Asynchronous Business

In HBR IdeaCast 79, they’re discussing managing generation Y workforce. One of the interesting points brought up is that Gen Y grew up and will continue to live in an asynchronous world. Many of these individuals may watch the same TV show, but with DVRs they won’t be doing it at the same time. Many of this group are communicating online but they do so when it works best for them, responding to posts when they have time.

This is all in stark contrast to the traditional working environment where everyone is required to gather at the same time for meetings. As Gen Y continues to enter the work force expect to see changes in how organizations operate. Information and decisions will be made via quicker burst of asynchronous information.

What does this mean outside the office? Where will we see this asynchronous lifestyle appear next. It’s clear that the entertainment industry has been affected as more people move away from traditional TV, Radio and movie theaters for more convenient methods such as Tivo, Podcasts, and on-demand movie rentals.

How can we move traditional business models to take advantage of this asynchronous lifestyle.