Book Review - Who Move My Cheese

Who moved my Cheese? An A-mazing Way To Deal With Change In Your Work And In Your Life by Dr. Spencer Johnson from Vermilion, London, 1999, 94 pages, ₹ 125.00 is a book on change and varied responses from different types of individuals, which he has shared with all of us.  Dr. Johnson, the writer of this easy to read book is a psychologist by training and presents the views using parables.  The book is a metaphorical presentation of different types of individuals and their responses to changes that they are confronted with to enable the readers to learn a new perspective to look and respond to change. 

Individuals in the current generations have always associated success with materialistic fulfillments. This materialistic fulfillment is represented by Cheese, in this book. The Maze is the place where we look for Cheese. The book promised a new way of dealing with change in work and life and is successful in helping individuals who are facing big, life changing events, over which they have little influence and no control. There are however changes in life which are uncomfortable, but does not affect the existence of individual. This book is a simple story of four characters, which are fairly independent and may not be classified even as a group.  The two mice work together out of necessity, since they have complementary skills.  The two little people who have complex brains, thinking ability and human emotions are also having independence of action.  This book also does not have a leader – subordinate relationship, which is the major reason for anxiety.  This book does not address conflicts, where the goals do not change, but people who we have to work with change.    The book does not provide a systematic process for managing change, but forces introspection through well placed questions, presented as learning of Haw during the journey in the maze from Cheese Station C to Cheese Station N.

The book is a story of four characters – Sniff and Scurry; Hem and Haw. All the characters want to have Cheese.  The stress and strain of working for the Cheese has many unwanted consequences, negatively effecting life.  Achieving and not retaining Cheese because of uncontrollable changes in the environment leads to despair.  All the characters achieve Cheese in the Cheese Station C, which over time is exhausted.  This necessitates the characters to disrupt their practiced routine way of life and go on a journey of adventure through the maze, searching for another location with Cheese.  The search takes the mice and Haw to places where the Cheese is exhausted, where only crumbs are available, and finally to Cheese Station N, with more variety and quantity of Cheese than Cheese Station C.  The book depicts almost unlimited quantity of Cheese, and there is no concept of competition.  The mice Sniff and Scurry cooperate and Haw becomes an individual journeying alone in the maze, as his partner Hem is stuck due to negativity and the feeling of entitlement and gratification to be made available at Cheese Station C. 

The book is in three sections– A gathering of friends, the story, and a discussion.  Few friends gather for reunion and share the significant events in their life and the challenges they are facing, how their lives have changed.  Then one of the characters tells a story, the central theme of the book, as a way to look at change and respond to change.  All the four characters in the book represent parts of all of us.  Sniff represents the simple person who identifies the change early, Scurry is also a simple person who runs into action fast, Hem is a complex person who denies and resists change as he fears it will lead to something worse and Haw is a complex person who learns to adapt in time and uses imagination and intellectual ability to motivate for action even when in doubt.  The maze represents the lanes and sub lanes of our life’s journey, with different destinations some progressive, some regressive, some dead ends and some opportunities, and some successes.  The successes are represented by the Cheese Station in the story.  Sometime the maze has better visibility and sometimes it is dark representing the optimistic times and pessimistic times that a person faces in their life.  The story talks primarily about change which cannot be stopped, a life changing or threatening event.  The book may be criticized as many people may not be facing change of this extreme magnitude.  However, when confronted with change of this magnitude and severity, which is effecting the basic survival of the individual and their way of life the choices are limited and the responses of three different ways are shown - Sniff and Scurry have identified the change and went ahead looking for more Cheese; Hem blamed every one and have stuck to the existing area which is comfortable and Haw adapted to change and went ahead to another Cheese Station.  Sniff and Scurry and Haw were shown as successful, since they responded to change, though their approaches are different and Hem is shown as a character stuck in the past without any hope of success, though the story does not clarify whether Hem will decide to finally confront change or not.

The characters Sniff and Scurry are representative of simple individuals with instinct for change and responding to change without too much analysis. These people do not expect any thing as their right, but make do with what is available for their day-to-day existence.  Sniff has the ability to point out the change and possible direction of action, Scurry has the ability to respond fast in the direction pointed out by Sniff, so that they do not lose any time or momentum in responding to the crisis or implementing the solution.  They are instinctual in nature, and do not possess any significant intelligence or reasoning ability.  They survive based on the immediate response and significant hard work in response to change.  They are goal oriented with less ambitions and more pragmatism and focus on the existential needs.  Though they have evaluated the changing status of the Cheese in the Cheese Station C and the dwindling stock of Cheese, they did not respond to the changes till it became a threat to their existence.  Many individuals also do not wish to change from a bad, dwindling job scenario, and will not look for alternatives unless they are asked to leave the organization completely. 

The character Hem is representative of individuals who hang on to the glorious past, and do not want to change.  They think that the situation will revert back or they are entitled for better options even in a change scenario.  Many public sector employees have felt like this at the beginning of the reform process, leading to a conflict scenario and inability to ensure survival and success after massive layoffs during disinvestment in India.  The stubbornness and inability to use the intellectual ability rationally and logically has resulted in Hem being deprived of opportunities and a better life than is available at Cheese Station C.  A hard worker till success of reaching Cheese Station C, Hem laid back on the success and when threatened without Cheese, initially blames the external factors, supervisory persons (imaginary in this story) and expect that his supposed entitlements will be fulfilled.  Though no evidence is available for the existence of extraneous forces, Hem blames others for not having access to Cheese, for not being in a position to enjoy the success.  

The character Haw is representative of individuals who adapt to change. This adaptation also is through an intellectual process. Though Haw is originally disappointed with his failure to detect the changes in Cheese at Cheese Station C, he learns from the mistakes and keeps exploring the maze even after reaching Cheese Station N.  Though Haw also had doubts about the success of the journey he was about to undertake from Cheese Station C in search of Cheese, he was able to overcome the fear through imagination, and use of intellectual ability.  The learning of Haw during the journey through the maze from Cheese Station C to N, documents quotes of great value to the reader.  The way Haw self-motivates concern for Hem and sharing lessons and directions are symptomatic of individual who respond to change, but holds back in view of the doubts and complaints of Hem.  Finally, Haw decides to confront the changed scenario and achieves a better Cheese and a better destination. 

This book is a compulsory read for students of management and other professional courses, who have aspirations of working in growing sectors of the economy. This book will help the government employees realize that though security is promised and provided for, productiveness and emotional satisfaction will be based on our understanding of what we may have to face tomorrow.  I positively recommend this book to the audience as a book to purchase and the readers should read it frequently, as perspectives change and value of this book is in the introspection of the readers, an outline of which was provided in the discussion section of the book.   The various quotes in the book provided in individual pages, by themselves are sparks for introspection and even a cursory reading of these quotes will be useful and helpful for reducing the negativity and for getting back the sense of humor and optimism in the heart and minds of individuals.