Who Moved My Cheese - Supplemental Book Overview (Criswell College)
1. Supplemental
Book Overview
Presented to
Dr. David Edgell, CriswellCollege
Presented by
Matthew Newman
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for MIN 612.F2.L1
This file is confidential and should not be shared. Sharing with any recipient, or audience other than the intended is non-permissive.
2. It is safer to
search in
the maze
than to
remain in a
cheeseless
situation.
Dr. Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese
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3. TABLEOFCONTENTS
01 – Summary
An overview of Who Moved My Cheese describing the
main points of Dr. Spencer’s work and what he was trying
to convey about the subject of the book.
02 – Story Elements
A high-level demonstration of the method, or process in
which the story builds that gives the reader a clear path to
understanding practical application.
03 – Life Application
Who is the ideal person thatWho Moved My Cheese appeal
to and what do the elements of Who Moved My Cheese
teach?
04 – Key Action Steps
How can the elements of Who Moved My Cheese be applied
to the life of the reader and contribute to their overall
development? What are the action steps?
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4. 01 Summary
4
Change is necessary and certainly cannot be avoided. Therefore, in order to
successfully navigate the maze of life, we must embrace change, which is the moral
of Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese.
Who Moved My Cheese is a story about four characters two people – Hem and Haw
and two mice – Scurry and Sniff. Each are searching for an important element of life
– happiness and success, represented as cheese. Each character eventually makes its
way through the maze to find the cheese, but the value of the story is seen in how
they respond when the cheese is no longer there.
Dr. Johnson is looking to help his readers identify how they respond, measure,
manage, and ultimately master the complex changes in the maze called life.
5. 02 Story Elements
5
Setting
Who Moved My Cheese takes place in a maze
made up of several stations near the homes of all
characters – Hem, Haw, Scurry.The main conflict
of the story begins in the maze at Station C. We
can consider this the deciding point given that
this is where Haw decides whether he would
leave Hem and search for more cheese, while
Hem decides whether to stay and wait for more
cheese or venture off with Haw.
Climax
To the point shared in our summary, change is
necessary and certainly cannot be avoided. Haw
recognizes this and ventures off to eventually find
more cheese at Station N. Haw was kind enough
to leave clues, or “Writings on theWall” for Hem
hoping that they would encourage him to
embrace and appreciate the change.
6. Story Elements
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Characters
1. Hem – Resistant to change, Hem questioned the need to
change and was content with exerting energy to find the easiest
path versus adapting to the need to change.
2. Haw – Change caught Haw by total surprise but he eventually
adapted to the change and moved on to new cheese.
3. Scurry – Not disturbed by the need to change, Scurry
recognized the necessity to change and acted immediately.
4. Sniff – Known as the most proactive, Sniff could sense the need
to change.
7. Characters
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Characters – How do you relate?
1. How do you respond to change?
Do you wallow in the need to
change, or do you adapt?
2. When change happens, can you
find joy in the journey?
3. Are you frightened by change, or
do you respond immediately,
identifying the necessary action
steps?
4. Do you consider yourself to be
more proactive or reactive to
change?
8. 03 LifeApplication
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Who does Who Moved My Cheese apply to? Everyone.
1. Change is inevitable.
2. Expect change.
3. Know when to change.
4. Embrace change.
5. Ride the wave of change.
6. Appreciate change.
7. ABC – Always Be Changing
9. List1 Identify2 Focus3 Pray4
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List how you typically
respond to change. Do
you resist change or
are you accepting of
change?
04 Key Action Steps
Focus on the feeling of
achieving something
new. How would this
new feeling help
strengthen personal
and professional
relationships?
Pray. What fear do you
need God to remove,
or how can the grace
of God help encourage
you to give yourself
more grace?
Identify any
constraints that are
preventing you from
achieving something
new.What past guilt
do you refuse to let go
of?
10. 10
Addendum
Life moves on
and so should
we.
What you are afraid of is
never as bad as what
you imagine.The fear
you let build up in your
mind is worse than the
situation that actually
exists.
See what you're doing
wrong, laugh at it,
change and do better.
11. 11
Thank you
This file is confidential and should not be shared. Sharing with any recipient, or audience other than the intended is non-permissive.