As cliché as it is to say, the only truly constant that we face in life is change. People, places and organizations are constantly in flux, shifting gears or changing composition because of consequences expected and sudden.

That change, no matter how simple or severe, forces us to adapt. Finding ourselves in a new situation, we must either adjust to it or get out of the way.

Luckily for us humans, adaptation is hardwired into our evolutionary DNA, allowing us to assess a change, take note of what needs to be done and make the proper adjustments appropriately. It can happen to each of us on a daily basis as adaptation can be as benign as choosing a heavier coat to combat the unexpected wind chill or as gargantuan as evaluating what can be done after one’s belongings and home are lost to a fire.

Adaptation is key to survival, and the expediency of that adaptation is key to productivity. In the fast world we all live in adaptation moves from the individual to the group, taking folks with working together to adapt an entire organization to some kind of change.

Recently, this has been the case with several area organizations.

Both the Chambers County Board of Education and the Valley City Council lost members to a technicality and an appointment, respectively, leaving these two groups in need of filling big shoes. Chris Busby and Paul Story were both valued pieces of their respective organizations, and their departure has left a hole that existing members need to fill.

The good news here is that these groups are more than capable of expedient adaptability. Realizing that moves had to be made quickly in replacing the seats these two men left behind, the school board and city council almost immediately announced they were looking for replacements and are hiring soon.

For other organizations in the area that have similar issues with spots to fill, here’s to making the right decision in a timely fashion. The LaFayette City Council is in the midst of an election for its open spot, and the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce is taking its time in picking the right person as its new leader. While their decisions aren’t as expedient as the other groups, their diligence in deciding who’s best plays an equally important role in their ability to adapt.