haw, used a different method that relied on their ability to think and learn from their past experiences, although, they would sometimes get confused by their beliefs and emotions. Eventually in their own way, they all discovered what they were looking for – they each found their own kind of cheese one day at the end of one of the corridors in Cheese Station C. Every morning after that, the mice and the littlepeople dressed in their running gear and headed over to Cheese Station C. It wasn’t long before they each established their own routine. Sniff and Scurry continued to wake early every day and race through the maze, always following the same route. When they arrived at their destination, the mice took off their running shoes, tied them together and hung them around their necks – so they could get to them quickly whenever they needed them again. Then they enjoyed the cheese.

In the beginning Hem and Haw also raced toward Cheese Station C every morning to enjoy the tasty new morsels that awaited them. But after a while, a different routine set in for the littlepeople. Hem and Haw awoke each day a little later, dressed a little slower, and walked to Cheese Station C. After all, they knew where the Cheese was now and how to get there. They had no idea where the Cheese came from, or who put it there. They just assumed it would be there. As soon as Hem and Haw arrived at Cheese Station C each morning, they settled in and made themselves at home. They hung up their jogging shoes and out on their slippers. They were becoming very comfortable now that they had found the Cheese. “This is great,” Hem said. “There’s enough Cheese here to last us forever.” The littlepeople felt happy and successful, and thought they were secure. It wasn’t long before Hem and Haw regarded the Cheese they found at Cheese Station C as their cheese. It was such a large store of Cheese that they eventually moved their homes to be closer to it, and built a social life around it. To make themselves feel more at home, Hem and Haw decorated the walls with sayings and even pictures of Cheese around them which made them smile. One read:

Having Cheese Makes You

Happy.

Sometimes Hem and Haw would take their friends by in to see their pile of Cheese at Cheese Station C, and point to it with pride, saying, “Pretty nice Cheese, huh?” Sometimes they shared it with their friends and sometimes they didn’t. “We deserve this Cheese,” Hem said. “We certainly had to work long and hard enough to find it.” He picked up a nice fresh piece and ate it. Afterwards, Hem fell asleep, as he often did. Every night the littlepeople would waddle home, full of Cheese, and every morning they would confidently return for more. This went on for quite some time. After a while Hem’s and Haw’s confidence grew into arrogance. Soon they became so comfortable they didn’t even notice what was happening. As time went on, Sniff and Scurry continued their routine. They arrived early each morning and sniffed and scratched and scurried around Cheese Station C, inspecting the area to see if there had been any changes from the day before. Then they would sit down to nibble on the cheese. One morning they arrived at Cheese Station C and discovered there was no cheese. They weren’t surprised. Since Sniff and Scurry had noticed the supply of cheese had been getting smaller every day, they were prepared for the inevitable and knew instinctively what to do. They looked at each other, removed the running shoes they had tied together and hung conveniently around their necks, put them on their feet and laced them up. The mice did not overanalyze things. And they were not burdened with many complex beliefs. To the mice, the problem and the answer were both simple. The situation at Cheese Station C had changed. So, Sniff and Scurry decided to change. They both looked out into the maze. Then Sniff lifted his nose, sniffed, and nodded to Scurry, who took off running through the maze, while Sniff followed as fast as he could. They were quickly off in search of New Cheese. Later that same day, Hem and Haw arrived at Cheese Station C. They had not been paying attention to the small changes that had been taking place each day, so they took it for granted their Cheese would be there. They were unprepared for what they found.

“What! No Cheese?” Hem yelled. He continued yelling, “No Cheese? No Cheese?” as though if he shouted loud enough someone would put back. “Who moved my Cheese?” he hollered. Finally, he put his hands on his hips, his face turned red, and he screamed at the top of his voice, “It’s not fair!” Haw just shook his head in disbelief. He, too, had counted on finding Cheese at Cheese Station C. He stood there for a long time, frozen with chock. He was just not ready for this. Hem was yelling something, but Haw didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to deal with what was facing him, so he just turned everything out. The littlepeople’s behavior was not very attractive or productive but it was understandable. Finding Cheese wasn’t easy, and it meant a great deal more to the littlepeople than just having enough of it to eat everyday. Finding Cheese was the littlepeoples’ way of getting what they though they needed to be happy. They had their own ideas of what Cheese meant to them, depending on their taste. For some, finding Cheese was having material things. For others it was enjoying good health, or developing a spiritual sense of well-being. For Haw, Cheese just meant feeling safe, having a loving family someday and living in a cozy cottage on Cheddar Lane. To Hem, Cheese was becoming A Big Cheese in charge of others and owning a big house atop Camembert Hill. Because Cheese was important to them, the two littlepeople spent a long time trying to decide what to do. All they could think trying to decide what to do. All they could think of was to keep looking around Cheeseless Station C to se of the Cheese was really gone. While Sniff and Scurry had quickly moved on, Hem and Haw continued to hem and haw. They ranted and raved at the injustice of it all. Haw started to get depressed. What would happen if the Cheese wasn’t there tomorrow? He had if the Cheese wasn’t there tomorrow? He had made future plans based on this Cheese. The littlepeople couldn’t believe it. How could this have happened? No one had warned them. It wasn’t right. It was not the way things were supposed to be. Hem and Haw went home that night hungry and discouraged. But before they left, Haw wrote on the wall:

The More Important Your Cheese Is To You The More You Want To

Hold On To It.

The next day Hem and Haw left their homes, and returned to Cheese Station C again, where they still expected, somehow, to find their Cheese. The situation hadn’t changed, the Cheese was no longer there. The littlepeople didn’t know what to do. Hem and Haw just stood there, immobilized like two statues. Haw shut his eyes as tight as he could and put his hands over his ears. He just wanted to block everything out. He didn’t want to know the Cheese supply had gradually been getting smaller. He believed it had been moved all of a sudden. Hem analyzed the situation over and over and eventually his complicated brain with its huge belief system took hold. “Why did they do this to me?” he demanded. “What’s really going on here?” Finally Haw opened his eyes, looked around and said, “By the way, where are Sniff and Scurry? Do you think they know something we don’t?” Hem scoffed, “What would they know?” Hem continued, “They’re just simple mice. They just respond to what happens. We’re littlepeople. We’re special. We should be able to figure this out. And, besides, we deserve better.” “This should not happen to us, or if it does, we should at least get some benefits.” “Why should we get benefits?” Haw asked. “Because we’re entitled,” Hem claimed.