Angela Pan often feels like she is managing employees from "Generation Why?"

Angela Pan, the general manager of Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel in Chaoyang district, understands that part of her job is to share ideas with others and let others share ideas among themselves. One ideal way of doing this is through a book club.

In today's competitive world, everyone feels that there is something missing. Pan has noticed that although our living standard is rising, people are more easily stressed out.

She has noticed that many youngsters born in the 1970s and 80s want to live passionately and relate to others in a positive way.

But they don't do anything about it. "Everyone is passive while waiting for others to change this situation," she said, referring to the younger generation. "But if you push them with preaching, youngsters will not take it."

"If you don't know how to live then you will surely not know how to work," she added, noting that this negative mood will affect their work and consequently ruin their sense of duty.

To help combat this at her hotel, Pan opened a reading salon, where hotel staff all read the same book, and share their thoughts on it.

Pan's selection of books is eclectic. One of the books is A Beautiful Rose by Lüqiu Luwei, a Chinese television journalist for Phoenix Television, who was the first female reporter to cover the 2001 Afghan war. "It's her devotion and obligation to work conveyed in the book that the staff can learn from," she said.

The book club is also about sharing ideas. "Our staff are always welcomed to make all kinds of inquires, and I will take them all seriously," she said.

Pan said that she often feels like she is managing employees from "Generation Why," in other words, a generation that always asks questions. "As a leader, you must know how to inspire your staff," she said.

Pan says that she has learned from the book club that the more communication between management and staff, the higher morale and performance.

She says the effect of the book club is noticeable at Pan's hotel. "Those who used to complain in public stopped doing it after they understood that it is not right," she said.

"By learning and sharing books, we hope that they could learn something that not only benefits their jobs, but also their lives," Pan said. She notes she wants the staff to be happy, because that will make them have better interactions with everyone in their lives, be they clients or colleagues.

Although Pan is very busy with work, she still manages to spare time for reading books and magazines. Pan says this is where she gets inspiration and new ideas for her work as a manager.

Projected on a wall facing the main gate of the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel are the words, "Live life to discover." This reflects the spirit of Pan and her reading group. To her, happiness comes from discovering yourself.