An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life - Book Report/Review Example

 General impressions about the book. My overall impressions of the book. How do I relate to the book? What section(s) of the book did I enjoy the most and why? Changes continue to happen, good or bad. But the art of life lies in converting defeats into victories and challenge the so-called bad change. Such changes must be resisted with all the willpower at one’s command. No individual is defeated unless one admits defeat. The principles enunciated and facts mentioned in this book are meant essentially for the top management cadre. To let them know what effective personnel management is all about, anticipate the changes that take place with astonishing speed in this world of fast technological advancement, and tackle the change quickly. This is an excellent little book with big practicalities. I enjoyed the entire book, which are just 96 pages. As a former bank official, I relate this book to the astonishing changes that have taken place in the banking industry in the area of recruitment, career advancement, customer relations and opening of new branches. I greatly enjoyed the section relating to the discussion amongst the former classmates and their candid observations about life. Their discussion was rich with practical experiences and offered guidelines for my future. 2. Character identification. I identify myself with the character Sniff. A situation in my life, when I was a Hem. “Who Moved My Cheese” is a profound parable and the action scene is a maze. It is necessary to understand the nature of cheese and its impact on the lives of the charaters. They are four in number. Sniff and Scurry are mice--not analytical and non-judgmental, they just want cheese at any cost. Hem and Haw are "little people," mouse-size humans who have an entirely different perspective about the cheese. It's not just the substance of sustenance to them; it's their self-image. It is the symbol of existence and it encompasses the various facets of life, like the jobs, the career paths, future plans to improve the standard of life and standard of living, relationships etc. Changes happen in the most unsuspected moment of life and one has to anticipate or ready to changes in the cheese, and scout the new sources of cheese, when there is pressure on the existing stock of cheese and that the stock will run out soon. I identify myself with the character Sniff who reacts quickly and begins to search for new cheese. This is the materialistic era of fast technological advancement and changes happen everywhere so fast that one cannot afford to wait. Otherwise, the race will be lost. Opportunities are less and the candidates are more. I was Hem in the situation explained in point 4 below. I took it for granted that the Bank job will be mine, and was overconfident. I nearly perished on account of this trait, but soon life taught me some hard, practical lessons for achieving success. 3. My favorite cheese quote from the book. Why I like this quote and how I apply this quote in my life. My favorite quote in the book is Angela’s observation in the course of conversation with her former classmates, "Life sure turned out differently than I thought it would when we were in school. A lot has changed." (p.21) As students, in college--life everyone cultivates a dream, an appointment with their future life. On completing their education each one of them has to enter the portals of practical life. But not everything goes on the expected lines. It is good to go ahead with the confidence that one is the creator of destiny, not the victim! Yet the vicissitudes of life leave the profound effect on one’s cherished goals. The technological and the societal changes impact one’s life profoundly. The wise saying goes-- if there is no perfect discipline, carry on with the available discipline! 4. When my own cheese moved I remember the day I was given the promise of a permanent job in the Bank. I was doing a part-time job in a private firm and a meager lump sum payment was given to me every month. After my personal interview with the General Manager of a commercial Bank, I was asked to report to him on a particular day for filling up the regular application form for the job of Assistant in the Bank. “You are eligible for the appointment as you are a first class Matriculate, and I think your job is assured,” he said. Sky was the limit for my happiness. My salary would be ten times more than what I was getting in the part-time job. Moreover, working in a Bank adds to one’s stature, with bright future prospectus. On the appointed day, when I met the General Manager, a great disappointment was in store for me. He curtly told me that the job was given to another candidate, as someone from the Board of Directors of the Bank wanted it that way. I was in dire straits. I had already informed my part-time employer that I will not be able to attend the duties from so and so date. He showed great understanding and was happy that I would be working for a bank soon. “One day I will come to your Bank, to avail loan when I make some business expansion plans,” he said in half-jest and half-serious. I was also given a farewell party in the office and a wrist-watch was given to me as a present. With the denial of bank appointment, I was in a precarious position. With no income in sight, my life had slowed down; nay it had come to a halt suddenly. For a while I was directionless and destination less. Some days rolled by. A passing thought came to my mind that I should go back to my former part-time employer and seek reappointment. But my ego clashed. After deep deliberations, I came to the conclusion that I would not work for any individual or organization. I must do something of my own—a small business, a supplies net work, or a production unit—several ideas tossed up in my mind. I had no previous business experience. I just covered up my domestic expenses with my part-time salary and my savings were negligible. But I had come to an irrevocable decision---I must be self-employed professional—do something of my own. I knew my desperate situation needed desperate remedies; I could not afford to waste days anymore. My savings would touch the zero level within a fortnight or so! How did the situation resolve? When I was in the part-time employment I used to see a salesman visiting our office once in a month and take orders for the stationery items required by us. To me, that looked like a clean business, without any risks. I visited a reputed stationery items wholesaler and told him about my issues. He was willing to help me and he also gave me a list of useful references. He said, “I am willing to give you goods on credit basis for a month—all that you need to do is to deposit the duplicate copy of the invoice at my office at the end of the next working day and you can draw fresh supplies as per your requirements. The goods are to be supplied on a fortnightly credit basis, and you can allow a discount of 2% for cash supplies.” The arrangement worked well and within a period of three months, I had about one hundred and fifty regular customers who bought stationery items from me (the brand of stationery items had great reputation in the market) and my monthly turnover had reached a figure of $ 30,000 within a period of three months. The company gave a discount of 5% on the invoice value and to earn about $1500 was good beginning for a fresher. How would I react (act) differently after reading this book? The contents of the book are not panacea for the issues facing an individual and nothing in the book is likely to provide a permanent solution to the problems. But the small issues make one think, to look out for alternative solutions. It gives some confidence that success in life is an achievable reality and one has to march from imperfect conditions to a state of perfection. No one is defeated in life unless one admits defeat and one should develop the art of converting small openings into big opportunities. Works Cited Johnson, Spenser (Author), Blanchard, Kenneth (Foreword); Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life; G. P. Putnam's Sons, September 8, 1998. Read More