WhoMovedMyCheese?

AnAMazingWayToDealWithChangeInYourWorkAndInYourLife

WhoMovedMyCheese? isasimpleparable that revealsprofound truthsaboutchange.Itisanamusingandenlighteningstoryoffourcharacterswholiveina'Maze'andlookfor'Cheese'tonourishthemandmakethemhappy.

TwoaremicenamedSniffandScurry.Andtwoarelittlepeople'-beingsthesizeof mice who look and act a lot like people. Their names are Hem and Haw.'Cheese'isametaphorforwhatyouwanttohaveinlife-whetherit'sagoodjob,a loving relationship, money, a possession, good health, or spiritual peace ofmind.And 'TheMaze' iswhereyou lookforwhatyouwant- theorganizationyouworkin,orthefamilyorcommunityyoulivein.

Inthestory,thecharactersarefacedwithunexpectedchange.Eventually,oneofthem deals with it successfully, and writes what he has learned from hisexperienceonthemazewalls.

When you come to see 'The Handwriting on theWal ', you can discover foryourself how to dealwith change, so that you can enjoy less stress andmoresuccess(howeveryoudefineit)inyourworkandinyourlife.

Written for all ages, this story takes less than an hour to read, but its uniqueinsightscanlastforalifetime.

WhoMovedMyCheese?

Contents

PartsofAlofUs

AGathering:Chicago

WhoMovedMyCheese?:TheStory

FourCharacters

FindingCheese

NoCheese!

TheMice:Sniff&Scurry

TheLittlepeople:Hem&Haw

Meanwhile,BackIntheMaze

GettingBeyondFear

EnjoyingTheAdventure

MovingWithTheCheese

TheHandwritingOnTheWal

TastingNewCheese

EnjoyingChange!

ADiscussion:LaterThatSameDay

NewCheese!

PartsofAllofUs

TheSimpleandTheComplexThefourimaginarycharacters

depicted in this story—themice: "Sniff" and "Scurry;' and the Little people:"Hem"and"Haw"—areintendedtorepresentthesimpleandthecomplexpartsofourselves,regardlessof

ourage,gender,raceornationality.

Sometimeswemayactlike

Sniff

Whosniffsoutchangeearly,or

Scurry

Whoscurriesintoaction,or

Hem

Whodeniesandresistschangeashefears

itwillleadtosomethingworse,or

Haw

Wholearnstoadaptintimewhenhesees

changingcanleadtosomethingbetter!

Whateverpartsofuswechoosetouse,

weallsharesomethingincommon:

aneedtofindourwayintheMaze

andsucceedinchangingtimes.

AGathering

Chicago

One sunny Sunday in Chicago, several former classmates, who were goodfriendsinschool,gatheredforlunch,havingattendedtheirhighschoolreunionthenightbefore.Theywantedtohearmoreaboutwhatwashappeningineachother'slives.Afteragooddealofkidding,andagoodmeal,theysettledintoaninterestingconversation.

Angela,whohadbeenoneof themostpopularpeople in theclass, said, "LifesureturnedoutdifferentlythanIthoughtitwouldwhenwewereinschool.Alothaschanged."

"It certainly has," Nathan echoed. They knew he had gone into his family'sbusiness,whichhadoperatedprettymuchthesameandhadbeenapartof thelocal community for as long as they could remember. So, theywere surprisedwhen he seemed concerned. He asked, "But, have you noticed howwe don'twanttochangewhenthingschange?"

Carlossaid,"Iguessweresistchanging,becausewe'reafraidofchange."

"Carlos,youwereCaptainofthefootballteam"Jessicasaid."IneverthoughtI'dhearyousayanythingaboutbeingafraid!"

They all laughed as they realized that although they had gone off in differentdirections—from working at home to managing companies—they wereexperiencingsimilarfeelings.

Everyonewastryingtocopewiththeunexpectedchangesthatwerehappeningtotheminrecentyears.Andmostadmittedthattheydidnotknowagoodwaytohandlethem.

ThenMichael said, "I used to be afraid of change.When a big change camealong inourbusiness,wedidn'tknowwhat todo.Sowedidn't adjust andwealmostlostit.

"That is," he continued, "until I heard a funny little story that changedeverything."

"Howso?"Nathanasked.

"Wel,thestorychangedthewayIlookedatchange—fromlosingsomethingtogaining something—and it showedmehow todo it.After that, thingsquicklyimproved—atworkandinmylife.

"At first I was annoyed with the obvious simplicity of the story because itsoundedlikesomethingwemighthavebeentoldinschool.

"ThenIrealizedIwasreallyannoyedwithmyselffornotseeingtheobviousanddoingwhatworkswhenthingschange.

"WhenIrealizedthefourcharactersinthestoryrepresentedthevariouspartsofmyself,IdecidedwhoIwantedtoactlikeandIchanged.

"Later,Ipassedthestoryontosomepeopleinourcompanyandtheypasseditontoothers,andsoonourbusinessdidmuchbetter,becausemostofusadaptedtochangebetter.Andlikeme,manypeoplesaidithelpedthemintheirpersonallives.

"However therewere a few peoplewho said they got nothing out of it. Theyeitherknewthelessonsandwerealreadylivingthem,or,morecommonly,theythoughttheyalreadykneweverythinganddidn'twanttolearn.Theycouldn'tseewhysomanyotherswerebenefitingfromit.

"Whenoneof our senior executives,whowas havingdifficulty adapting, saidthestorywasawasteoftime,otherpeoplekiddedhimsayingtheyknewwhichcharacterhewas in the story—meaning theonewho learnednothingnewanddidnotchange.'"

"What'sthestory?"Angelaasked.

"It'scalled.WhoMovedMyCheese?"

Thegrouplaughed."IthinkIlikeitalready,"Carlossaid."Wouldyoutellusthestory?Maybewecangetsomethingfromit."

"Sure," Michael replied. "I'd be happy to—it doesn't take long." And so hebegan:

WhoMovedMyCheese?TheStory

UNCE, long ago in a land far away, there lived four little characterswho ranthroughaMazelookingforcheesetonourishthemandmakethemhappy.

Twoweremice,named"Sniff"and"Scurry"andtwowereLittlepeople—beingswhowere as small asmice butwho looked and acted a lot like people today.Theirnameswere"Hem"and"Haw."

Duetotheirsmallsize,itwouldbeeasynottonoticewhatthefourofthemweredoing.Butifyoulookedcloselyenough,youcoulddiscoverthemostamazingthings!

EverydaythemiceandtheLittlepeoplespenttimeintheMazelookingfortheirownspecialcheese.

The mice. Sniff and Scurry, possessing simple brains and good instincts,searchedforthehardnibblingcheesetheyliked,asmiceoftendo.

The two Little people, Hem and Haw, used their complex brains, fil ed withmanybeliefsandemotions,tosearchforaverydifferentkindofCheese—withacapitalC—whichtheybelievedwouldmakethemfeelhappyandsuccessful.

As different as the mice and Little people were, they shared something incommon:everymorning,theyeachputontheirjoggingsuitsandrunningshoes,left their little homes, and raced out into theMaze looking for their favouritecheese.

TheMazewasalabyrinthofcorridorsandchambers,somecontainingdeliciouscheese. But therewere also dark corners and blind alleys leading nowhere. Itwasaneasyplaceforanyonetogetlost.

However, for thosewho found theirway, theMaze held secrets that let themenjoy a better life.Themice, Sniff andScurry, used the simple trial-and-errormethodoffindingcheese.Theyrandownonecorridor,andifitprovedempty,theyturnedandrandownanother.Theyrememberedthecorridorsthatheldnocheeseandquicklywentintonewareas.

Sniffwouldsmellout thegeneraldirectionof thecheese,usinghisgreatnose,andScurrywouldraceahead.Theygotlost,asyoumightexpect,wentoffinthewrongdirectionandoftenbumpedintowalls.

Butafterawhile,theyfoundtheirway.

Like themice, the twoLittle people,Hem andHaw, also used their ability tothink and learn from their past experiences. However, they relied on theircomplexbrainstodevelopmoresophisticatedmethodsoffindingCheese.

Sometimes they didwell, but at other times their powerful human beliefs andemotionstookoverandcloudedthewaytheylookedatthings.ItmadelifeintheMazemorecomplicatedandchallenging.

Nonetheless,Sniff,Scurry,HemandHawalldiscovered,intheirownway,whattheywerelookingfor.TheyeachfoundtheirownkindofcheeseonedayattheendofoneofthecorridorsincheeseStationC.

Everymorningafterthat,themiceandtheLittlepeopledressedintheirrunninggear and headed over to Cheese Station C. It wasn't long before they eachestablishedtheirownroutine.

SniffandScurrycontinuedtowakeearlyeverydayandracethroughtheMaze,alwaysfollowingthesameroute.

Whentheyarrivedattheirdestination,themicetookofftheirrunningshoes,tiedthem together and hung them around their necks—so they could get to themquicklywhenevertheyneededthemagain.

Thentheyenjoyedthecheese.

In the beginning Hem and Haw also raced toward Cheese Station C everymorningtoenjoythetastynewmorselsthatawaitedthem.Butafterawhile,adifferentroutinesetinfortheLittlepeople.

HemandHawawokeeachdayalittlelater,dressedalittleslower,andwalkedtoCheeseStationC.Afterall, theyknewwhere theCheesewasnowandhowtogetthere.

Theyhadno ideawhere theCheesecamefrom,orwhoput it there.They justassumeditwouldbethere.

AssoonasHemandHawarrivedatCheeseStationCeachmorning,theysettledin andmade themselves at home.They hung up their jogging suits, put away

their running shoes and put on their slippers. They were becoming verycomfortablenowthattheyhadfoundtheCheese.

"Thisisgreat"Hemsaid."There'senoughCheeseheretolastusforever."

TheLittlepeoplefelthappyandsuccessful,andthoughttheywerenowsecure.

Itwasn't longbeforeHemandHawregarded theCheese theyfoundatCheeseStationCastheircheese.ItwassuchalargestoreofCheesethattheyeventuallymovedtheirhomestobeclosertoit,andbuiltasociallifearoundit.

Tomakethemselvesfeelmoreathome,HemandHawdecoratedthewallswithsayingsandevendrewpicturesofCheesearoundthemwhichmadethemsmile.Oneread:

SometimesHemandHawwouldtaketheirfriendsbytoseetheirpileofCheeseat Cheese Station C, and point to it with pride, saying, "Pretty nice Cheese,hub?"Sometimestheyshareditwiththeirfriendsandsometimestheydidn't.

"WedeservethisCheese,"'Hemsaid."Wecertainlyhadtoworklongandhard

enoughtofindit."Hepickedupanicefreshpieceandate it.Afterward,Hemfellasleep,asheoftendid.

Every night the Little people would waddle home, full of Cheese, and everymorning theywould confidently return formore.Thiswenton forquite sometime.

AfterawhileHem'sandHaw'sconfidencegrewintothearroganceofsuccess.Soontheybecamesocomfortabletheydidn'tevennoticewhatwashappening.

As timewent on. Sniff andScurry continued their routine.They arrived earlyeachmorningandsniffedandscratchedandscurriedaroundCheeseStationC,inspecting the area to see if there had been any changes from the day before.Thentheywouldsitdowntonibbleonthecheese.

One morning they arrived at Cheese Station C and discovered there was nocheese.

Theyweren'tsurprised.SinceSniffandScurryhadnoticedthesupplyofcheesehad been getting smaller every day, theywere prepared for the inevitable andknewinstinctivelywhattodo.

Theylookedateachother,removedtherunningshoestheyhadtiedtogetherandhungconvenientlyaroundtheirnecks,putthemontheirfeetandlacedthemup.

Themicedidnotoveranalyzethings.Tothemice,theproblemandtheanswerwerebothsimple.ThesituationatCheeseStationChadchanged.

So,SniffandScurrydecidedtochange.

They both looked out into theMaze. Then Sniff lifted his nose, sniffed, andnoddedtoScurry,whotookoffrunningthroughtheMaze,whileSnifffollowedasfastashecould.

TheywerequicklyoffinsearchofNewCheese.

Later that sameday,HemandHawarrivedatCheeseStationC.Theyhadnotbeenpayingattentiontothesmallchangesthathadbeentakingplaceeachday,sotheytookit forgrantedtheirCheesewouldbethere.Theywereunpreparedforwhattheyfound.

"What! No Cheese?" Hem yelled. He continued yelling, "No Cheese? NoCheese?"asthoughifheshoutedloudenoughsomeonewouldputitback.

"WhomovedmyCheese?"hehollered.

Finally,heputhishandsonhiships,hisfaceturnedred,andhescreamedatthetopofhisvoice,"It'snotfair!"

Hawjustshookhisheadindisbelief.He,too,hadcountedonfindingCheeseatCheeseStationC.Hestoodthereforalongtime,frozenwithshock.Hewasjustnotreadyfor this.Hemwasyellingsomething,butHawdidn'twant tohear it.Hedidn'twanttodealwithwhatwasfacinghim,sohejusttunedeverythingout.

The Little people's behavior was not very attractive or productive, but it wasunderstandable.FindingCheesewasn't easy, and itmeantagreatdealmore totheLittlepeoplethanjusthavingenoughofittoeateveryday.

FindingCheesewas theLittle people'sway of gettingwhat they thought theyneeded tobehappy.Theyhad theirown ideasofwhatCheesemeant to them,dependingontheirtaste.

Forsome,findingCheesewashavingmaterialthings.Forothersitwasenjoyinggoodhealthordevelopingaspiritualsenseofwell-being.

ForHaw,Cheese justmeant feelingsafe,havinga loving familysomedayandlivinginacozycottageonCheddarLane.

ToHem,CheesewasbecomingaBigCheeseinchargeofothersandowningabighouseatopCamembertHil.

BecauseCheesewasimportanttothem,thetwoLittlepeoplespentalongtimetryingtodecidewhattodo.AltheycouldthinkofwastokeeplookingaroundCheeselessStationCtoseeiftheCheesewasreallygone.

WhileSniffandScurryhadquicklymovedon,HemandHawcontinuedtohemandhaw.Theyrantedandravedattheinjusticeofitall.Hawstartedto

getdepressed.WhatwouldhappeniftheCheesewasn'ttheretomorrow?HehadmadefutureplansbasedonthisCheese.

TheLittlepeoplecouldn'tbelieveit.Howcouldthishavehappened?Noonehadwarnedthem.Itwasn'tright.Itwasnotthewaythingsweresupposedtobe.

HemandHawwenthome thatnighthungryanddiscouraged.Butbefore theyleft.Hawwroteonthewall:

ThenextdayHemandHawlefttheirhomes,andreturnedtoCheeseStationCagain,wheretheystilexpected,somehow,tofindtheirCheese.

Thesituationhadn'tchanged,theCheesewasnolongerthere.TheLittlepeopledidn't knowwhat todo.HemandHaw just stood there, immobilized like twostatues.

Hawshuthiseyesastightashecouldandputhishandsoverhisears.Hejustwantedtoblockeverythingout.Hedidn'twanttoknowtheCheesesupplyhadgraduallybeengettingsmaller.Hebelievedithadbeenmovedallofasudden.

Hemanalyzedthesituationoverandoverandeventuallyhiscomplicatedbrainwithitshugebeliefsystemtookhold."Whydidtheydothistome?"

hedemanded."What'sreallygoingonhere?"

Finally,Hawopenedhiseyes, lookedaroundandsaid,"Bytheway,whereareSniffandScurry?Doyouthinktheyknowsomethingwedon't?"Hemscoffed,"Whatwouldtheyknow?"

Hemcontinued, "They're justmice.They just respond towhat happens.We're

Littlepeople.We'resmarterthanmice.Weshouldbeabletofigurethisout."

"Iknowwe'resmarter,"Hawsaid,"butwedon'tseemtobeactingsmarteratthemoment.

Thingsarechangingaroundhere,Hem.Maybeweneedtochangeanddothingsdifferently."

"Whyshouldwechange?"Hemasked."We'reLittlepeople.We'respecial.

Thissortofthingshouldnothappentous.Orifitdoes,weshouldatleastgetsomebenefits."

"Whyshouldwegetbenefits?"Hawasked.

"Becausewe'reentitled,"Hemclaimed.

"Entitledtowhat?"Hawwantedtoknow.

"We'reentitledtoourCheese."

"Why?"Hawasked.

"Because,wedidn'tcausethisproblem,"Hemsaid."Somebodyelsedidthisandweshouldgetsomethingoutofit."

Hawsuggested,"MaybeweshouldsimplystopanalyzingthesituationsomuchandgofindsomeNewCheese?"

"Ohno,"Hemargued."I'mgoingtogettothebottomofthis."

WhileHemandHawwerestiltryingtodecidewhattodo.SniffandScurrywerealready well on their way. They went farther into the Maze, up and downcorridors,lookingforcheeseineveryCheeseStationtheycouldfind.

Theydidn'tthinkofanythingelsebutfindingNewCheese.

They didn't find any for some time until they finallywent into an area of theMazewheretheyhadneverbeenbefore:CheeseStationN.

Theysquealedwithdelight.Theyfoundwhattheyhadbeenlookingfor:agreat

supplyofNewCheese.

Theycouldhardlybelievetheireyes.Itwasthebiggeststoreofcheesethemicehadeverseen.

In themeantime,Hem andHawwere stil back inCheeseStationC valuatingtheirsituation.TheywerenowsufferingfromtheeffectsofhavingnoCheese.

Theywerebecomingfrustratedandangryandwereblamingeachotherforthesituationtheywerein.

Now and then Haw thought about his mice friends. Sniff and Scurry, andwonderediftheyhadfoundanycheeseyet.Hebelievedtheymightbehavingahardtime,asrunningthroughtheMazeusuallyinvolvedsomeuncertainty.

Buthealsoknewthatitwaslikelytoonlylastforawhile.

Sometimes, Haw would imagine Sniff and Scurry finding New Cheese andenjoying it.He thought about how good itwould be for him to be out on anadventureintheMaze,andtofindfreshNewCheese.Hecouldalmosttasteit.

ThemoreclearlyHawsawtheimageofhimselffindingandenjoyingtheNewCheese,themorehesawhimselfleavingCheeseStationC.

"Let'sgo!"heexclaimed,allofasudden.

"No"Hemquicklyresponded."Ilikeithere.

It'scomfortable.It'swhatIknow.Besidesit'sdangerousoutthere."

"No it isn't"Hawargued. "We've run throughmanyparts of theMazebefore,andwecandoitagain."

"I'mgetting too old for that,"Hem said. "And I'm afraid I'mnot interested ingettinglostandmakingafoolofmyself.Areyou?"

With that.Haw's fear of failing returned and his hope of findingNewCheesefaded.

Soeveryday,theLittlepeoplecontinuedtodowhattheyhaddonebefore.

TheywenttoCheeseStationC,foundnoCheese,andreturnedhome,carryingtheirworriesandfrustrationswiththem.

Theytriedtodenywhatwashappening,butfoundithardertogettosleep,hadlessenergythenextday,andwerebecomingirritable.

Theirhomeswerenotthenurturingplacestheyoncewere.TheLittlepeoplehaddifficultysleepingandwerehavingnightmaresaboutnotfindinganyCheese.

ButHemandHawstilreturnedtoCheeseStationCandwaitedthereeveryday.

Hemsaid, "Youknow ifwe justworkharderwe'l find that nothinghas reallychanged that much. The Cheese is probably nearby. Maybe they just hid itbehindthewall."

The next day. Hem andHaw returnedwith tools. Hem held the chisel, whileHawbangedonthehammeruntiltheymadeaholeinthewallofCheeseStationC.TheypeeredinsidebutfoundnoCheese.

They were disappointed but believed they could solve the problem. So theystartedearlier,stayedlonger,andworkedharder.Butafterawhile,alltheyhadwasalargeholeinthewall.

Hawwasbeginningtorealizethedifferencebetweenactivityandproductivity.

"Maybe,"Hemsaid, "weshould just sithereandseewhathappens.SoonerorlatertheyhavetoputtheCheeseback."

Hawwanted to believe that. So each day he went home to rest and returnedreluctantlywithHemtoCheeseStationC.ButCheeseneverreappeared.

BynowtheLittlepeopleweregrowingweakfromhungerandstress.Hawwasgettingtiredofjustwaitingfortheirsituationtoimprove.HebegantoseethatthelongertheystayedintheirCheeselesssituation,theworseofftheywouldbe.

Hawknewtheywerelosingtheiredge.

Finally,onedayHawbeganlaughingathimself.

"Haw,haw,lookatus.Wekeepdoingthesamethingsoverandoveragainand

wonderwhythingsdon'tgetbetter.Ifthiswasn'tsoridiculous,itwouldbeevenfunnier."

HawdidnotliketheideaofhavingtorunthroughtheMazeagain,becauseheknewhewouldgetlostandhavenoideawherehewouldfindanyCheese.

Buthehadtolaughathisfollywhenhesawwhathisfearwasdoingtohim.

HeaskedHem,"Wheredidweputour runningshoes?" It tooka long time tofindthembecausetheyhadputeverythingawaywhentheyfoundtheirCheeseatCheeseStationC,thinkingtheywouldn'tbeneedingthemanymore.

AsHemsawhisfriendgettingintohisrunninggear,hesaid,"You'renotreallygoingoutintotheMazeagain,areyou?Whydon'tyoujustwaitherewithmeuntiltheyputtheCheeseback?"

"Because,youjustdon'tgetit,"Hawsaid."Ididn'twanttoseeiteither,butnowIrealizethey'renevergoingtoputyesterday'sCheeseback.It'stimetofindNewCheese."

Hemargued,"ButwhatifthereisnoCheeseoutthere?Orevenifthereis,whatifyoudon'tfindit?"

"Idon'tknow,"Hawsaid.Hehadaskedhimselfthosesamequestionstoomanytimesandfeltthefearsagainthatkepthimwherehewas.

He asked himself, "Where am I more likely to find Cheese—here or in theMaze?"

Hepaintedapicture inhismind.He sawhimselfventuringout into theMazewithasmileonhisface.

Whilethispicturesurprisedhim,itmadehimfeelgood.HesawhimselfgettinglostnowandthenintheMaze,butfeltconfidenthewouldeventuallyfindNewCheese out there and all the good things that came with it. He gathered hiscourage.

Thenheusedhisimaginationtopaintthemostbelievablepicturehecould—

with themost realistic details—of him finding and enjoying the taste ofNew

Cheese.

HesawhimselfeatingSwisscheesewithholesinit,brightorangeCheddarandAmericancheeses, ItalianMozzarellaandwonderfully softFrenchCamembertCheese,and....

ThenheheardHemsaysomethingandrealizedtheywerestilatCheeseStationC.

Hawsaid,"Sometimes,Hem,thingschangeandtheyareneverthesameagain.This looks like one of those times.That's life!Lifemoves on.And so shouldwe."

Haw looked at his emaciated companion and tried to talk sense to him, butHem'sfearhadturnedintoangerandhewouldn'tlisten.

Hawdidn'tmeantoberudetohisfriend,buthehadtolaughathowsilytheybothlooked.

AsHawprepared to leave, he started to feelmore alive, knowing that hewasfinallyabletolaughathimself,letgoandmoveon.

Hawlaughedandannounced,"It's...Maze...time!"

Hemdidn'tlaughandhedidn'trespond.

Hawpickedupasmall,sharprockandwroteaseriousthoughtonthewallforHemtothinkabout.

As was his custom. Haw even drew a picture of cheese around it, hoping itwouldhelpHem to smile, lightenup, andgo after theNewCheese.ButHemdidn'twanttoseeit.

Itread:

Then,HawstuckhisheadoutandpeeredanxiouslyintotheMaze.Hethoughtabouthowhe'dgottenhimselfintothischeeselesssituation.

Hehadbelievedthat theremaynotbeanyCheeseintheMaze,orhemaynotfindit.Suchfearfulbeliefswereimmobilizingandkilinghim.

Hawsmiled.HeknewHemwaswondering,

"Whomovedmycheese?"butHawwaswondering, "Whydidn't I getup andmovewiththeCheese,sooner?"

AshestartedoutintotheMaze,Hawlookedbacktowherehehadcomefromand felt its comfort. He could feel himself being drawn back into familiarterritory—eventhoughhehadn'tfoundCheesehereforsometime.

HawbecamemoreanxiousandwonderedifhereallywantedtogooutintotheMaze.Hewroteasayingonthewallaheadofhimandstaredatitforsometime:

Hethoughtaboutit.

Heknewsometimessomefearcanbegood.

Whenyouareafraidthingsaregoingtogetworseifyoudon'tdosomething,itcan prompt you into action. But it is not goodwhen you are so afraid that itkeepsyoufromdoinganything.

Helookedtohisright,tothepartoftheMazewherehehadneverbeen,andfeltthefear.

Then,hetookadeepbreath,turnedrightintotheMaze,andjoggedslowly,intotheunknown.

Ashetriedtofindhisway.Hawworried,atfirst,thathemighthavewaitedtoolonginCheeseStationC.Hehadn'thadanyCheeseforsolongthathewasnowweak.It tookhimlongeranditwasmorepainfulthanusualtogetthroughtheMaze.

Hedecidedthatifheevergotthechanceagain,hewouldgetoutofhiscomfortzoneandadapttochangesooner.Itwouldmakethingseasier.

Then,Hawsmiledaweaksmileashethought,"Betterlatethannever."

During the next several days, Haw found a little Cheese here and there, butnothingthatlastedverylong.HehadhopedtofindenoughCheesetotakesomebacktoHemandencouragehimtocomeoutintotheMaze.

ButHawdidn'tfeelconfidentenoughyet.HehadtoadmithefounditconfusingintheMaze.

Thingsseemedtohavechangedsincethelasttimehewasouthere.

Justwhenhethoughthewasgettingahead,hewouldgetlostinthecorridors.

Itseemedhisprogresswas twostepsforwardandonestepbackward. Itwasachallenge,buthehadtoadmitthatbeingbackintheMaze,huntingforCheese,wasn'tnearlyasbadashefeareditmightbe.

AstimewentonhebegantowonderifitwasrealisticforhimtoexpecttofindNewCheese.Hewonderedifhehadbittenoffmorethanhecouldchew.

Thenhelaughed,realizingthathehadnothingtochewonatthatmoment.

Wheneverhestartedtogetdiscouraged,heremindedhimselfthatwhathewasdoing,asuncomfortableasitwasatthemoment,wasinrealitymuchbetterthanstaying in the Cheeseless situation. Hewas taking control, rather than simplylettingthingshappentohim.

Thenheremindedhimself,ifSniffandScurrycouldmoveon,socouldhe!

Later, as Haw looked back on things, he realized that the Cheese at CheeseStationChadnotjustdisappearedovernight,ashehadoncebelieved.

The amount of Cheese that had been there toward the end had been gettingsmaller,andwhatwaslefthadgrownold.Itdidn'ttasteasgood.

Mold may even have begun to grow on the Old Cheese, although he hadn'tnoticedit.Hehadtoadmithowever,thatifhehadwantedto,heprobablycouldhaveseenwhatwascoming.Buthedidn't.

Haw now realized that the change probably would not have taken him bysurprise if he had beenwatchingwhatwas happening all along and if he hadanticipatedchange.Maybethat'swhatSniffandScurryhadbeendoing.

Hedecidedhewouldstaymorealertfromnowon.Hewouldexpectchangetohappenandlookforit.Hewouldtrusthisbasicinstinctstosensewhenchangewasgoingtooccurandbereadytoadapttoit.

HestoppedforarestandwroteonthewalloftheMaze:Sometimelater,after

notfindingCheeseforwhatseemedlikealongtime,HawfinallycameacrossahugeCheeseStation,whichlookedpromising.

Whenhewent inside, however, hewasmost disappointed to discover that theCheeseStationwasempty.

"This empty feeling has happened to me too often," he thought. He felt likegivingup.Hawwaslosinghisphysicalstrength.Heknewhewaslostandwasafraidhewouldnotsurvive.

HethoughtaboutturningaroundandheadingbacktoCheeseStationC.Atleast,ifhemadeitback,andHemwasstilthere,Hawwouldn'tbealone.

Thenheaskedhimself thesamequestionagain,"WhatwouldIdo if Iweren'tafraid?"

Hawthoughthewaspasthisfear,buthewasafraidmoreofrenthanhelikedtoadmit,eventohimself.Hewasn'talwayssurewhathewasafraidof,but,inhisweakenedcondition,heknewnowhewassimplyfearfulofgoingonalone.Hawdidn'tknowit,buthewasrunningbehindbecausehewasstil

weigheddownbyfearfulbeliefs.

Hawwondered ifHemhadmoved on, or if hewas stil paralyzed by his ownfears.Then,HawrememberedthetimeswhenhehadfelthisbestintheMaze.Itwaswhenhewasmovingalong.

Hewroteonthewall,knowingitwasasmucharemindertohimselfasitwasamarking for his friendHem, hopefully, to follow:Haw looked down the darkpassagewayandwasawareofhisfear.Whatlayahead?Wasitempty?

Or worse, were there dangers lurking? He began to imagine all kinds offrighteningthingsthatcouldhappentohim.Hewasscaringhimselftodeath.

Thenhelaughedathimself.Herealizedhisfearsweremakingthingsworse.

Sohedidwhathewoulddoifheweren'tafraid.Hemovedinanewdirection.

As he started running down the dark corridor he began to smile. Haw didn'trealizeityet,buthewasdiscoveringwhatnourishedhissoul.Hewaslettinggoandtrustingwhatlayaheadforhim,eventhoughhedidnotknowexactlywhatitwas.

Tohissurprise,Hawstartedtoenjoyhimselfmoreandmore."WhydoIfeelsogood?" hewondered. "I don't have anyCheese and I don't knowwhere I amgoing."

Beforelong,heknewwhyhefeltgood.

Hestoppedtowriteagainonthewall:

Haw realized he had been held captive by his own fear. Moving in a newdirectionhadfreedhim.Nowhefeltthecoolbreezethatwasblowinginthispartof the Maze and it was refreshing. He took in some deep breaths and feltinvigoratedbythemovement.Oncehehadgottenpasthisfear,itturnedouttobemoreenjoyablethanheoncebelieveditcouldbe.

Hawhadn'tfeltthiswayforalongtime.Hehadalmostforgottenhowmuchfunitwastogoforit.

Tomakethingsevenbetter.Hawstartedtopaintapictureinhismindagain.

Hesawhimselfingreatrealisticdetail,sittinginthemiddleofapileofallhisfavoritecheeses—fromCheddartoBrie!

Hesawhimselfeatingthemanycheesesheliked,andheenjoyedwhathesaw.Thenheimaginedhowmuchhewouldenjoyalltheirgreattastes.

ThemoreclearlyhesawtheimageofhimselfenjoyingNewCheese,themorerealandbelievableitbecame.Hecouldsensethathewasgoingtofindit.

Hewrote:

Hawkeptthinkingaboutwhathecouldgaininsteadofwhathewaslosing.

Hewonderedwhyhehadalwaysthoughtthatachangewouldleadtosomethingworse.Nowherealizedthatchangecouldleadtosomethingbetter.

"Whydidn'tIseethisbefore?"heaskedhimself.

ThenheracedthroughtheMazewithgreaterstrengthandagility.BeforelonghespottedaCheeseStationandbecameexcitedashenoticedlittlepiecesofNewCheeseneartheentrance.

TheyweretypesofCheesehehadneverseenbefore,buttheylookedgreat.

He tried them and found that they were delicious. He ate most of the NewCheese bits thatwere available and put a few in his pocket to have later andperhapssharewithHem.Hebegantoregainhisstrength.

He entered the Cheese Station with great excitement. But, to his dismay, hefounditwasempty.SomeonehadalreadybeenthereandhadleftonlythefewbitsofNewCheese.

Herealizedthatifhehadmovedsooner,hewouldverylikelyhavefoundagooddealofNewCheesehere.

HawdecidedtogobackandseeifHemwasreadytojoinhim.

Asheretracedhissteps,hestoppedandwroteonthewall:AfterawhileHawmadehiswaybacktoCheeseStationCandfoundHem.

HeofferedHembitsofNewCheese,butwasturneddown.

Hemappreciatedhis friend'sgesturebut said, "Idon't think Iwould likeNewCheese.It'snotwhatI'musedto.IwantmyownCheesebackandI'mnotgoingtochangeuntilIgetwhatIwant."

Hawjustshookhisheadindisappointmentandreluctantlywentbackoutonhisown.AshereturnedtothefarthestpointhehadreachedintheMaze,hemissedhisfriend,butrealizedhelikedwhathewasdiscovering.Evenbeforehefoundwhathehopedwouldbe a great supplyofNewCheese, if ever, heknew thatwhatmadehimhappywasn'tjusthavingCheese.

Hewashappywhenhewasn'tbeingrunbyhisfear.Helikedwhathewasdoingnow.Knowingthis.Hawdidn'tfeelasweakashedidwhenhestayedinCheeseStationCwithnoCheese.Justrealizinghewasnotlettinghisfearstophim,andknowing that he had taken a new direction, nourished him and gave himstrength.

Nowhefeltthatitwasjustaquestionoftimebeforehefoundwhatheneeded.Infact,hesensedhehadalreadyfoundwhathewaslookingfor.

Hesmiledasherealized:

Hawrealizedagain,ashehadoncebefore,thatwhatyouareafraidofisneverasbadaswhatyouimagine.Thefearyouletbuildupinyourmindisworsethanthesituationthatactuallyexists.

He'dbeensoafraidofneverfindingNewCheesethathedidn'tevenwanttostartlooking.

But sincestartinghis journey,hehad foundenoughCheese in thecorridors tokeephimgoing.Nowhelookedforwardtofindingmore.Justlookingaheadwas

becomingexciting.

His old thinking had been clouded by hisworries and fears.He used to thinkaboutnothavingenoughCheese,ornothavingitlastaslongashewanted.

Heusedtothinkmoreaboutwhatcouldgowrongthanwhatcouldgoright.

ButthathadchangedinthedayssincehehadleftCheeseStationC.

HeusedtobelievethatCheeseshouldneverbemovedandthatchange

wasn'tright.

Now he realized it was natural for change to continually occur, whether youexpectitornot.

Changecouldsurpriseyouonlyifyoudidn'texpectitandweren'tlookingforit.

When he realized he had changed his beliefs, he paused towrite on thewall:Hawhadn't foundanyCheeseyet,butasheran through theMaze,he thought

aboutwhathehadalreadylearned.

Hawnowrealizedthathisnewbeliefswereencouragingnewbehaviors.Hewasbehavingdifferentlythanwhenhekeptreturningtothesamecheeselessstation.

Heknewthatwhenyouchangewhatyoubelieve,youchangewhatyoudo.

Youcanbelievethatachangewilharmyouandresistit.OryoucanbelievethatfindingNewCheesewilhelpyouandembracethechange.

Italldependsonwhatyouchoosetobelieve.

Hewroteonthewall:

Hawknewhewouldbeinbettershapenowifhehaddealtwiththechangemuchsooner and left Cheese Station C earlier. Hewould feel stronger in body andspiritandhecouldhavecopedbetterwiththechallengeoffindingNewCheese.In fact, he probably would have found it by now if he had expected change,ratherthanwastingtimedenyingthatthechangehadalreadytakenplace.

He used his imagination again and saw himself finding and savoring NewCheese.Hedecided toproceed into themoreunknownpartsof theMaze,andfoundlittlebitsofCheesehereandthere.Hawbegantoregainhisstrengthandconfidence.

Ashethoughtbackonwherehehadcomefrom.Hawwasgladhehadwrittenonthewallinmanyplaces.HetrustedthatitwouldserveasamarkedtrailforHemtofollowthroughtheMaze,ifheeverchosetoleaveCheeseStationC.

Haw just hoped he was heading in the right direction. He thought about thepossibilitythatHemwouldreadTheHandwritingOnTheWallandfindhisway.

Hewroteonthewallwhathehadbeenthinkingaboutforsometime:Bynow,Hawhadletgoofthepastandwasadaptingtothepresent.

HecontinuedonthroughtheMazewithgreaterstrengthandspeed.Andbeforelong, it happened.When it seemed like he had been in theMaze forever, hisjourney—oratleastthispartofhisjourney—endedquicklyandhappily.

Haw proceeded along a corridor that was new to him, rounded a corner, andfoundNewCheeseatCheeseStationN!

When hewent inside, hewas startled bywhat he saw. Piled high everywherewasthegreatestsupplyofCheesehehadeverseen.Hedidn'trecognizeallthathesaw,assomekindsofCheesewerenewtohim.

Thenhewonderedforamomentwhetheritwasrealorjusthisimagination,untilhesawhisoldfriendsSniffandScurry.

SniffwelcomedHawwithanodofhishead,andScurrywavedhispaw.Theirfatlittlebelliesshowedthattheyhadbeenhereforsometime.

Haw quickly said his hellos and soon took bites of every one of his favoriteCheeses.Hepulledoffhisshoes,tiedthelacestogether,andhungthemaroundhisneckincaseheneededthemagain.

Sniff and Scurry laughed. They nodded their heads in admiration. Then Hawjumped into theNewCheese.Whenhe had eaten his fil , he lifted a piece offreshCheeseandmadeatoast."HoorayforChange!"

AsHawenjoyedtheNewCheese,hereflectedonwhathehadlearned.

Herealizedthatwhenhehadbeenafraid tochangehehadbeenholdingontotheilusionofOldCheesethatwasnolongerthere.

Sowhatwasitthatmadehimchange?Wasitthefearofstarvingtodeath?

Hawsmiledashethoughtitcertainlyhelped.

Thenhe laughed and realized that hehad started to change as soon ashehadlearnedtolaughathimselfandatwhathehadbeendoingwrong.Herealizedthefastestway to change is to laugh at your own folly—then you can let go andquicklymoveon.

He knew he had learned something useful about moving on from his micefriends,SniffandScurry.

Theykeptlifesimple.Theydidn'toveranalyzeorovercomplicatethings.WhenthesituationchangedandtheCheesehadbeenmoved,theychangedandmovedwiththeCheese.Hewouldrememberthat.

Hawhadalsousedhiswonderfulbrain todowhatLittlepeopledobetter thanmice.

He envisioned himself—in realistic detail—finding something better—muchbetter.

Hereflectedonthemistakeshehadmadeinthepastandusedthemtoplanforhisfuture.Heknewthatyoucouldlearntodealwithchange.

You could bemore aware of the need to keep things simple, be flexible, andmovequickly.

You did not need to overcomplicate matters or confuse yourself with fearfulbeliefs.

You could notice when the little changes began so that you would be betterpreparedforthebigchangethatmightbecoming.

Heknewheneededtoadaptfaster,forifyoudonotadaptintime,youmightaswellnotadaptatall.

Hehadtoadmitthatthebiggestinhibitortochangelieswithinyourself,andthatnothinggetsbetteruntilyou.change.

Perhapsmostimportantly,herealizedthatthereisalwaysNewCheeseouttherewhetheryourecognizeitatthetime,ornot.Andthatyouarerewardedwithitwhenyougopastyourfearandenjoytheadventure.

Heknewsomefearshouldberespected,as itcankeepyououtofrealdanger.Butherealizedmostofhisfearswereirrationalandhadkepthimfromchangingwhenheneededto.

Hedidn'tlikeitatthetime,butheknewthatthechangehadturnedouttobeablessingindisguiseasitledhimtofindbetterCheese.

Hehadevenfoundabetterpartofhimself.

As Haw recalled what he had learned, he thought about his friend Hem. Hewondered ifHemhad readanyof the sayingsHawhadwrittenon thewall atCheeseStationCandthroughouttheMaze.

HadHemeverdecidedtoletgoandmoveon?

HadheeverenteredtheMazeanddiscoveredwhatcouldmakehislifebetter?

OrwasHemstilhemmedinbecausehewouldnotchange?

HawthoughtaboutgoingbackagaintoCheeseStationCtoseeifhecouldfindHem—assumingthatHawcouldfindhiswayback there. IfhefoundHem,hethoughthemightbeabletoshowhimhowtogetoutofhispredicament.

ButHawrealizedthathehadalreadytriedtogethisfriendtochange.

Hemhad tofindhisownway,beyondhiscomfortsandpasthis fears.Nooneelse could do it for him, or talk him into it. He somehow had to see theadvantageofchanginghimself.

HawknewhehadleftatrailforHemandthathecouldfindhisway,ifhecouldjustreadTheHandwritingOnTheWall.

HewentoverandwrotedownasummaryofwhathehadlearnedonthelargestwallofCheeseStationN.Hedrewalargepieceofcheesearoundalltheinsightshehadbecomeawareof,andsmiledashelookedatwhathehadlearned:

Haw realized how far he had come since he had been with Hem in CheeseStation C, but knew it would be easy for him to slip back if he got toocomfortable. So, each day he inspected Cheese Station N to see what thecondition of hisCheesewas.Hewas going to dowhatever he could to avoidbeingsurprisedbyunexpectedchange.

WhileHawstilhadagreatsupplyofCheese,heoftenwentout into theMazeandexplorednewareastostayintouchwithwhatwashappeningaroundhim.Heknewitwassafertobeawareofhisrealchoicesthantoisolatehimselfinhiscomfortzone.

Then,HawheardwhathethoughtwasthesoundofmovementoutintheMaze.Asthenoisegrewlouder,herealizedthatsomeonewascoming.

CoulditbethatHemwasarriving?Washeabouttoturnthecorner?

Hawsaidalittleprayerandhoped—ashehadmanytimesbefore—thatmaybe,atlast,hisfriendwasfinallyableto...

ADiscussion

LaterThatSameDay

WhenMichaelfinishedtellingthestory,helookedaroundtheroomandsawhisformerclassmatessmilingathim.

Severalthankedhimandsaidtheygotagooddealoutofthestory.

Nathan asked the group, "Whatwould you think of getting together later andmaybediscussingit?"

Mostofthemsaidtheywouldliketotalkaboutit,andsotheyarrangedtomeetlaterforadrinkbeforedinner.

Thatevening,as theygathered inahotel lounge, theybegan tokideachotheraboutfindingtheir"Cheese"andseeingthemselvesintheMaze.

ThenAngelaaskedthegroupgood-naturedly,"So,whowereyouin thestory?Sniff,Scurry,HemorHaw?"

Carlos answered, "Well, I was thinking about that this afternoon. I clearlyrememberatimebeforeIhadmysportinggoodsbusiness,whenIhadaroughencounterwithchange.

"Iwasn'tSniff—1didn'tsniffout thesituationandseethechangeearly.AndIcertainlywasn'tScurry—1didn'tgointoactionimmediately.

"Iwasmore likeHem,whowanted tostay in familiar territory.The truth is, Ididn'twanttodealwiththechange.Ididn'tevenwanttoseeit."

Michael,whofeltlikenotimehadpassedsinceheandCarloswereclosefriendsinschool,asked,"Whatarewetalkingabouthere,buddy?"

Carlossaid,"Anunexpectedchangeofjobs."

Michaellaughed."Youwerefired?"

"Wel,let'sjustsayIdidn'twanttogooutlookingforNewCheese.IthoughtIhadagoodreasonwhychangeshouldn'thappentome.So,Iwasprettyupsetatthetime."

Someoftheirformerclassmateswhohadbeenquietinthebeginningfeltmorecomfortablenowandspokeup,includingFrank,whohadgoneintothemilitary.

"Hemremindsmeofafriendofmine,"Franksaid."Hisdepartmentwasclosingdown,buthedidn'twanttoseeit.Theykeptrelocatinghispeople.

Wealltriedtotalktohimaboutthemanyotheropportunitiesthatexistedinthecompany for those who wanted to be flexible, but he didn't think he had tochange.Hewastheonlyonewhowassurprisedwhenhisdepartmentclosed.

Now he's having a hard time adjusting to the change he didn't think shouldhappen."

Jessica said, "Ididn't think it shouldhappen tomeeither,butmy 'Cheese'hasbeenmovedmore thanonce, especially inmypersonal life,butwecanget tothatlater."

Manyinthegrouplaughed,exceptNathan.

"Maybethat'sthewholepoint,"Nathansaid.

"Changehappenstoallofus."

Headded,"IwishmyfamilyhadheardtheCheesestorybeforethis.

Unfortunatelywe didn't want to see the changes coming in our business, andnowit'stoolate—we'rehavingtoclosemanyofourstores."

Thatsurprisedmanyinthegroup,becausetheythoughtNathanwasluckytobeinasecurebusinesshecoulddependon,yearafteryear.

"Whathappened?"Jessicawantedtoknow.

"Ourchainofsmallstoressuddenlybecameoldfashionedwhenthemega-storecametotownwithitshugeinventoryandlowprices.Wejustcouldn'tcompetewiththat.

"IcanseenowthatinsteadofbeinglikeSniffandScurry,wewerelikeHem.

We stayed where we were and didn't change. We tried to ignore what was

happeningandnowweareintrouble.WecouldhavetakenacoupleoflessonsfromHaw—becausewecertainly couldn't laughat ourselves andchangewhatweweredoing."

Laura,who had become a successful business-woman, had been listening, buthadsaidverylittleuntilnow."Ithoughtaboutthestorythisafternoontoo,"

she said. "Iwondered how I could bemore likeHawand seewhat I'mdoingwrong,laughatmyself,changeanddobetter."

Shesaid,"I'mcurious.Howmanyhereareafraidofchange?"Noonerespondedsoshesuggested,"Howaboutashowofhands?"

Onlyonehandwentup."Well,itlookslikewe'vegotonehonestpersoninourgroup!" she said. And then continued, "Maybe you'l like this next questionbetter.Howmanyherethinkotherpeopleareafraidofchange?"

Practicallyeveryoneraisedtheirhands.Thentheyallstartedlaughing.

"Whatdoesthattellus?"

"Denial,"Nathananswered.

"Sure,"Michaeladmitted."Sometimeswe'renotevenawarethatwe'reafraid.

IknowIwasn't.WhenIfirstheardthestory,Ilovedthequestion,'Whatwouldyoudoifyouweren'tafraid?'"

ThenJessicaadded,"Wel,whatIgotfromthestoryisthatchangeishappeningeverywhereandthatIwildobetterwhenIcanadjusttoitquickly."

"Irememberyearsagowhenourcompanywassellingourencyclopediaasasetofmore than twentybooks.Oneperson tried to tellus thatwe shouldputourwhole encyclopedia on a single computer disk and sell it for a fraction of thecost. Itwouldbeeasier toupdate,wouldcostussomuch less tomanufacture,andsomanymorepeoplecouldaffordit.Butweallresisted."

"Whydidyouresist?"Nathanasked.

"Because,webelievedthenthatthebackboneofourbusinesswasourlargesales

force,whocalledonpeopledoor-to-door.Keepingoursalesforcedependedonthe big commissions they earned from the high price of our product.We hadbeendoingthissuccessfullyforalongtimeandthoughtitwouldgoonforever."

Laura said, "Maybe that's what it meant in the story about Hem and Haw'sarroganceofsuccess.

Theydidn'tnoticetheyneededtochangewhathadoncebeenworking."

Nathansaid,"SoyouthoughtyouroldCheesewasyouronlyCheese."

"Yes,andwewantedtohangontoit.

"WhenIthinkbackonwhathappenedtous,Iseethatit'snotjustthatthey

'movedtheCheese'butthatthe'Cheese'hasalifeofitsownandeventuallyrunsout.

"Anyway,wedidn'tchange.Butacompetitordidandoursalesfellbadly.

We've been going through a difficult time. Now, another big technologicalchangeishappeningintheindustryandnooneatthecompanyseemstowanttodealwithit.Itdoesn'tlookgood.IthinkIcouldbeoutofajobsoon."

"It'sMAZEtime!"Carloscalledout.Everyonelaughed,includingJessica.

CarlosturnedtoJessicaandsaid,"It'sgoodthatyoucanlaughatyourself."

Frank offered, "That's what / got out of the story. I tend to take myself tooseriously. I noticed howHaw changedwhen he could finally laugh at himselfandatwhathewasdoing.NowonderhewascalledHaw."

Thegroupgroanedattheobviousplayonwords.

Angelaasked,"DoyouthinkthatHemeverchangedandfoundNewCheese?"

Elainesaid,"Ithinkhedid."

"Idon't,"Corysaid."Somepeopleneverchangeandtheypayapriceforit.IseepeoplelikeHeminmymedicalpractice.Theyfeelentitledtotheir

'Cheese.'Theyfeellikevictimswhenifstakenawayandblameothers.Theygetsickerthanpeoplewholetgoandmoveon."

Then Nathan said quietly, as though he was talking to himself, "I guess thequestionis,'Whatdoweneedtoletgoofandwhatdoweneedtomoveonto?'"

Noonesaidanythingforawhile.

"Imustadmit,"Nathansaid,"Isawwhatwashappeningwithstoreslikeoursinotherpartsofthecountry,butIhopeditwouldn'taffectus.Iguessit'salotbettertoinitiatechangewhileyoucanthanitistotrytoreactandadjusttoit.MaybeweshouldmoveourownCheese."

"Whatdoyoumean?"Frankasked.

Nathananswered,"Ican'thelpbutwonderwherewewouldbetodayifwehadsoldtherealestateunderallouroldstoresandbuiltonegreatmodernstoretocompetewiththebestofthem."

Laurasaid,"Maybethat'swhatHawmeantwhenhewroteonthewall'SavortheadventureandmovewiththeCheese.'"

Franksaid,"Ithinksomethingsshouldn'tchange.Forexample,Iwanttoholdontomybasicvalues.ButIrealizenowthatIwouldbebetteroffifIhadmovedwiththe'Cheese'alotsoonerinmylife."

"Wel ,Michael, itwasanice littlestory,”Richard, theclassskeptic,said,"buthowdidyouactuallyputitintouseinyourcompany?"

The group didn't know it yet, but Richard was experiencing some changeshimself. Recently separated from his wife, he was now trying to balance hiscareerwithraisinghisteenagers.

Michael replied, "You know, I thought my job was just to manage the dailyproblems as they came upwhenwhat I should have been doingwas lookingaheadandpayingattentiontowhereweweregoing.

"AndboydidImanagethoseproblems—twenty-fourhoursaday.Iwasn'talotoffuntobearound.Iwasinaratrace,andIcouldn'tgetout."

Laurasaid,"Soyouweremanagingwhenyouneededtobeleading."

"Exactly," Michael said. "Then when I heard the story of Who Moved MyCheese?,Irealizedmyjobwastopaintapictureof'NewCheese'thatwewouldallwanttopursue,sowecouldenjoychangingandsucceeding,whetheritwasatworkorinlife."

Nathanasked,"Whatdidyoudoatwork?"

"Wel,whenIaskedpeopleinourcompanywhotheywereintheStory,Isawwehadeveryoneofthefourcharactersinourorganization.IcametoseethattheSniffs,Scurrys,HemsandHawseachneededtobetreateddifferently.

"OurSniffscouldsniffoutchangesinthemarketplace,sotheyhelpedusupdateourcorporatevision.Theywereencouragedto identifyhowthechangescouldresultinnewproductsandservicesourcustomerswouldwant.

TheSniffsloveditandtoldustheyenjoyedworkinginaplacethatrecognizedchangeandadaptedintime.

"OurScurryslikedtogetthingsdone,sotheywereencouragedtotakeactions,based on the new corporate vision. They just needed to bemonitored so theydidn'tscurryoffinthewrongdirection.

Theywere then rewarded for actions that broughtusNewCheese.They likedworkinginacompanythatvaluedactionandresults."

"WhatabouttheHemsandHaws?"Angelaasked.

"Unfortunately, the Hems were the anchors that slowed us down," Michaelanswered."Theywereeithertoocomfortableortooafraidtochange.

SomeofourHemschangedonlywhentheysawthesensiblevisionwepaintedthatshowedthemhowchangingwouldworktotheiradvantage.

"OurHemstoldustheywantedtoworkinaplacethatwassafe,sothechangeneededtomakesensetothemandincreasetheirsenseofsecurity.

Whentheyrealizedtherealdangerofnotchanging,someofthemchangedanddidwell.ThevisionhelpedusturnmanyofourHemsintoHaws."

"WhatdidyoudowiththeHemswhodidn'tchange?"Frankwantedtoknow.

"Wehadtoletthemgo,"Michaelsaidsadly.

"We wanted to keep all our employees, but we knew if our business didn'tchangequicklyenough,wewouldallbeintrouble."

Thenhesaid,"ThegoodnewsisthatwhileourHawswereinitiallyhesitant,theywereopenminded enough to learn somethingnew, act differently and adapt intimetohelpussucceed.

"Theycametoexpectchangeandactivelylookforit.Becausetheyunderstoodhumannature, theyhelpeduspaintarealisticvisionofNewCheesethatmadegoodsensetopracticallyeveryone.

"They told us they wanted to work in an organization that gave people theconfidenceandtoolstochange.AndtheyhelpeduskeepoursenseofhumoraswewentafterourNewCheese."

Richardcommented,"Yougotallthatfromalittlestory?"

Michaelsmiled."Itwasn'tthestory,butwhatwediddifferentlybasedonwhatwetookfromit."

Angelaadmitted,"I'malittlebitlikeHem,soforme,themostpowerfulpartofthestorywaswhenHawlaughedathisfearandwentontopaintapictureinhismindwherehesawhimselfenjoying'NewCheese.'ItmadegoingintotheMazelessfearfulandmoreenjoyable.Andheeventuallygotabetterdeal.

That'swhatIwanttodomoreoften."

Frankgrinned."SoevenHemscansometimesseetheadvantageofchanging."

Carloslaughed,"Liketheadvantageofkeepingtheirjobs."

Angelaadded,"Orevengettingagoodraise."

Richard, who had been frowning during the discussion, said, "My manager'sbeen tellingmeourcompanyneeds tochange. I thinkwhatshe's really tellingmeisthat/needto,butIhaven'twantedtohearit.IguessIneverreallyknew

what the 'NewCheese'was thatshewas trying tomoveus to.OrhowIcouldgainfromit."

AslightsmilecrossedRichard'sfaceashesaid,"ImustadmitIlikethisideaofseeing 'NewCheese' and imaginingyourself enjoying it. It lightenseverythingup.When you see how it canmake things better, you get more interested inmakingthechangehappen.

"Maybe Icoulduse this inmypersonal life,"headded. "Mychildrenseem tothink thatnothing in their lives shouldever change. Iguess they're acting likeHem—they'reangry.They'reprobablyafraidofwhatthefutureholds.MaybeIhaven'tpaintedarealisticpictureof'NewCheese'forthem.ProbablybecauseIdon'tseeitmyself."

Thegroupwasquietasseveralpeoplethoughtabouttheirownlives.

"Wel ," Jessica said, "most people here have been talking about jobs, but as Ilistened to the story, I also thought aboutmypersonal life. I thinkmycurrentrelationshipis'OldCheese'thathassomeprettyseriousmoldonit."

Cory laughed in agreement. "Me too. I probably need to let go of a badrelationship."

Angelacountered,"Or,perhaps the 'OldCheese' is justoldbehavior.Whatwereallyneedtoletgoofisthebehaviorthatisthecauseofourbadrelationships.Andthenmoveontoabetterwayofthinkingandacting."

"Ouch!"Coryreacted."Goodpoint.TheNewCheeseisanewrelationshipwiththesameperson."

Richardsaid,"I'mbeginningtothinkthereismoretothisthanIthought.Iliketheideaoflettinggoofoldbehaviorinsteadoflettinggooftherelationship.

Repeatingthesamebehaviorwilljustgetyouthesameresults.

"Asfarasworkgoes,maybeinsteadofchangingjobs,IshouldbechangingthewayIamdoingmyjob.I'dprobablyhaveabetterpositionbynowifIdid."

ThenBecky,wholivedinanothercitybuthadreturnedforthereunion,said,

"As Iwas listening to the story and to everyone's comments here, I've had tolaughatmyself.I'vebeenlikeHemforsolong,hemmingandhawingandafraidofchange.Ididn'trealizehowmanyotherpeopledidthisaswell.I'mafraidI'vepasseditontomychildrenwithoutevenknowingit.

"As I think about it, I realize change really can lead you to a new and betterplace,althoughyou'reafraiditwon'tatthetime.

"I remember a time when our son was a sophomore in high school. Myhusband's job required us tomove from Il inois toVermont and our sonwasupsetbecausehehadtoleavehisfriends.HewasastarswimmerandthehighschoolinVermonthadnoswimteam.So,hewasangrywithusformakinghimmove.

"As it turnedout,he fell in lovewith theVermontmountains, tookup sking,skiedonhiscollegeteamandnowliveshappilyinColorado.

"IfwehadallenjoyedthisCheesestorytogether,overacupofhotchocolate,wecouldhavesavedourfamilyalotofstress."

Jessica said, "I'm going home to tellmy family this story. I'l askmy childrenwhotheythinkIam—Sniff,Scurry,HemorHaw—andwhotheyfeeltheyare.

Wecouldtalkaboutwhatwefeelourfamily'sOldCheeseisandwhatourNewCheesecouldbe"

"That'sagoodidea,"Richardsaid,surprisingeveryone—evenhimself.

Frankthencommented,"IthinkI'mgoingtobemorelikeHawandmovewiththeCheese andenjoy it!And I'mgoing topass this story along tomy friendswhoareworriedaboutleavingthemilitaryandwhatthechangemightmeantothem.Itcouldleadtosomeinterestingdiscussions."

Michael said, "Wel , that's how we improved our business. We had severaldiscussionsaboutwhatwegotfromtheCheesestoryandhowwecouldapplyittooursituation.Itwasgreatbecausewehadlanguagethatwasfunforustousetotalkabouthowweweredealingwithchange.Itwasveryeffective,especiallyasitspreaddeeperintothecompany."

Nathanasked,"Whatdoyoumeanby'deeper'?"

"Wel,thefurtherwewentintoourorganization,themorepeoplewefoundwhofelt they had less power. They were understandably more afraid of what thechangeimposedfromabovemightdotothem.Sotheyresistedchange.

"Inshort,achangeimposedisachangeopposed.

"But when the Cheese Story was shared with literally everyone in ourorganization, it helped us change the way we looked at change. It helpedeveryonelaugh,oratleastsmile,attheiroldfearsandwanttomoveon.

"IonlywishedI'dheardtheCheesestorysooner,"Michaeladded.

"Howcome?"Carlosasked.

"Becausebythetimewegotaroundtoaddressingthechanges,ourbusinesshadalready fallen off so badly that we had to let people go, as I said earlier,includingsomegoodfriends.Itwashardonalofus.However,thosewhostayedand most of those who left said the Cheese story helped them see thingsdifferentlyandeventuallycopebetter.

"Thosewhohad togoout and look foranew job said itwashardat firstbutrecallingthestorywasagreathelptothem."

Angelaasked,"Whathelpedthemmost?"

Michaelreplied,"Aftertheygotpasttheirfear,theytoldmethebestthingwasrealizingthattherewasNewCheeseouttherejustwaitingtobefound!

"TheysaidholdingapictureofNewCheeseintheirminds—seeingthemselvesdoingwellinanewjob—madethemfeelbetter,andhelpedthemdobetterinjobinterviews.Severalgotbetterjobs."

Lauraasked,"Whataboutthepeoplewhoremainedinyourcompany?"

"Wel " Michael said, "instead of complaining about the changes that werehappening, people now said, 'They justmoved our Cheese. Let's look for theNewCheese.'Itsavedalotoftimeandreducedstress.

"Beforelong,thepeoplewhohadbeenresistingsawtheadvantageofchanging.Theyevenhelpedbringaboutchange."

Corysaid,"Whydoyouthinktheychanged?"

"Theychangedafterthepeerpressureinourcompanychanged."

Heasked,"Whathappensinmostorganizationsyou'vebeeninwhenachangeisannouncedbytopmanagement?Domostpeoplesaythechangeisagreatideaorabadidea?"

"Abadidea,"Frankanswered.

"Yes"Michaelagreed."Why?"

Carlos said, "Because peoplewant things to stay the same and they think thechangewil be bad for them.When one person says the change is a bad idea,otherssaythesame."

"Yes,theymaynotrealyfeelthatway,"Michaelsaid,"buttheyagreeinordertofitin.That'sthesortofpeerpressurethatfightschangeinanyorganization."

Becky asked, "So how were things different after people heard the Cheesestory?"

Michael said simply, "Thepeer pressure changed.Noonewanted to look likeHem!"

Everyonelaughed.

"They wanted to sniff out the changes ahead of time and scurry into action,ratherthangethemmedinandbeleftbehind."

Nathansaid,"That'sagoodpoint.NooneinourcompanywouldwanttolooklikeHem.Theymightevenchange.Whydidn'tyoutellusthisstoryatourlastreunion?Thiscouldwork."

Michaelsaid,"Itdoeswork."

"Itworksbest,ofcourse,wheneveryoneinyourorganizationknowsthestory—whetheritisinalargecorporation,asmallbusiness,oryourfamily

—becauseanorganizationcanonlychangewhenenoughpeopleinitchange."

Thenheofferedonelastthought."Whenwesawhowwellitworkedforus,wepassedthestoryalongtopeoplewewantedtodobusinesswith,knowingtheywere alsodealingwith change.We suggestedwemightbe their 'NewCheese'thatis,betterpartnersforthemtosucceedwith.Itledtonewbusiness."

ThatgaveJessicaseveralideasandremindedherthatshehadsomeearlysalescallsinthemorning.Shelookedatherwatchandsaid,"Wel,it'stimeformetoleavethisCheeseStationandfindsomeNewCheese."

Thegroup laughedandbegansaying theirgoodbyes.Manyof themwanted tocontinue the conversation but needed to leave. As they left, they thankedMichaelagain.

He said, "I'mverygladyou found the story souseful and Ihope thatyouwilhavetheopportunitytoshareitwithotherssoon."

Services

Keynote Presentations, Change Leader Certification and Learning ProgramsProducts

The'NewCheese'Experience

An interactive program used successfully by many organizations around theworldtohelpindividualsandorganizationschangeandwin.

WhoMovedMyCheese?TheMovie:

A13minuteanimatedmovieonvideocassettetellstheStoryofWhoMovedMyCheese? through the adventures of Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw, as a way tointroducechangeinyourorganizationinafunandnon-threateningway.

AftA-MawngChangeProfile:

Aself-scoringtool.Findoutwhoyouare,whatpersonalitiesareatworkaroundyou,andhowyoucanworktogethertochangeandwin!

NEW!WhoMovedMy Cheese? Personal Planner Inserts / Binder: Thisdailyplannerwilhelpyoukeeptrackofyourmostimportant'Cheese'

thingstodo,notesandcontactinformationusingCheeselanguageinafunway.

Fun,PracticalReminders

Posters, Day-to-Day Desk Calendar, Coffee Mugs, Post-It Notes, CheeseSqueezes,MazePens,LogoShirts,HandwritingontheWalCards,andmore!

Tolearnmore,visit:

www.WhoMovedMyCheese.com

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