Who Moved My Cheese?

Utkreshta Consulting
Apr 14
5 min read

Updated: Jun 10

A deeper look at change, adaptation, and corporate survival

by Dr. Spencer Johnson 📝 Foreword by Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D.

At first glance, Who Moved My Cheese? might come across as a simplistic story - four characters in a maze reacting to change. Too short to be serious. Too realistic to be practical.

But if you pause, reflect, and interpret it through your own experiences, it starts to build something strong inside. Because truth is, people don’t become Hem, Haw, Sniff, or Scurry overnight. There's always a context behind such behaviours.

💡 That’s where the real value of the book lies—not in advice, but in introspection.

The Cheese, the Maze & The Metaphor

The story revolves around four characters - Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw; who live in a maze and chase cheese (a metaphor for whatever one values: success, stability, recognition, or happiness). When the cheese disappears:

Sniff senses change early
Scurry acts fast, without overthinking
Haw struggles but eventually adapts
Hem resists change completely

While the story focuses on individual responses, entire organizations mirror these behaviors. Some evolve, some stagnate, some sink. It's not just about who senses change or who acts—it's about how whole systems respond, resist, or reimagine themselves.

Corporate Characters: When Organizations Become People

While the story revolves around individuals playing different roles, sometimes entire organizations mirror these behaviours. Some evolve, some stagnate, some sink.

Let’s look at the corporate world through the lens of the four characters—where it's often Sense vs. Act.

Sniff Organizations like Amazon and Toyota built empires by sensing shifts others missed. Amazon anticipated e-commerce potential when most retailers were still focused on physical stores. Toyota revolutionized manufacturing by sensing inefficiencies others accepted as normal.

Scurry Organizations like Meta and Zoom act swiftly when opportunities arise. Meta's rapid pivot from Facebook to Reels and Threads, Zoom's pandemic response—both moved fast without perfect information, letting action guide learning.

Haw Organizations like Microsoft and Delta Airlines struggled initially but learned to adapt. Microsoft's late entry into mobile led to their successful cloud-first transformation. Delta's post-COVID operational overhaul turned crisis into competitive advantage.

Hem Organizations like Kodak, Blockbuster, Nokia, and BlackBerry possessed resources and talent but remained anchored to past successes. They all suffered from what we might call "Hem Syndrome"—the inability to let go of what once worked.

My Three Key Takeaways

Though the book subtly explores:

Navigating chaos (the maze of daily life)
Shifting identity in the face of transitions
The flexibility vs. loyalty dilemma in organizations

Once I introspected, here’s what surfaced

1️⃣ Change is the only reality.

The universe itself is proof - same sun, moon, stars... yet we’re moving elliptically through space. Change is inevitable. Many a times you don’t need to initiate it; you don’t even have control over it. But you can’t opt out of it. Not in life. Not in business.

From daily calendars to multi-year strategies - change keeps you evolving, most of the time uninvited. Whether we resist or embrace it, change will keep moving forward.

2️⃣ Adapt, but don’t lose your roots.

The book says “adapt or perish”- but life isn’t always so binary.

Sometimes adaptation is too difficult, too sudden, or too unsupported. In those cases, holding onto your roots can keep you alive—even if you're not growing.

Think: Amazon forest vs. Sahara.

Different conditions. Different adaptations. Yet life survives in both - not by overhauling, but by anchoring in its roots. You may not become the tallest tree, but you survive. That counts.

We all learned it the hard way - sometimes, survival matters more than winning.

Remember:

Not everyone needs to understand your approach
Not everything has to matter equally
Not everything needs to work your way

3️⃣ Predict and prepare - even if you don’t like it.

In most organizations, you don’t need to love change. But you do need to build systems—mental, emotional, and structural - that help you absorb it.

Whether you run, freeze, or resist - change doesn’t wait.

It’s not just about the maze or the cheese - it’s about continuing to move, despite everything.

Beyond Individual Characters: System-Level Thinking

The real insight isn't "choose your character." People don't always get to choose. Upbringing, resources, timing, trauma—some never get to see the full maze, let alone choose which cheese to chase.

You don't need to be Sniff or Scurry all the time.

You might be Haw—learning, stumbling, reflecting.

And let's be honest, we've all been Hem at some point.

What matters is recognizing your place in the maze and choosing to move, even slowly.

The Empathy Factor: Don't Leave Hem Behind

Transformations stick not by pushing people, but by helping them see, feel, and experience the value of change.

If someone helped shape your success in the past, they deserve a chance to be pulled through the storm - because the Hem of today could have been the Sniff, Scurry, or Haw of yesterday. You are where you are partly because of who they once were.

The lesson? Don't judge people solely by current actions—understand their ecosystem. While moving forward, let's not abandon those struggling with change.

Moving Forward: Your Next Steps

On a personal level – embrace change before it forces you to adapt in panic or pain. Here's how you can put these change management principles into immediate action:

As an Individual:

Develop your change radar (build Sniff capabilities)
Create rapid response systems (embrace Scurry moments)
Build learning feedback loops (channel your inner Haw)
Question assumptions regularly (avoid Hem tendencies)

As a Leader:

Establish early warning systems in your organization
Reward experimentation and calculated risks
Build change management capabilities across teams
Create psychological safety for admitting when strategies aren't working

Organizations undergoing business transformation and facing resistance: Demonstrate how performance improves when they embrace change.

Final Reflection

"Smell the cheese often so you know when it's getting old."

Because eventually, the maze won't care. The cheese won't return. What once brought success, comfort, or meaning may no longer exist in the same way. You have to either evolve or get left behind in an empty corner, hoping it returns while the world moves on.