Who Moved My Cheese… Again?

(By Mike McVay) Jobs are being turned upside down. Families impacted. Finances drained. Health is affected by the burden of stress, possibly being forced from a career and industry you love, while waiting for “that call” that may or may not come.

The one saying, “We’re making a change.”

Knowing that if you’re to stay in media, specifically radio, you may have to move… again. The helplessness of the situation is daunting. It’s beyond our control. Many of us are facing it and feeling it. At best, it’s in the back of your mind. This is media today.

During a recent conversation with a highly successful friend of mine, commiserating about the tough times that many media are experiencing, he shared that he’s hearing from less-tenured radio professionals who’ve never faced what we’re facing now. This friend, who is quite successful as a content creator and syndicator, noted that his response is to share history from the late ’90s and early 2000s. That’s when consolidation in media ended many a career. My friend said, “I’ve seen this before. The cheese is being moved again.”

If you’ve never heard that expression, it comes from a book written in 1998 by Spencer Johnson. It’s a parable whose message is appropriate for all times, but especially now for the situation we’re in today. It’s a simple, yet powerful, story, we at McVay Media have presented often during visits to client radio stations, at conferences and seminars, and in many private sessions where talent or programmers were being coached.

Who Moved My Cheese is the story of four characters – two mice (Scurry and Sniff) and two little people (Hem and Haw) – living in a maze searching for cheese. When the cheese suddenly disappears from its usual location, the characters must confront their fears and adapt to change by finding new cheese in different parts of the maze. The story highlights the importance of embracing change and being flexible in the face of uncertainty. 

The cheese symbolizes what people want to achieve in life, like career success, happiness, or security. The maze represents the obstacles and complexities one encounters in life while pursuing one’s goals. The mice, Scurry and Sniff, readily adapt to the changing cheese supply because they are quick to notice changes and act accordingly.  The little people, Hem and Haw, struggle to accept the change and are hesitant to leave their familiar cheese location, representing people who fear change and resist adapting. The names of the four characters are appropriate. 

The central message of the story is the importance of adapting to change and overcoming fear to navigate life’s challenges successfully. 

Every day, they search through a Maze for cheese. The mice see cheese as food and follow their instincts to find it. However, for the little people, “Cheese” represents something more than just food. It is a symbol for anything they desire. The little people have complex minds and are guided by their emotions and thoughts.

The mice and the little people search for cheese in a maze of corridors. Eventually, they all find the cheese in one of the sections of the maze. They are very happy and return to the place every morning to enjoy their cheese. The mice are still careful. They tie their shoes and hang them around their necks. This is in case they need to run again. Hem and Haw, on the other hand, relaxed after finding the cheese. They even threw their running shoes away. They believed they deserved the Cheese because they worked hard to find it.

Then, one day, the cheese is gone.

Sniff and Scurry don’t waste time thinking too much. They simply put on their shoes and start finding their cheese again. After a few unsuccessful tries, they find fresh cheese in a part of the maze they’d not visited before – lots and lots of cheese.

On the other hand, Hem and Haw are really upset. They cannot believe someone moved their cheese. Haw closes his eyes and covers his ears to avoid facing the truth. Hem also feels let down. Feeling hungry and shocked, they go back home. After losing their cheese, Hem and Haw are in denial. Every day they go to where they first found the cheese, hoping that someone will bring it back. Haw tries to convince Hem to look for new cheese. However, Hem is stubborn and hesitant. He feels comfortable where he is, thinks he is too old, and is afraid of getting lost or facing danger outside. 

Both of them stayed in the same place and with time disappointment grew. They wait around, hoping for something amazing to happen, but instead, they start feeling really sad and even can’t sleep at night. They start to wonder if maybe the Cheese is hidden behind the wall. So, they created a hole there, but… no cheese.

After some time, Haw begins to understand that things have changed and he needs to adjust. Haw goes on a search and eventually finds cheese. Haw joins the mice while Hem remains in the world of refusal. You can guess what happens to Hem.

There are lessons here worth learning and applying:

1. Change Happens; That’s one of the key lessons of the story. Change is inevitable. That is why it is always important to plan for change and embrace it gracefully to succeed. Just like the cheese, there are multiple things we used to take for granted in our lives. These things can be anything from food to a job, health, and even relationships. Eventually, you will face an unexpected change, so preparing yourself to adapt to it mentally becomes important if you want to move on and succeed.
2. Accept and Prepare for Change; Changes are scary, but you still must deal with them. Accepting this part of life is what will make you successful. The mice in the story quickly accepted the change and adapted to the new environment. As a result, they found a lot of cheese in another section of the maze. Similarly, when you are prepared to accept the change and move on, you will eventually find new opportunities to grow. Keep your attitude positive.
3. Be Adaptable To Succeed; Being able to adapt to change is really important for achieving success, just like finding “cheese” in the story. You have to be open to new ideas and be willing to learn new things. In the story, Haw learns this lesson the hard way. At first, he doesn’t like change, but he soon realizes that being able to adapt is the key to finding new sources of “cheese”.
4. Overcoming Fear; The journey of Haw shows how hard it is to not be scared of change. At first, he feels stuck because he lost the cheese. But then, he decides to leave his usual way of doing things and find new chances. This story reminds us that fear can stop us from changing. That is why getting over that fear is critical for growing and being successful.
5. Check Your Cheese Regularly; Similar to the mice in the story you should always look for changes in your surroundings. This helps you stay prepared for whatever is coming to you. Watching closely also helps you make decisions at the right time.
6. Enjoy the Journey; In the end, the book shows us that it is important to enjoy the process of change. Haw learns to laugh at his mistakes and fears. This makes his journey through the maze easier. This lesson tells us to accept change with a positive mindset. The story also teaches us to learn from the experience itself and try to have fun while searching for new opportunities. It reminds us that the journey itself can be just as rewarding as reaching the goal.

Radio’s cheese is being moved again. The business I am in today isn’t the same as the business that I got into, but it is a business that I want to be in for my entire career. The changes in my world have been initiated out of necessity, passion, a desire to learn, and being excited by evolution.

What was once my business is so much more varied today. It includes multiple media platforms, provides many more outlets for content creation, and has enabled me to broaden my horizons to include both what is characterized as legacy and new media.  Be adaptable, embrace change, and don’t stop chasing the cheese.

Mike McVay is President of McVay Media and can be reached at [email protected]. Read Mike’s Radio Ink archives here.