Mice and Moving Cheese

Years ago when I worked in consumer finance, my company purchased its biggest competitor, and massive changes were afoot! So they bought every employee a copy of the book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson. We all read it, then there were the office discussions about it. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve actually laid eyes on my copy in 20 years. It’s been looooong gone!

So what does this have to do with today? Well, today I remembered this book and thought about the lessons in this motivational business fable. How very odd!!!

Then I had to admit that I left my office feeling like someone had certainly been busy moving my cheese today!

1. I was out yesterday recovering from being sick and returned today to be briefed on what was covered. I felt like my job description had been rewritten with my original focus being split into two areas.
2. I was then in a virtual meeting led by my department training folks from another department. We had break-out rooms with someone from my department in every room to help guide our colleagues. But some of the content was as new to me as it was for them. I ended up feeling ill-equipped to answer questions.
3. Then things have changed with my immediate coworkers, and I’m now renegotiating which days I work in my office and which days I work from home.
4. I also completed the Google form to record when I plan to host live virtual sessions. Then came an email announcing that we’re transitioning to new hours, so I’m now needing to rework my schedule.

If any one of these would have happened, no biggie, right? But all four in the same day! It’s a little much to sort through. So what I’m going to do is tackle one at a time.

1. Go with the changes and do the best I can, but carefully document what works well and what doesn’t work so well along the way.
2. Complete my training and ask to work ahead if at all possible. Data mine department documents and utilize all resources available to me to the best of my ability.
3. Switch my days in my office even if they’re not my first choice. Don’t complain and go with the schedule I’m given.
4. Make the switch to the new hours immediately. Sooner is better than later and will make it easier to adapt to.

I actually think keeping my mouth shut, my head down, doing my job to best of my ability and staying positive is the way to go. There may be benefits in the changes I have not foreseen, and I refuse to approach them presuming they will be an overall negative.

That’s not the way I do things. Not now, not ever. I will move forward and one way or another, I will make tomorrow better for it.