Everyone laughed.
“They wanted to sniff out the changes ahead of time and scurry into action,rather than get hemmed in and be left behind.”
Nathan said,“That's a good point.No one in our company would want to look like Hem.They might even change.Why didn't you tell us this story at our last reunion?This could work.”
Michael said,“It does work.”
“It works best,of course,when everyone in your organization knows the story — whether it is in a large corporation,a small business or your family — because an organization can only change when enough people in it change.”
Then he offered one last thought:“When we saw how well it worked for us,we passed the story along to people we wanted to do business with,knowing they were also dealing with change.We suggested we might be their ‘New Cheese’— that is,better partners for them to succeed with.It led to new business.”
That gave Jessica several ideas and reminded her that she had some early sales calls in the morning.She looked at her watch and said,“Well,it's time for me to leave this Cheese Station and find some New Cheese.”
The group laughed and began saying their goodbyes.Many of them wanted to continue the conversation but needed to leave.As they left,they thanked Michael again.
He said,“I'm very glad you found the story so useful,and I hope that you will have the opportunity to share it with others soon.”