Who Moved My Cheese Analysis
Who Moved Our Cheese?
Embracing Change and Moving Ahead
By Paul McMurray and Kristin Remmers
An adaptation of this article appeared in the November/December 2001 issue of NTCA's Rural Telecommunciations.
As the best-selling book - 31 months on the BusinessWeek charts, as of the Sept. 3 issue - Who Moved My Cheese? continues to make its mark in boardrooms and breakrooms across America, we are reminded of the message it conveys. A simple story told by four characters meandering in a maze, Who Moved My Cheese?, written by motivational guru Dr. Spencer Johnson, addresses a very important fact we sooner or later all face: Either adapt to changing times or risk being cast aside in the march of progress. As telecommunications providers, we seem to be coming face-to-face with that reality sooner rather than later.
Telecommunications providers have been used to living and operating in an industry that for years didn't change - the monopoly environment. What we must come to terms with now is the fact that our industry is changing drastically. We are in the midst of both an Evolution and a Revolution - new rules, new players, new technologies all shaping the way we continue to do what we,ve done so well in the past. Who Moved My Cheese? serves as a catalyst for helping companies assess their current situation, set new plans into action, and learn to deal with, conquer, and even welcome change. In short, what the book brings to light, is this: We need to move forward with change - to adapt, to survive - or run the certain risk of being left behind.
In theory we can relate to the simple concepts of change, adaptation, and moving forward. While these "concepts," however, seem simple enough, the self-examination that ensues may not be. To broach the subject, let's start with the most basic of questions: Is your company experiencing change? Certainly, that answer would be, quite emphatically, "yes." Although it may be difficult, now let's ask a more pointed
Embracing Change and Moving Ahead
By Paul McMurray and Kristin Remmers
An adaptation of this article appeared in the November/December 2001 issue of NTCA's Rural Telecommunciations.
As the best-selling book - 31 months on the BusinessWeek charts, as of the Sept. 3 issue - Who Moved My Cheese? continues to make its mark in boardrooms and breakrooms across America, we are reminded of the message it conveys. A simple story told by four characters meandering in a maze, Who Moved My Cheese?, written by motivational guru Dr. Spencer Johnson, addresses a very important fact we sooner or later all face: Either adapt to changing times or risk being cast aside in the march of progress. As telecommunications providers, we seem to be coming face-to-face with that reality sooner rather than later.
Telecommunications providers have been used to living and operating in an industry that for years didn't change - the monopoly environment. What we must come to terms with now is the fact that our industry is changing drastically. We are in the midst of both an Evolution and a Revolution - new rules, new players, new technologies all shaping the way we continue to do what we,ve done so well in the past. Who Moved My Cheese? serves as a catalyst for helping companies assess their current situation, set new plans into action, and learn to deal with, conquer, and even welcome change. In short, what the book brings to light, is this: We need to move forward with change - to adapt, to survive - or run the certain risk of being left behind.
In theory we can relate to the simple concepts of change, adaptation, and moving forward. While these "concepts," however, seem simple enough, the self-examination that ensues may not be. To broach the subject, let's start with the most basic of questions: Is your company experiencing change? Certainly, that answer would be, quite emphatically, "yes." Although it may be difficult, now let's ask a more pointed