This week, we report on an article in CIO.com about the increasing needs of Gen Y, the young workers in your office who will be taking over one day, and sooner than you think.

While the older and wiser "gray beards" in the office may view them skeptically, they have plenty of new ideas and many of them are really good ones. It is important to listen to what they suggest and what they see as essential. That, of course, means getting used to and adapting to new ideas, such Web 2.0 and social networking devices that can actually help your workplace run smoother.

But it also raises the question of whether the young sheep should be leading the experienced IT professionals, and how far an experienced IT leader should go in catering to the desires of the younger generation. Yes, the new arrivals have some good ideas, but they must be carefully evaluated by the people who have experienced great success and plenty of failures. Along with these new ideas comes extra work and costs.

Still, just take a look at some of the successes of the young and their bright ideas. One of them is Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who is now 35 and worth $18.5 billion. Then there is Bill Gates who started his own trek toward success when he was just 17. There are plenty of others, too. So remember that plenty of great ideas can come from the young among us.

Ron Alsop, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and author of "The Trophy Kids Grow Up," said that many recent entrants into the workforce face a culture shock from Day One because of what they see as outmoded operations. Alsop's book, due out next month, looks at how the next generation is already shaking up the workplace, according to CIO.com.

IT executives must be ready for change, listen to new ideas, and then find a balance between the newbees and the experienced hands. - Judi