Lately when I refer to a situation as a “who moved my cheese moment,” I’m surprised at the perplexed looks I get. Spencer Johnson’s runaway bestseller, Who Moved My Cheese? came on the scene in 1998. But now that I’ve read it again, it’s as if it came out yesterday. The reality is, things that worked for me in the past just weren’t cutting it anymore. In fact, diets that used to work weren’t working, jokes that once got a laugh didn’t even warrant a smile anymore, and old skills had become just that . . . OLD. I was feeling sorry for myself. And then I discovered Oprah’s diet wasn’t working for her, either. So it confirmed that I’m not alone.
When it comes to success, in 2002 “Who Moved My Cheese” was the number-one business book for the third year in a row and had about 12 million copies in print worldwide. I don’t have current stats on the book, but you get the picture. The 94-page book is a parable you can read in about an hour. If you travel, you’ll be done by the time your plane hits the tarmack. This is an oldie but goody, and it’s worth reading given these uncertain times. I believe anything that can help you navigate your way through choppy, shark-infested waters is a good thing.
In the nursery rhyme “The Farmer In the Dell,” “The rat takes the cheese/The cheese stands alone”–but Johnson’s cheese is anything but alone. Training seminars, golf shirts, coffee mugs and Post-It Notes add streams of income to his bottom line–and entrepreneurs should always be thinking of ways to expand their brand.
I read that e-mails about parables are among the top 10 complaints Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams gets. But I wouldn’t be too concerned, because lots of authors are making a nice living writing parables. Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson wrote The One Minute Manager and, in my opinion, the key to Blanchard’s success is that he is a master at collaborating. He co-wrote books such as Raving Fans. In fact, Whale Done! was written with SeaWorld animal trainers about how killer whales respond best to positive feedback.
I’m hoping you’ll send me your thoughts after reading today’s post.
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Michelle
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 at 5:56 am and is filed under Branding, Make It Up, Self-improvement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.2 Responses to “Who Moved My Cheese Again?”
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January 11th, 2009 at 5:12 am
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May 3rd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Skills that worked in business yesterday just don’t cut it with the new economic changes.
I’ve also just written a blog about how this book helps those who are creative deal with the changes that are going on in the world at this time.
Check it out if you’re interested: http://myhoustonvirtualassistant.blogspot.com/.