70:20:10 Guide: Provide Structure to the 70%

• 3 min read

What is the 70 20 10 model ? Most L&D professionals will describe this model or framework as:

  • 70% of Learning is Experiential Learning: people learn and develop on the job through day to day tasks, challenges and practice
  • 20% of Learning is Social Learning: people learn and develop through coaching, mentoring and interaction with peers
  • 10% of Learning is Formal Learning: people learn and develop through structured events, which includes on-line courses and programs
This is a learning mix. In a recent Performance Support social networking chat session, Charles Jennings, generally considered one of the 70:20:10 thought leaders, explains 70:20:10 is a framework. It “forces us into a mindset of extending learning solutions beyond classes and courses and out into the workflow. It creates great opportunities to leverage work for learning and to bring learning closer to work. As the workflow is where the majority of learning happens, re-focusing there is not only a sensible approach, but it’s an effective one as well.” He goes on to explain:

“Adults in work learn….

  • Through the opportunity to practice (and then practice again…)
  • Through establishing and exploiting networks and rich conversations
  • Through regular reflective practice, alone or with others

The “70” links to experience and practice. The 20 links to networks and conversations. Reflection links across all activities, whether it’s reflecting on the success or failure of a new challenge, reflecting on improvement following practice, reflection with other, with our boss, with our colleagues or our partners or reflection carried out in the bath or on the way home from work.”

This is intuitive. We grew up with parents, teachers, and coaches saying “practice your spelling words, practice taking the shot, practice playing the piano” and so on. The same applies to work. When you think about your expertise – how much of all the things that you know how to do in order to do your job did you learn in a formal setting such as an instructor led workshop or an online learning module? Most of us will answer this question and say “not much” or “very little” or for some “I did not receive any training. I had to learn everything on my own”.

Bottom line: formal training and development only plays a small part in the overall development of employees with experience and on the job development providing the majority of development.

The research shows that by helping employees and leaders develop on the job leverages the natural way people develop. What are the benefits of doing this? According to the 70:20:10 Forum, “Organizations have reported up to a 75% reduction in training spend through introduction of the 70:20:10 framework.”  People develop on the job and organizations see significant results when they help them develop on the job.

So the question is how “How can we influence the informal learning that is already taking place?” How can we leverage and harness the obvious power of informal learning?” Paul Mathews in a blog post titled “So you think you know 70:20:10?” offers the following thought provoking question “How can you generate experience for people more quickly than simply waiting for the universe to haphazardly provide the right situations that help them learn what they need to know? Start thinking about delivering experiences and delivering social interactions rather than just thinking about delivering content.” David V. Day goes on to say in his article “The Difficulties of Learning From Experience and the Need for Deliberate Practice” that a “potential risk to relying on experience as a primary means of …development is that any learning from experience in the context of ongoing work would likely be happenstance and ad hoc at best.”

One of the biggest challenges of using the 70:20:10 framework is how to do it. Read Vado’s latest paper entitled: 70:20:10 Guide: providing structure to the 70%

Cindy Pascale
Cindy Pascale is the CEO and co-founder of Vado and has 16+ years of HR, Training & Development and OD leadership experience and 12 years running talent management, development and assessment companies.  Vado is the e-learning courseware provider “changing the face of learning.”

www.vadoinc.net