What’s 70:20:10? It’s a relatively new learning model addressing how adults best adopt and learn things. Based largely on research carried out since the 1960s and later quantified by representatives from the Centre for Creative Leadership in 1996, it means:
• 70 percent of learning comes from direct experience and working out the “tougher jobs.”
• 20 percent comes from coaches, bosses or coworkers.
• 10 percent comes through reading and structured coursework.
While these ratios are not exact, there is substantial evidence that supports this distribution. In fact, many organizations are now stepping forward with demonstrative evidence showing their employees learn and apply creative solutions more quickly when they’ve employed this learning approach. This shift in learning could be just what your organization needs to grow its competitive advantage.
Accelerate the speed of learning
More than just a social learning model, 70:20:10 blends learning opportunities in a way that maximizes experiential aspects and expedites learning speed and quality. The blend allows for coaching and, of course, some reference materials are always needed. New learning approaches focus on getting learners out of the classroom and directly into the field or a hands-on learning environment.
In essence, it is taking traditional learning approaches and turning them upside down. Instead of significant time invested in classroom courses, this approach creates learning that is highly experiential. People learn best by experience and the more experience they have the higher the quality and quantity of knowledge and skills they can bring to their performance.
Improve performance throughout your organization
The 70:20:10 approach also aligns very well with a paramount corporate need — the need to learn at the speed of business. Better yet, it can be applied for leadership development, safety training or operations and maintenance training as well.
While traditional training calls for hours of classroom work and reading, this approach is considerably more streamlined for instant gratification. It provides experiences the learner can quickly integrate and refine. Learners are placed in settings that drive interactive experiences and actually promote the act of learning. Internships are used strategically throughout the process to provide greater capabilities.
As industry faces the aging work force crisis, many organizations are looking for ways to transfer learning as quickly as possible. In this model, technical and maintenance personnel are introduced to critical safety and knowledge elements in a classroom setting first, and then they’re rapidly moved to hands-on labs and exercises simulating a real-world environment and using industrial-sized equipment. This gives learners a safe environment in which to practice skills and processes, and tasks can be made more difficult and complex as the learning continues. Through the use of 70:20:10, learners are demonstrating higher application of skills immediately in the workplace, the transfer of critical skills and knowledge is more complete and they are moved from the classroom to the actual operating environment quicker.
Reduce your training costs
Applying this learning model can also significantly reduce your overall training costs over time. By restructuring how you train and focusing the training on more experiential aspects in the workplace, classroom and courseware costs can be reduced. Ultimately, this model accelerates your company’s operational performance.
By providing a learning culture embracing informal and social learning styles and shifting your organization’s training budget, you might be surprised with the speed of adoption and its significant, positive impact on your organization.
For more information, email erodgers@gpstrategies.com or call (800) 727-6677.
