You can ignore e-learning...

...but it won't go away, says Ruth Spellman, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute.

Although there is little disagreement about the value of developing tomorrow’s business leaders, questions continue to be asked about the most effective method. Surprisingly, the debate still revolves around how best to use technology rather than accepting it as a tool, and focusing on the creation of relevant content.

The good news is that developing managers and leaders has never been more cost effective. Today so much information can be accessed by so many, yet with little effort. It begs the real question – why are organisations so reticent to take advantage of a development route that makes outreach so easy? Surely by ignoring e-learning they are missing a trick - one which our international neighbours are readily adopting.

It is no accident that the European Commission has made ‘achieving broadband for all’ a priority by 2010. The new generation of ‘wannabe’ managers and leaders – Generation Y – have grown up with internet access and e-learning being second nature. To deny them the opportunity to develop professional skills through the same route would be foolish. On one hand it would force organisations to take a step backwards and, on the other, it would ensure motivation reaches new depths at a time employees are looking to remain close to their comfort zone.

Put simply, ignoring the advantages of e-learning makes little commercial sense. Rather than pulling people away from their desks for lengthy periods of time, research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) shows that the value comes from individuals being able to ‘dip in and out as time allows’. Many people also argue that online resources provide a ‘constant reference point’ – they don’t need to wait to speak to a tutor if someone is available online.

Some senior executives are beginning to accept this, following in the footsteps of Generation Y. Statistics gathered by the CMI show a surge in the proportion using new media over the past 12 months as a route towards skills development. The evidence suggests that they are using videos to learn from others and many are also making use of discussion forums.

It seems that the urgent need to reduce costs has created this movement, but whatever the cause it is a shift that should be welcomed and encouraged. With the ever increasing blend of Baby Boomers and the Wii Generation sharing desk space, the notion that they are learning from each other and embracing each others’ approaches to development is a good thing.

The fact that individuals are becoming familiar with, and are using, technologies such as mobile video, TV on-demand or multi-player gaming suggests that the techno-phobia long associated with resistance to online tools is being eroded. There are still technical and cultural issues to overcome, but the biggest challenge for the HR community is whether it will seriously examine the powerful, cost-effective, tools at its disposal or let competitors build an advantage through a better trained workforce as comfortable in front of a PC as they are in front of a blackboard.

Ruth Spellman OBE is Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute.