Think About It

Several years ago there was a push to develop mentorship programs. Some of these programs involved working with teenagers or other young people, but there was another movement in the business and community world. As I look back on these opportunities I recall them being designed to help younger people learn and develop their skills by spending time with people who have “been there, done that”. Now that I am getting a little older (and slower) I am starting to realize the value of mentorships – not just in developing younger people, but in replacing older people. Sociologists have warned that we are moving into an era where there would be less volunteerism and fewer people who would take on the social responsibilities that communities were relying on. In many ways, I believe we have arrived at that crossroads and one of the challenges many of us face is that we would like to step away from what we feel is important, but we are having trouble finding someone to hand our programs to.