Update 2/3/25
Since publishing this article, it has been brought to my attention that the “missing cheese” metaphor my colleague used, and I assumed an off-the-cuff-original, is actually likely referencing Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnston. I shall be adding this to my TBR.
Today, I received an incredible compliment:
“I’m really looking for your steady presence in this to really drive ‘Is this actually broken? Or is your cheese just missing?’”
This simple remark made my day and sparked some deep reflection.
Recently, we overhauled our Jira project management workflows, starting fresh with a simpler, more streamlined strategy. The goal? Cut down on complexity to make our sprints more effective and reduce administrative overhead. We removed redundant workflow statuses—like tracking deployment and verification—and simplified the movement of tasks on the board.
Despite detailed pre-communication, training, and preparation, the change wasn’t universally welcomed. Which is fine. Pleasing everyone is impossible and change is tough. Within a week, the change management Teams channel lit up with frustrations, particularly around the removal of the “Ready for Testing” status—a step where tickets lingered until a test engineer was available to pick them up.
For some, the absence of this status felt like a loss of control. To them, their “cheese was missing,” but it felt like something was actually broken.
When discussions in the channel veered toward resistance rather than solutions, I sent a message:
“I’m hearing ’this thing doesn’t work like it did before’—and that’s kind of the point. The first couple of sprints may have growing pains, but we owe it to the people who spent time designing this to see if it works as intended. We want to hear feedback, but let’s give it a little time before making big changes.”
Admittedly, I felt anxious after hitting send. Pushing back publicly wasn’t in my comfort zone. But the response—a trio of heart emojis from process designers and positive feedback from project leads in a private DM—was reaffirming. They appreciated that I stood firm, giving the new workflow the time and space to succeed before yielding to reactionary changes.
I later offered office hours to help teams adapt to the new process. While there weren’t many takers, it signaled to me that teams were finding ways to work through the adjustment. Now, as we enter Sprint 2, I’m eager to evaluate pain points after completing Sprint 3 and ensure the process is genuinely serving its purpose.
What stood out most to me was how this moment taught me something about myself. By holding boundaries and embracing discomfort, I discovered a steadying presence I hadn’t fully recognized until I received that comment in passing today. It’s a trait I’ll nurture, as it not only supports me but also adds value to my teams.
At the end of the day change can feel unsettling—but sometimes missing cheese just means it’s time to find a new snack. 😉
Have you ever experienced “missing cheese” in your workflows or team processes? Share your thoughts in the comments! How do you balance patience with addressing feedback during times of change?