Who moved the cheese

Agile thinking

The allegory of two mice and two humans and the human’s inability to accept the inevitability of change and the lessons that can be learned.

It’s famous, of sorts, and a little condescending, but sums up much of human behaviour. It also goes a long way to explain how disruptive the digital world can be.

The full story is here, but here is the the short list of learnings that are worth keeping in mind:

  • Change Happens – They Keep Moving The Cheese
  • Anticipate Change – Get Ready For The Cheese To Move
  • Monitor Change – Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old
  • Adapt To Change Quickly – The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese
  • Change – Move With The Cheese
  • Enjoy Change! – Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!
  • Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again -They Keep Moving The Cheese.

Change in the digital world is happening faster than any other time and that pace continues to accelerate. The hardest part is not anticipating it (it’s continual) but working out what and where and how and who and acting on that quickly.