As I look at the state of information technology today, I see one constant: rapid change. We all see it. For instance, if you had said two years ago that you knew that generative AI would become a big deal in 2023, most folks would have looked at you like you were crazy. Yet here we are. And I know more, drastic change is still coming. Quantum computing is moving forward. When it gets here in full force, the way we secure the Internet will be obsolete. I’m not exaggerating. Dealing with change is hard. Understanding how to handle and attack change is crucial. While this is the type of post I would normally post at my Goal Keeping DBA blog, given how many folks in IT I see struggling with change led me to post it here. Let me suggest two books that may help.
The first book is Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson. This is a classic and it uses a fable with four characters, two mice and two humans the same size as the mice to describe how we respond to change. It’s a quick read, probably a single sitting. The characters encounter a major change and the rest of the fable is about how those characters handle that change.
Wrapped around the fable is a fictional high school reunion where one of the attendees relates the fable to his friends. Each friend is facing a situation of great change. Before the fable, we’re given a hint into some of the attendees’ situations. After the fable, the author presents the discussion of those friends and how they relate to the fable. This book has helped a lot of folks throughout the years.
The second book is the sequel to Who Moved My Cheese?, which is Out of the Maze. It is also a quick read. This book covers the story of Hem, the character in the fable who resisted the change, Hem. In the fable, we never learn the fate of Hem. Out of the Maze looks at the story of Hem after the events of the first fable. It’s a positive take on the fact that even if we are like Hem, we can eventually come around to dealing with the change and eventually get out of the maze altogether.
If you’re more of a visual learner, I did find an animated summary on YouTube that’s around 12 minutes in length which presents the fable from Who Moved My Cheese? along with additional explanation to help understand the fable better.
Note: The links to the books are Amazon affiliate links.