The notice sent from Human Resources made IT support engineer Philippe Mathison feel uneasy. A new CEO had been appointed at the software development company he worked for to make improvements.

But what did this mean for Philippe? Would he keep his job, be moved to another department, or perhaps demoted? And what of the possibility of a better job with the company? Perhaps a raise or a new office work-station was in the offing.

While Philippe pondered the possibilities, his co-worker Mandy Wetherspoon fretted about her situation. “I was in line for a promotion,” she said. “I've been with this company for six years now, slowly working my way up, and all of a sudden someone comes in and cuts my lunch!”

Cheese Please

Their different responses to an unknown future reflects the mindset of the four characters in the popular book Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr Spencer Johnson, an adult parable about handling change, managing fears and achieving your goals.

The cheese represents what the four characters, Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw, want in life, and they patter through the maze in search of it. One day, the supply runs out and the characters respond in different ways to the challenge.

Sniff and Scurry quickly put on their runners and go in search of new cheese. Haw is a little slow to get moving but decides that he might just starve if he doesn't get out of his comfort zone. On his adventure to new riches, Haw leaves messages for Hem on the wall, slogans like Old Beliefs Do Not Lead You To New Cheese and The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese.

But Hem won't budge. Hemmed in by his own fear, he rejects the possibility of New Cheese simply because it is not what he is used to.

“Each of us has our own idea of what Cheese is, and we pursue it because we believe it makes us happy,” writes Johnson. “If we get it, we often become attached to it. And if we lose it, or it's taken away, it can be traumatic.”

How will you respond?

Change in the workplace can represent many adjustments to ‘how things are normally done.' Not all of them appear to be dramatic.

There may be a new telephone system installed, new rules to how the kitchen is cleaned, a new employee in your department replacing someone who's left to take up an offer elsewhere.

Many new employment contracts are short-term packages. Rather than stay with the same company for 40 years, younger people are switching jobs, sometimes developing three or more career options throughout their lifetime. Workplace change does not necessarily equal downsizing and current trends indicate employers want to retain talented, hard-working, positive staff with organization knowledge.

Philippe Mathison felt edgy about change in his workplace but kept a tight rein on his insecurities. Wisely, he decided not to listen to office gossip. “Nobody said I was going to lose my job, so I had a chat with my direct manager and asked him to be open if he felt my role was at risk. I also started to read the employment sections of the newspaper and signed up with an online recruiting agency, just to keep my options open. I didn't want to leave the company but knowing there were other options helped relieve my anxiety.”

Change Test

You can soon find out if you are a Hem or a Haw, a Philippe or a Mandy. Are you the sort of person who reacts badly when you arrange to meet a friend for dinner and are told a few other people will be joining you and that it won't be at your favourite Thai restaurant but at a new Italian bistro out of town? What if your favourite TV show is rescheduled for a live football match or council requests the recycle bins go out on Friday instead of Thursday?

If small things get under your skin out of work , there's a good chance you'll struggle to adapt to all sorts of workplace change and may need to read a book like Who Moved My Cheese? to shift your perspective. A short personal development course can also help as may a few counselling sessions if you really feel stuck. Most people will benefit from simply talking to others and questioning their own responses to dealing with change.

10 Ways To Stay Ahead of the Game

Here are 10 strategies to keep focused and ready for workplace change.

1. Fact Finding : Seek the facts by talking to your manager. Find a buddy within the organization to help you through the change journey. Don't make personal decisions based on innuendo or poor information. Avoid listening to or perpetuating hearsay.

2. Skills Upgrade: Take all the training you can. Many employers have a policy of updating the skills of staff. Upgrade your skills and you will become a more valuable asset.

3. Think ahead: Have an action plan and updated resume ready. Hopefully you won't need it but you'll feel less stressed or vulnerable if you take control.

4. Look after your health: Take breaks when work stresses threaten to overwhelm you. Exercise regularly, eat well and get enough sleep. If your current role ends, you'll be in a better frame of mind to adapt and take action.

5. Feelings matter: Acknowledge your reactions: it's normal to feel confused, angry or anxious. Like everything else, these feelings will change as well over the passage of time. Allow yourself to feel sad if a fellow employee moves on. Try to express your feelings in some way, either on paper or to a trusted friend. This will help reconcile your emotional responses.

6. Build a good support system: This may be ‘in-house' or drawn from friends outside your employment. Seek out rational, objective advice from caring people.

7. Keep networking: Talking to people in your industry and elsewhere will help you remain positive and involved, even if you are happy in your current role.

8. Acknowledge your life outside your work: Your job uses some of your skills, but you have many other talents and abilities. As Deepak Chopra said: “Nothing limits us except ourselves; for the truest aspect of very person is unbounded potential.” Strive for work-life balance and develop non work-related interests.

9. Try to have a positive attitude: Change can open many doors and lead to improved work conditions. Why not view the bottle as half full rather than half empty? You are in control of your attitude and your reactions. Choose to remain in a positive, optimistic frame of mind and lead by example.

10. Accept that change is constant: Change is a fact of life, in the workplace and outside it. How dull life would be without it! Embrace the possibility that you might be moved out of a predictable groove and that this process leads to personal growth.

Useful Resources:

Who Moved My Cheese? By Dr Spencer Johnson

Coping with Workplace Change: Dealing with Loss and Grief by J Shep Jeffreys

Managing Change at Work by Cynthia Scott