Who Moved My Cheese?

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Introduction-Foreword

Reading Check

1. Who are the four characters in the parable for change?

2. What is Sniff’s role in responding to change?

3. What does Scurry do in response to change?

4. Which character alters his opinion when change occurs?

5. What did Who Moved My Cheese? help employees at Ken Blanchard Companies with?

6. What is the motto of the book?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Of the four characters in the parable, which is the least likely to be successful in the future? Why?

2. What is the purpose of the parable in Who Moved My Cheese?

3. What does the author describe cheese as representing?

4. How did the book help Charlie Jones, a sportscaster who was forced to move from track and field to swimming and diving?

5. What is the narrative framework of the first section, “A Gathering”?

6. What does “The Story of Who Moved My Cheese?” illustrate?

7. What role does the section “A Discussion” play in the book?

Paired Resource

“The Global Companies That Failed to Adapt to Change”

• This article describes the consequences for companies that refused to adapt to change.
• Why do many businesses fail, according to the article? What does the author claim is the reason for resisting change? What solutions does the author present for implementing change effectively? How is this article related to the book’s themes of Action in the Face of Adversity and How to Search for Cheese?

Chapter 1

Reading Check

1. What is the group of people gathered for?

2. How does the group feel about change?

3. What was the state of Michael’s company before he read “The Story”?

4. To which character did Michael’s coworkers compare the executive who didn’t see the value in the story?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How did the story shift the way Michael looked at change?

2. Why had Michael never bothered to try what he read in the story before?

3. How did the others at work respond to the story Michael shared?

Paired Resource

“The 3 Ways People React to Change”

• This article describes three ways people react to change and explains how to adjust behavior to embrace change.
• What are the ways people deal with change? What is the ideal way to approach change? What steps does the author suggest to help cope with change? How is this article related to the book’s themes of Action in the Face of Adversity, Seek Out Simple Solutions, and How to Search for Cheese?

Chapter 2

Reading Check

1. Who is telling the story of Who Moved My Cheese?

2. What type of creatures are Sniff and Scurry?

3. Where do the two teams first find the cheese?

4. Where do the mice find their second block of cheese?

5. What does Haw write on the wall for Hem to see?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is the search for cheese more complicated for the little people than it is for the mice?

2. What is the difference between Sniff and Scurry’s reaction to the cheese and the little people’s reaction to the cheese?

3. How do the little people and the mice react differently to the disappearance of the cheese?

4. What is Haw’s reaction to fear?

5. What does Haw vow to do before writing, “Smell the Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old”?

6. What lessons can be learned from Haw’s reaction to the disappearance of the cheese?

Paired Resources

“How to Deal with Resistance to Change”

• This article, first published in the Harvard Business Review in 1969, explains why people resist change and how businesses should approach it.
• What are some of the effects of change in the workplace? According to the article, why is resistance to change unnecessary? What role does participation play in decision-making? Why is participation alone insufficient for implementing change? Why should change involve both a technical and a social aspect? How is this article related to the book’s themes of Action in the Face of Adversity, Seek Out Simple Solutions, and How to Search for Cheese?

“Staying Competitive Requires Adaptability”

• This Forbes article describes the importance of developing the capability to implement change. (Subscription may be required to read.)
• What is the life expectancy of a company on the Fortune 500 list today? What four suggestions are made to sustain a company’s competitive advantage? Why is each of the four aspects important? How is this article related to the book’s themes of Action in the Face of Adversity and How to Search for Cheese?

Chapter 3

Reading Check

1. When Carlos lost his job, he didn’t work for a while because of his resentment. Whose behavior in the parable is similar?

2. Why does Laura suspect people respond negatively to change?

3. What characteristic did the encyclopedia company display when refusing to digitize their encyclopedias?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What connection does the physician make to people who are like Hem?

2. What is the role of people like Sniff in Michael’s company?

3. How does the parable apply to relationships?

4. What was Becky’s son’s response to their relocation to Vermont, and how does it relate to the book’s theme of Action in the Face of Adversity?

Recommended Next Reads

Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber

• This business fable teaches readers to embrace change in their environment and workplace.
• Shared topics include self-help, change, and fear.
• Shared themes include Action in the Face of Adversity and How to Search for Cheese.
• Our Iceberg Is Melting on SuperSummary

Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg, PhD

• This self-help book describes how small changes can lead to big differences in people’s lives.
• Shared topics include embracing change, psychology, and business.
• Shared themes include Seek Out Simple Solutions and How to Search for Cheese.
• Tiny Habits on SuperSummary