Today’s blog post was written by Chris Amori, Founding Partner of Network Depot and Virtual Administrator.
Our next book in our Business Owner’s Bookshelf series is a book called “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson, M.D.
Click Here to access “Who Moved My Cheese?” on Amazon
“Who Moved My Cheese?” is not just a business book, it is really a life lesson book. At less than 100 pages with big type, it is a quick read, and one that should be shared. I remember reading this out loud around the dinner table one night (not sure the kids appreciated it, but I thought it was an important lesson).
This book boils down to two words…CHANGE HAPPENS.
The book begins with Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw happily living in their maze, going about their daily lives in search of Cheese, until one day, you guessed it, the Cheese was no longer there! Then, of course, Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw have to deal with this, and that is the main struggle within the book.
By looking inside ourselves and realizing which character we relate to, it helps us understand how we deal with situations from an objective perspective. We can see how we would deal with not only their situation, but also how we deal with our own inevitable cheese-moving!
Folks, this is a simple parable, not a work of literary genius. We all KNOW change happens, so it is not like some big secret is going to be revealed by reading this book. But sometimes, we just need a little kick in the shorts to motivate us to look at change for what it is, and respond in-kind, and “Who Moved My Cheese?” is that kick.
I really do recommend reading this. Not only is it great for business owners, but it is really helpful for someone in any level of an organization. Using this book to be able to look objectively at how we handle situations thrown at us- and more importantly, how we want to handle the unexpected, helps prepare us and therefore our company as a whole to be able to adjust to the constant change that happens.
For that matter, it’s a really great book for all ages. When we are young we use stories to help us come to terms with the world around us- fairy tales help us grapple with good and evil, the Muppets on Sesame Street help us develop and learn life lessons, etc. As we get older, stories hold the same power. By using these types of books we can look at ourselves objectively, and use that knowledge to help us grow as people. Plus, let’s face it, they are pretty fun to read.
I was given this to read over 15 years ago, and I still think about it every so often, when some new obstacle gets in my way.
Have you read this book? What did you think about it? How did it help you as a business owner? Let us know in the comments!