Message from Deborah Chapman, MCEDV’s Acting Director

Embracing Change.

In his #1 best-selling book, Who Moved My Cheese? Dr. Spencer Johnson shares a simple, yet profound, story of four characters living in a “Maze” who face unexpected change when they discover their “Cheese” has disappeared.  Sniff and Scurry are mice.  Hem and Haw are little people the size of mice.  Who Moved My Cheese? relates their experiences as they adapt to change in their journey through the maze in search of “New Cheese”. 

I read this book over 4 years ago, and still find its message relevant for any organization going through any type of change – whether it is new leadership, restructuring, or growing pains.  This story has helped many people, including yours truly, prepare for an upcoming change, or live less stressfully with change, by understanding how they perceive change and how they might see it differently through another lens.

No doubt 2007 has been a year of change for MCEDV and its member projects.  The transition to a new governance structure tops the list.  And there is more to come.  As we approach our 30th Anniversary MCEDV is preparing to re-open the search for a new executive director and embark on the strategic planning process.  Each one of these endeavors alone can be stressful.  In tandem, they challenge our comfort zones.

Planning for the future might seem tame enough.  Yet to do it meaningfully requires an openness to change.  Strategic planning calls for us to embrace a process that involves an in-depth, broad-based honest assessment of our internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as seen from many perspectives:  member projects, staff, partners/allies, and governing board.  To be successful there must be a willingness of all participants to anticipate change and move beyond our fear of it.  It calls upon our collective experiences and creativity to envision real outcomes and imagine success.  The end product can be greater than the sum of its parts as the MCEDV board and staff assimilate the feedback from the varied perspectives to craft a cohesive vision that aligns with our mission and values.  The key to its success is succinct and achievable goals, objectives, and action steps that serve to guide us through the maze over the next three years.  I believe together we can prosper through change – now and into the future.

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