Wearing Blinders
Sniff and Scurry, the two mice in Johnson’s short story, are instinctual. Sniff and Scurry know when to move on. While the little people in the story, Hem and Haw, overuse their brains, which as illustrated, can complicate adapting to change. Finding cheese, or realizing the goal, is about being free and happy. Yet, Hem and Haw are completely unaware that the objectives they have obtained are changing. When the reality of change hits Hem and Haw, they are immobilized, frozen, and shocked. They never saw change coming. The people felt they were entitled to the objective they had found in perpetuity and Hem and Haw immediately began to suffer for lack of foresight. Moreover, Hem’s analysis leads to paralysis. (Johnson, 1998)
Change is a constant, a fact of life. Today people and organizations shed blinders and plan for inevitable change. Successful people and successful organizations know that recognizing and preparing for change can mean the difference between sustainability and extinction. Businesses especially, develop road maps or change models to effectively deal with rapid and ever present change. (Nixon, 2004)
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