When the Cheese Moves, Venture into the Maze
Over the last month, two seemingly unrelated events got me thinking deeply about change.
First, witnessing friends and colleagues alike across my LinkedIn contacts facing the prospect of redundancy or organisational change, something that seems all too common on my feed recently with numerous Open to Work Banners and requests for help to find work, people who have given so much to their roles and careers, only to find themselves navigating a sudden and uncertain new reality.
It's been sobering and thought-provoking, especially when so many are people I've either worked closely with historically or still do today are facing these uncertain times in what is becoming an ever more uncertain world.
Second, and definitely more tiny violin, I found myself grappling with an entirely different challenge; dealing with mice scurrying around in my loft.
Whilst harmless little creatures, and putting up with the odd pitter patter sound in the middle of the night, I armed myself with catch-and-release traps, a motion sensing camera to track their movements (because I'm a geek), and made the surprising discovery that mice are particularly fussy about the brand of cheese! I eventually managed to reclaim the space, relocate them, and learnt some valuable lessons along the way.
How are these two things related?
Well, I realised the mice in my loft, and my friends/colleagues going through redundancy had more in common than I initially thought given what they both are facing.
Both scenarios are about disruption: the loss of stability, the discomfort of the unknown, and the need to adapt when the environment you’ve relied on changes.
Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese? (https://amzn.eu/d/j7RExtW) came to mind which is a story about what happens when your source of “cheese,” a metaphor for comfort, success, or stability, is suddenly taken away.
For the mice in my loft, the loss of their cheese bait was incidental, and the real disruption was the loss of their comfortable home.
For my friends and colleagues, redundancy has meant not just the loss of a job but also the stability, community, and confidence that comes with it.
Both situations reminded me of a truth that’s easy to overlook:
NO ENVIRONMENT STAYS THE SAME FOREVER
And while change can feel overwhelming, it can also be an opportunity to reflect, adapt, and move forward in ways we might not have considered before.
The Loss of Comfort
The mice in my loft weren’t after cheese for its own sake, it was bait.
What they truly lost was their comfortable home, the space where they felt safe and secure. Their response? They adapted, exploring new paths and trying to circumnavigate the disruption to their routines and habits.
Redundancy can feel the same. It’s not just about the job, it’s about the loss of routine, community, and the sense of purpose that work often provides.
Watching those around me navigate this has been both humbling and inspiring. It’s shown me how resilience, even in the face of profound disruption, can spark new beginnings.
Redundancy Isn’t the End, It’s a Turning Point
In Who Moved My Cheese?, the characters are forced to make a choice: stay where they are and hope the cheese comes back, or venture into the maze and search for something new. The latter isn’t easy, it takes courage and a willingness to face the unknown.
For those facing redundancy, this moment is a crossroads. It’s a chance to pause, reflect, and ask:
It’s not about diminishing the challenges of redundancy but reframing them as a chance to create something new.
领英推荐
Lessons from the Loft and the Maze
Here are some learnings I’ve drawn from these two seemingly different experiences:
1. Be Ready for Change
Change often comes without warning. The mice in my loft didn’t expect their home to change, just as most of us don’t anticipate redundancy or major career disruptions. The key is to prepare for the unexpected.
2. Curiosity Leads to New Paths
Tracking the mice with my motion sensing camera gave me insights into their behaviour. They explored new routes, tested different paths, and adapted to the changes in their environment that i placed in their way. In the same way, navigating career uncertainty requires curiosity:
Curiosity is what turns uncertainty into opportunity.
3. Build a Safety Net
The mice relied entirely on the comfort of their home and the environment they’d grown used to. Many of us do the same in our careers, assuming the stability of our current situation will last forever.
Building a safety net makes all the difference:
A strong safety net gives you the freedom to pursue new opportunities with confidence on your terms.
4. Focus on What You Can Control
The mice didn’t waste time wishing the loft would return to normal, they adapted to what was within their control. When facing redundancy, the same principle applies: focus your energy on areas where you can make an impact.
5. The Maze Can Lead to Better Cheese
In Who Moved My Cheese?, the characters who explore the maze ultimately find better cheese. Similarly, redundancy can lead to roles or opportunities that are more fulfilling than what was left behind. It’s natural to grieve the loss, but the maze often leads to something unexpected and better.
Venture Into The Maze
This week reminded me that no situation, whether it’s a comfortable loft or a stable career stays the same forever. Change is inevitable, but how we respond to it defines our path forward.
To those navigating redundancy: while this period may feel uncertain, it’s also a moment to reassess, adapt, and create a new path for yourself.
By focusing on what you can control and staying curious about what’s next, you’ll find that the maze holds opportunities you hadn’t imagined before.
And if you’re dealing with mice? Trust me, Cathedral City cheese was a winner.
But to my friends and colleagues facing uncertainty, all I can say is venture into the maze, you'll be rewarded for doing so.
F.inst.TT | Joint Managing Director
3 个月I equally read who move the cheese it helps you identify who and what you are I need to read it again ! Redundancy sometimes gives you the push to move on to life’s next stage . Take the best of past experiences with you be the best you can , learn to avoid if possible people who have their own political agendas, some of us were born to lead , others who no fault of their own need to follow . You know who has your back .