Have You Found Your Cheese? A two-part book discussion on organizational change within the education community. Why even talk about change? Things change, whether it is planned or not. (Usually not!) How we adapt to change determines our future success (or failure). Resistance to change leads to stress and bitterness. Developing a “Why Change?” statement helps all stakeholders reflect on areas of weakness, and addresses future needs. This collaboration gives everyone a piece of ownership in the organization. What does cheese have to do with all of this? Spencer Johnson’s best-selling book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” uses a simple parable to address how accepting and preparing for change can impact your outlook on life. “Cheese” is what we are looking for in life, personally and professionally. Change is change, right? According to Johnson, there are actually three stages of change: – Preparing for Change • Gives people ideas for success. – Gaining Change Skills • Gives people a chance to learn skills in order to help them adapt easier. – Achieving a Change • Aids people to work together as a team to achieve measurable success. But I don’t have time for cheese… “Who Moved My Cheese?” is a mere 94 pages (with large type!) It can be read in an hour or so. The “mice vs. men” story is a basic, but powerful, parallel to the “rat race” many of us experience. For our next meeting… Please read the book as you think about the following: – What is your cheese? – Which character do you most identify with? – Do you see parallels between the story and your life? Your school environment? – When was the last time change (or the idea of it) caused you some anxiety? – Why do you think people are of afraid of change? These are a few things we’ll discuss next time. Happy reading! Welcome Back! What did you think? What connections were you able to make with the story? What are some change scenarios that cause anxiety in a school? What causes this anxiety? Who are you? Which character do you most identify with? – Sniff, able to determine when change is on its way… Who are you? – Scurry, who runs out and seeks change head-on… Who are you? – Haw, who is initially resistant to change, but realizes it’s not so bad… Who are you? – Or Hem, who is resistant to change, regardless of the situation? Thank you! It was ‘gouda’ of you to participate! For more, visit www.whomovedmycheese.com