SCIENCE OF LEARNING

THE

90% SOLUTION
BY ELAINE BIECH

A
s todays talent development professional, you have multiple options for deliver-
ing learning to employees. The 70-20-10 model (70 percent hands-on experience;
20 percent developmental interactions; 10 percent formal learning) continues to
serve as a valuable guideline for using a wide variety of developmental options.
Trainers are experts in the 10 percent domaindelivering training or programs
but whats our role beyond instructor-led training? How do you deliver personalized
developmental experiences? Can you support social learning? How can you ensure
employees are immersed in experiential learning? What is your role in influencing in-
teraction between employees and supervisors? Can you stimulate informal learning?

The science and the story behind 70-20-10

The 70-20-10 model for learning and development is based on research conducted
at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in North Carolina beginning in the 1980s.
The team leading the research included Morgan McCall Jr., Michael Lombardo, and
Ann Morrison. Their research was reported in 1988. Lombardo and Robert Eich-
inger adapted the results of the research leading to the current familiar 70-20-10
framework. Today, 70-20-10 often is used as a talent development strategy aimed at
improving workplace performance.

58 TD | December 2016 PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

 podcast

20%
70%

10%

Become more adept at

supporting and enhancing the
90 percent of learning that
occurs beyond the classroom.

December 2016 | TD 59
 Beyond the work at CCL, what other evidence Siemens Power Transmission and Dis-
exists to support the 70-20-10 framework? tribution, Reflexite North America, Data
Empirical studies and surveys on the topic first Instruments, Merry Mechanization, Ford
started in the late 1960s and demonstrated Electronics, and Motorola participated in
that employees acquire most of their knowl- the study. An objective of the study was
edge and skills in the workplace and through to quantify formal trainings contribution
others. Not all present an exact 70-20-10 split, to overall job knowledge: 70% of what
but they consistently show a similar break- people know about their jobs, they learn
down. Here are a few examples: informally from the people they work
In researching adult learning and per- with.
sonal change in the 1970s, Professor Research by CapitalWorks, a human capi-
Allen Tough reported that about 70% of tal management service in Williamstown,
all learning projects are planned by the Massachusetts, found that not only do
learner himself. Although Tough didnt employee learning programs based on in-
refer to a 70-20-10 split immediately, he formal methods and self-study increase
later stated that is what he found. employee knowledge and productivity far
Mark Loewenstein and James Spletzer more than more formalized methods, they
published a 1998 study conducted by the also cost less. According to the study, em-
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that ref- ployees learned about 75 percent of their
erences research from 1993 and 1994. It skills on the job informally, through dis-
states that people learn about 70 percent cussions with co-workers, asynchronous
of their jobs informally, although they e-learning, and mentoring by managers.
found significant variation between both The other 25 percent was gained from for-
formal learning (13-46 percent) and infor- mal training methods such as workshops,
mal learning (9-96 percent). seminars, and synchronous classes.
The Education Development Center of Most recently, Development Dimensions
Newton, Massachusetts, summarized International and the Corporate Board
findings from a two-year study of corpo- asked global leaders, What percent of your
rate cultures. The study was funded by time is spent in each of the three learning
the U.S. Department of Labor, state gov- domains? A total of 13,124 responded. The
ernments, and the Pew Charitable Trusts. results? Fifty-two percent learning on the
Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, job; 27 percent learning from others; and 21
percent formal learning.

The rest of the story

The 70-20-10 Categories Can Go By Different Names You have probably seen the 70-20-10 frame-
work written as 70/20/10, 70:20:10, or even
70% 20% 10%. Youve also seen the categories
70% 20% 10% called different names, such as those in the
adjacent table. Whatever your organization
Experience Exposure Education decides to call it is fine, as long as it works for
Workflow Social Formal you and that you understand that these are
guidelines. As you work with the framework,
Informal Self-directed Instruction
you will see that there is some crossover be-
Practice People Programs tween categories too.
On-the-job Learning from New formal But the real beauty is that no matter how
the numbers are presented or what the cat-
assignments others content
egories are called, most people in the talent
development profession recognize it as repre-

60 TD | December 2016
senting how we develop. The simplicity helps seeking advice, opinions, work debriefs
professionals and senior leaders quickly grasp curating/sharing work developments
the approach and benefits. building internal/external networks
initiating 360 feedback processes
70-20-10 learning activities participating in research projects
So what activities might you expect to find training/teaching others.
within each of the three categories? As I men- On-the-job assignments70 percent. The ex-
tioned, you will find some crossover between periential aspect may make this one of the most
categories. For example, a research project could beneficial categories for employees because it
be a job assignment or learning from others. enables them to discover, make decisions, and
Formal content activities10 percent. The low
percentage may surprise you if you are reading
about this framework for the first time. Sup-
porters contend, however, that it is a critical Use 70-20-10 as a Guideline
element in development to ensure new concepts
and innovative ideas are presented. The first Michael Lombardo, one of the Center for Creative Leadership research-
activities that might come to mind are proba- ers behind the 70-20-10 model, shared with me that the original re-
bly instructor-led courses, either in person or search that led to the model was conducted with successful leaders. It
online virtually. The category also includes: was not originally meant to be called a model, formula, or a rule. It was
courses, seminars, workshops meant as a rough guide to get everyone to think about how people devel-
e-learning, virtual modules op. It is intended to provide a framework.
blended learning of classroom and He said that the numbers project a solution that isnt as simplistic as it
e-learning appears. For example, the pure 70-20-10 doesnt project the three essen-
certification or certificates tial ingredients for learning:
professional accreditation Employees need challenging tasks. Development is a demand pull: I
college or university classes want to grow because ___. Development occurs when the need and
MOOCs, CMOOCs, and SPOCs the solution meet.
reading books, articles, and whitepapers. To learn, employees need to be assisted by others. Simply being ex-
Learning from others (social)20 percent. The posed to new information is meaningless. Learning occurs when
social element echoes the importance of receiv- employees receive feedback and are helped by othersthe social
ing encouragement and feedback. The true value element of learning.
is that conversations stimulate learning. Others Employees need fresh content, and that is where courses come into
can be mentors, coaches, role models, capable the equation.
supervisors, or even incompetent bosses. 70-20-10 is a holistic approach and is powerful when everything is
Receiving feedback is an important aspect working together. It is more relevant today than ever before.
of this development category because it can Follow-up studies have been conducted that replicate these or very
prevent us from thinking that we are doing the similar results. The right balance will be dierent for each situation and
best possible. Without feedback, we tend to each organizationeven for dierent parts of the same organization.
settle into a complacent attitude that prevents People sometimes get distracted. Practitioners who argue that the
us from becoming better and even sinking percentages should be dierent60-30-10, for exampleare missing
back to bad habit. No matter from whom we the point. It is meant to be a guideline, not a recipe.
are learning, good examples or bad, we are It is disappointing to see the guide used for the wrong reasons too;
learning from others every day by: for example, to attack formal courses. I sometimes hear people at-
accepting mentoring and coaching tempt to justify spending a smaller budget on courses because it is the
relationships smallest percentage. Although only 10 percent or so, formal learning is
encouraging peer feedback critical for gaining new information and skills.
engaging as a mentor or reverse mentor The best learning strategy is one that draws upon elements of all
joining online professional communities or three categories.
reading blogs

December 2016 | TD 61
 address challenges to ultimately refine their job- networking, and supervisory support.
related skills. The 70 percent, or on-the-job assignments,
Matching the most appropriate challeng- includes new initiatives, increased responsi-
ing experience to the developmental need of bilities, and learning from mistakes. However,
the employee is powerful. When you think there are many crossover learning opportuni-
back to your career, certain events, tasks, ties. For example, blogging or using Twitter
or assignments most likely stand out as key could be considered social learning, but it also
developmental turning points. These devel- can be paired with formal learning events. On-
opmental opportunities help you decide what demand learning such as webinars, videos, or
aspect of the work you like and dont like and job aids are other examples of how the three
gain competencies in the process. categories can work together. A webinar, for
This list encompasses just a few opportuni- example, might be considered formal learn-
ties that are not only developmental but also ing until your supervisor discusses it with you
afford an employee to gain knowledge and (social) and suggests that you implement what
skills, ultimately improving performance: you learned on your new project (on-the-job
solve problems (for example, lead a proj- assignment). This is blended learning that can
ect, become an action team member) (and should) occur naturally.
handle a crisis In addition, all of these need to be experien-
participate in cross-functional activities tial in nature. The 70 percent category should
accept rotational assignments not be renamed experiential. All learning
lead community or volunteer activities should be experiential. Imagine a transparent
expand the scope (take on new responsi- coating over the framework that represents
bility, an acting role) experiential. How do you ensure your learn-
accept stretch assignments ers get these experiential opportunities? What
manage change can you do to ensure learning is experiential?
champion a new product or service What follows are a few ideas linked to each of
apply newly learned concepts the categories.
derail-proof employees Formal:
increase senior management interaction Use an experiential learning activity model
increase the span of control. in which you follow activities with a de-
Finally, remember that the true value of this brief that includes: What? So what? Now
model is using all three as a holistic approach what?
to developing employees. Ensure that you allow time for practice,
reflection, observation, and conversation
Put learning where the work is to experience what they are learning.
No matter what numbers the model uses, you Build future relationships by encouraging
can envision that your job is to put the learn- learners to trade business cards and email
ing where the work is. Imagine that work addresses.
and learning circle around the model, ensur- Design realistic role plays.
ing that the right developmental activities are Demonstrate feedback.
available at the right time. Learning from others:
I like to think of 70-20-10 as the first Organize accountability relationships that
blended learning design. The 10 percent, or extend beyond the classroom or virtual
formal learning, includes classroom skill- learning experience.
building courses, simulations, instructor-led Encourage and establish mentors and
virtual classes, and reading. The 20 percent, coaches for learners.
or social learning, focuses on learning from Use apps and mobile learning; for exam-
others and includes how you can use communi- ple, could you text a challenge to a group
ties of practice, coaching and mentoring, peer of learners?

62 TD | December 2016
 Connect learners through social media I LIKE TO THINK OF 70-20-10 AS THE FIRST
using discussion boards, incorporating
BLENDED LEARNING DESIGN.
Twitter feeds, and allowing learners to
share content on Facebook.
Enable watercooler learning by emailing a
question of the day to an employee group.
On-the-job assignments:
Work with managers to find challenging
opportunities for employees.
Encourage learners to seek out rotations,
acting, and stretch assignments.
Seek community and volunteer options.
Communicate team prospects for those
needing this experience.
Help managers learn to ask the right ques-
tions, such as: Whats on your mind? What
are your thoughts about XYZ? What would
you do differently next time? What can
you implement based on this experience?
What do you still need to learn/do/know?
Organizational implementation of the
70-20-10 framework requires learning and
development to team up with managers to im- most critical skills for leaders include coach-
prove learning across the organization. There ing and developing others and identifying and
are two concerns here that only you and your developing future talent. This illustrates the
organization can answer. important role managers have in developing
First, do your managers appreciate the im- employees. Put on your creative hat and paint
portance of their role in developing their a picture of how you could help.
people? The framework requires that manag-
ers are coaches and recognize that they are Know the science, apply the art
primarily responsible for their employees 70-20-10 can be used to assess how employ-
performance. It means that they foster an envi- ees learn and develop in your organization. It
ronment in which people can talk to them and is not prescriptive, but a guide for what seems
to each other, share knowledge, and grow. The to work in most organizations under most cir-
Brandon Hall Group found that exposure to cumstances. It is not meant to be one more
managers was the second-most used develop- thing for you to do. It is not meant to be a dis-
ment activity. Unfortunately, its effectiveness tractor or antitraining. And finally, it is not a
was rated at 50 percent. You cant just toss the perfect ratio. It can help you redefine your
development task over the transom and expect accountability and relevancy. 70-20-10 is the
supervisors and managers to know what to do. reality that we all need to promote and en-
It is your role as a trainer to help them under- courage as our key responsibility.
stand how to develop people.
Second, does your learning and develop- Elaine Biech is president of Ebb Associates, a strategic
ment department understand what it needs implementation, leadership development, and experiential
to do to support supervisors and managers? learning consulting firm. She has been in the field more
Perhaps your learning and development de- than 30 years, helping organizations work through large-
partment has a developmental opportunity. scale change; [email protected].
Jon Wolper reported in the May 2016 issue of This article is excerpted from chapter 4 of The Art and Science of
TD that DDI research shows that [two of] the Training (ATD Press).

December 2016 | TD 63
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