Andrew Chan

First of all, apologies for my long silence.  Balancing work, studies and a social life is proving a little more challenging then first thought.  So it’s ironic that I’m currently preparing a paper on Time Management for my MBA.  Hopefully I can apply theory into practice soon.

I was on the speaking circuit today and was privileged to have been invited by the SKAL Club of Bangkok to present on the ubiquitous topic of GenY.  Those that know my work will know that this is an area I have expertise in and frequently asked to demystify what seems like for some an unknown entity from outer space.

It’s been an interesting few months though as I haven’t presented on GenY since the economic downturn, and this really is Generation Y’s first global crisis and in some countries their first recession.  However, whilst times have certainly changed, research would indicate that the mindset and general attitude of GenY hasn’t drastically altered.  The essence of what makes GenY’s is still the same.

After hearing about strategies on managing and retaining GenY, I was asked by a Baby Boomer in my audience today, why should they change to conform to GenY employees.  Why would they want to change the way they run their business just to satisfy the whims of employees, shouldn’t it be the other way around?  It was a good question and one I often get, but are we really asking Baby Boomers to conform?  Or is it through knowledge and understanding of what makes individuals tick that we can compromise for the sake of a successful business?