We just recently read the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson in the BASIC office. The book uses a simple story similar to a children’s story to communicate timeless principals about change. While some would not enjoy reading this book due to Johnson’s writing style there are some great applications for college ministry.
The majority of this short book (94 pages) is like a children’s story about two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two humans, Hem and Haw, who live in a maze. One day they go to the place in the maze where they have always come to get cheese and the cheese is gone. The rest of the story centers around the mice and the humans trying to figure out what they are going to do to find new cheese. Towards the end of the book Johnson breaks down into 7 points what he is really trying to get across:
Change Happens – In the last 10 years the rate of change has increased dramatically. With all the information available on the internet and all the ways we are connected (social networking, texting, etc.) the overall pace of life has intensified. Johnson writes, “If you do not change, you can become extinct.” In college ministry change happens constantly and we can see ministries come and go because they have not found ways to adapt to change. You must be aware that change happens, especially when we are working with an age group that is used to this fast pace.
Anticipate Change – Once we know that change happens we can be prepared for it. The best way to be prepared is to monitor change, which he talks about in the next point.
Monitor Change – Johnson writes, “Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.” Usually by the time we have noticed that change is happening we are already a few steps behind. If we are paying close attention we’ll be able to anticipate change better. The best ways to monitor change require paying attention to trends, talking with students often, and overall trying to educate yourself and those in leadership. Johnson also states, “Noticing small changes early helps you to adapt to the bigger changes that are to come.”
Adapt to Change Quickly – Johnson points out, “The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.” We can’t adapt to change quickly if we’re not able to let go of what we’ve done in the past. It can be difficult to realize that letting go of “old cheese” will bring better results, but as I stated earlier if we’re not willing to change we will become extinct.
Change – This is pretty straight forward. Once you have anticipated the change and decided how to adapt then make sure that you execute the change.
Enjoy Change! – Those who avoid change usually do it out of fear. Johnson writes, “When you move beyond your fear, you feel free.” Take this opportunity to enjoy the adventure that comes with change and the new opportunities that will arise.
Be Ready to Change Quickly and Enjoy it Again – Be thankful that even though you had to endure change (which can be difficult sometimes) you’re not extinct!
These are great principles to follow in responding to change. Hopefully you’ve found change can be beneficial when necessary and your ministry has been able to adapt quickly. A good way to be prepared for change and to make sure that the changes you make fit your ministry best is to clearly define your mission statement, vision statement, and core values for your group. I talked about how to do that back in November. Having those things clearly laid out can also help you determine when it’s important to stay the same and not change.