A Lesson from Mayor Joe and CCU40

Today’s change management blog was ready, but my friend Sally’s suggestion affirmed a last minute idea and inspired a related, but alternate approach.

Today was Corpus Christi Under 40’s (CCU40) annual breakfast with Mayor Joe Adame. 

(CCU40 recognizes high achieving young professionals and volunteers in our community. Check out www.ccu40.org and mark your calendar to submit an application next year!)

The ceremony was great.  Speeches were short, but Mayor Joe’s words resonated with many.  He spoke of the importance of mentoring our young professionals and empowering them to become our next generation of leaders.

I say this topic is related to change management, because it is not uncommon to find organizations where established professionals protect their knowledge, fearing that young people could be better or eventually replace them.  This fear of change inhibits possibilities for the future and is a losing strategy.

Mayor Adame and supporters of CCU40 see that our young people are already accomplishing so much.  They should be recognized, but also, developed further.

We need to mentor young professionals so our community improves, life goals are realized, and everyone’s quality of life is better.  But think about your family, place of work, and the organizations you care about.  Are mentoring and development actually happening?  Both are critical to ensuring continued progress and improvement.

Congratulations  2011 CCU40 recipients, and Person of the Year Vijay Bindingnavele!  And thank you to the mentors and role models who helped them accomplish such great things.