If Your Boss Gives This Book to You, Find a New One
‘Who Moved My Cheese’ is the book I have recently gone through. After reading the whole book, I didn’t get the answer of ‘Who moved the cheese’? and Who gave him the authority to move my cheese? Also, Does he have the right to move my cheese?
Let’s give a summary if you haven’t read it yet…
There are four characters stuck in a maze. There is cheese all over the maze. But, in various parts. Two of the characters wake up early in the morning to find cheese faster than the other characters do. Then all four characters found a stockpile of cheese. The first two characters continue to wake up every morning and search out new cheese. The other two move their house close to the stockpile. They expect they hit a Jackpot.
One day the cheese is gone. The first two characters just continue on their way searching out new cheese. The other two characters get all emotional and start analyzing the situation. One of these characters decides the cheese isn’t going to come back. So, he needs to face his fears of the maze and find out new cheese. In his search, he grows as a person and becomes happier. Then he finds another huge stockpile of cheese.
The last character remains on the same place. He becomes angry thinking someone moved his cheese. He feels he deserves the cheese and expects it will return if he just stays there even after his friend tries to get him to move on.
What I found at the first glance
The first third of the book is self promoting. There are bunch of people. They are just talking about how this maestro book has changed their life.
The second half requires only one sentence. It is, ‘change happens and you have to accept it’. This will save you time hopefully.
The last third part resembles a landing page of a website. There are convinced people. They will buy more books for their friends, co-workers and family members. The last page has a form for ordering more books.
The intro and conclusion part is just a foil for managers. They will fall on the trap. After that, they will buy more copies for their employees.
Rat Race
The two rat characters remind of the term rat race. An endless, self-defeating and pointless pursuit. I think the book victimized the lower middle class rats and little people trapped in a maze. The maze resembles to cubicle in office. They are looking for the cheese(paycheck, 401k and a decent PPO).
The unknown power moves the cheese all on a sudden. The moving may be cost effective for the power. So, what are the mice supposed to do? Without questioning, they start changing their direction. Before the next move, they need to find another stockpile. And, then the saga continues — Rat Race.
The Unanswered Questions
Who moved the cheese? No direct or indirect answer I didn’t get in this book. This is probably the most irrelevant question. However the system might be. You have to accept it anyway.
You don’t have any right to ask. You can’t bring any change. So, accept this and stick to you race. Otherwise, your cheese is going to be stolen. Also, who designed, made, and what purpose does it serve?
Forced Advice
Nothing is real. Dr Spencer wrote this book to rotate around one sentence idea. I mentioned it earlier. I think the first part of the story is forced. The re-union of the friends is forced. It forces you to think what your authority permits. The advices on the wall were forced. They advices were just to look for new cheese set by the higher authority.
Defense for ineffective management process
The book gives room of defense to the ineffective managers. They make the blue-collars guinea pig. They do experiment as they want. And, however the result might be, there is always one answer — look for the cheese.
Insulting Allegories
Change is natural. There is absolutely no wrong with that. But, there are also many fine ways to say that. Particularly, not hurting the readers’ or workers’ mind. Moreover, here the changes the characters are asked to adjust are set by the company’s upper echelons.
Change is a complicated thing. He could add self-esteem, resilience, and communication skills. The book hardly touched these areas.
Absence of Voice
We should not go with all changes we encounter. Also, we can not categorize all people into these four characters. The characters were not vocal in the changing situations. But, we must have voices of reason in every situation. The absence of voice leads to slave-zone.
Analytic mind is the enemy
The books leads you to be the mice. Be like them. I can mention Hem and Haw too. Using their superior brains, the should not find the source of cheese. Who are giving them the cheese? The upper echelons want them to ponder over the nature of the cheese. Cheese is perishable. They need to find as soon as possible.
Even after finding, they have to settle whether the cheese is gone or going.
My Theory
My idea is stinking rich high executives created the maze. They have driven their company into the ground. Or, created slave-wave zones who always look for news cheese. In the mean time, they are enjoying their cheesy holiday on miami beach. And, they might steal the cheese. And, You can not question it.
The very idea of creating or making an equitable system is beyond their pale. You can not be the master of your own cheese boat. So, be happy what you have.
Basically, I do not think it just depends on the person on the receiving end of the ‘moved cheese’ to only ‘accept it’. Moreover, I think it is also up to the people besides you to appreciate the ability and weakness in you. As a result, they can help you grow.
