It was with great sadness that we at Coraggio learned of the death of Spencer Johnson on July 3.
Spencer was a highly influential business thinker whose writings help to inform my own career in business and the approach we take at Coraggio when mentoring our clients.
He was originally a medical doctor who wrote children’s fiction about historical figures but really rose to prominence in the business world after he co-authored The One Minute Manager with Ken Blanchard.
That book was highly successful and he hit the jackpot again some while later with Who Moved My Cheese which is only 32 pages long but has sold many millions of copies since it was first published in 1998.
The book is a parable about change, how to cope with it and ultimately, how to actually embrace it. It concerns two mice and two people who discover a stock of cheese and return each day to eat some.
The mice eventually noticed that the supply of cheese is dwindling and they start to prepare to do something about it. On the day they arrive and find there is no cheese left, they immediately set out to look for more and find more than ever dreamed of.
On the other hand, the two people haven’t noticed the cheese supply is dwindling and are surprised when they find there is no cheese left. “Who Moved My Cheese,” one asks. They then spend much time blaming the circumstances and wasting time instead of looking for more cheese.
One of them eventually sets out to find new cheese and learns lessons along the way including that there is always change so this should be anticipated, adapted to quickly and even enjoyed for the opportunities (new kinds of cheese) it can bring.
These are all very worthwhile lessons for us all to take note of; especially the part about keeping a watchful eye out for developments coming to disrupt our businesses or, as Spencer puts it, move our cheese.
The thinking contained in the book is hardly new but Spencer Johnson put it in a very brief and accessible way and I believe the lessons it contains will remain valid for as long as people are in business.
Keep an eye out, we are currently run our Coraggio boards in Sydney http://www.coraggio.com.au/advisory-board-meeting-sydney/ and Melbourne http://www.coraggio.com.au/advisory-board-meeting-melbourne/ and we will be coming to Brisbane soon. Feel free to go to our website at www.coraggio.com.au to register your interest.
