Put simply, this new generation of workers need to follow in the footsteps of baby boomers and take a greater interest in management.

This was the view of participants in a discussion panel hosted by the Asia Pacific director of the CIO Executive Council, Sue Bartlett, in Sydney last week.

The panel, which discussed IT mentoring and ways to retain staff while remaining aware of business priorities, was part of CIO Dialogues 2006, a conference staged by Computerworld's sister publication CIO magazine.

Queensland Transport CIO Paul Summergreene said team communication is critical, but admitted it's hard to juggle the diary to enable open access at any time.

"People want answers and then they become more involved in IT and the business because they feel ownership," he said.