NEW PERSPECTIVES ON 70:20:10

NEW PERSPECTIVES ON 70:20:10

A GoodPractice Research Paper

By Stef Scott, Content and Lead Research Editor and Owen Ferguson, Product Development Director

FOREWORD

GoodPractice have consistently focused on improving the performance of leaders and managers by providing on-demand learning resources in the workplace. When we launched the company in 2000, there was no language to describe what we did or why it might be effective.

Working with clients, we found it was extremely effective. Slowly, terminology and models have emerged to support and explain the practice. First was `informal learning', then `performance support' and, most recently, the `70:20:10 framework'.

Through our work with many L&D teams, we've seen the increased adoption of the 70:20:10 framework to support workplace learning. Although it has become an oft-quoted mantra that has captured the attention of the L&D community, it is perhaps not always fully understood.

So while interest in 70:20:10 is growing, a solid agreement on how the framework can best be used appears to be lacking. We have also found that, frequently, L&D faces something of a challenge when it comes to applying the underlying principles of 70:20:10 to an organisation's strategy for workplace learning.

This excellent report by Stef and Owen aims to address and clarify some of these issues and, most importantly, provide practical guidance on how to apply the ideas successfully.

As the report makes clear, the 70:20:10 framework is, at its heart, about a learning mindset and it provides a wonderful catalyst for reviewing and changing an organisation's learning provision. As our summary concludes: `These are exciting times to be involved in L&D, as the opportunity to empower people to take control of their learning has never been greater.'

Peter Casebow GoodPractice CEO November 2014

Acknowledgements

GoodPractice would like to extend thanks to all of the L&D experts who contributed to this research report. In particular we would like to thank Charles Jennings for providing advice and guidance during the early stages of the project. We would also like to thank Nigel Paine, Clive Shepherd, Jane Hart and Harold Jarche for their participation in the research interviews.

Contents

1.

Introduction p1

1.1

About the report p1

1.2

What is 70:20:10?

p1

1.3

Origins of 70:20:10 and rise to prominence

p2

1.4

Building on 70:20:10

p3

2.

70:20:10 today p5

2.1

Why learning leaders are interested in 70:20:10 p5

2.2

Benefits of 70:20:10 p6

2.3

Criticisms of 70:20:10 p7

2.3.1 Using the numbers as a prescription p8

2.3.2 Lack of empirical evidence p9

2.3.3 Dangers of extrapolation p10

2.4

The future of 70:20:10 p11

3.

Practical tips for using 70:20:10p13

3.1

Using 70:20:10 p13

3.1.1 Changing mindsets about learning p13

3.1.2 Opening up lines of communication p14

3.1.3 Developing communities of practicep15

3.1.4 Providing high quality on-demand resources p15

3.2

Five key questions for your organisation p16

3.2.1 How is learning viewed currently in your organisation?

p16

3.2.2 Will the organisation's most senior people get behind 70:20:10? p17

3.2.3 Does L&D have the skills to promote all aspects of 70:20:10? p17

3.2.4 Is 70:20:10 the right mix for your organisation?

p18

3.2.5 How can managers best support learning? p18

4.

Summaryp19

5.

References p20

6.

Appendices p21

6.1

Overview of the research methodology p21

6.2

About GoodPracticep21

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 About the report

This report begins with an introduction to the 70:20:10 framework for learning and development. We review the research and literature that has emerged to date on 70:20:10, charting the early development of the framework and its recent rise to prominence across the L&D landscape.

The second section looks at the use of 70:20:10 in organisations today, and presents the views and thoughts of some leading L&D thinkers and practitioners. We give a range of perspectives on 70:20:10 and cover its major criticisms.

In the third and final section, we offer some practical suggestions for how L&D practitioners can bring the underlying principles of 70:20:10 to life in their organisation. We look at how 70:20:10 can best support an overarching strategy for learning, and boost informal learning and social learning activities in a positive way.

An overview of the research methodology can be found in Appendix 1.

1.2 What is 70:20:10?

70:20:10 is a learning and development framework which sets out a rationale for how employees learn. It states that:

n 70% of our learning comes from challenging assignments and on-the- job experiences

n 20% of our learning is developed from our relationships with other people, our networks and the feedback we receive

n 10% of our learning is derived from formal training, such as courses and workshops

At its heart, 70:20:10 highlights that people get the majority of the skills and knowledge they need to do their job from on-the-job learning experiences, rather than from classroom or course-based learning. There are many different interpretations of what 70:20:10 is, including the terms `model', `framework', `ratio', `method' and `rule'. For the purpose of this report, we refer to it as the 70:20:10 framework throughout.

It can be illustrated as follows:

70:20:10 Framework

High

Realised value

10

Formal Learning

20

Social Learning

Low

Point Solutions learning separate from work

Charles Jennings, 2014

70

Experiential Learning

Continuous development learning integrated with work

1

1.3 Origins of 70:20:10 and rise to prominence

A review of the literature shows that the origins of what is now known as the 70:20:10 framework can be traced to a number of sources. An early reference was made by Professor Allen Tough in his 1968 study Why Adults Learn. 1 He found that most adult learning is self-directed. Although he didn't refer directly to 70:20:10, Tough's later work in the 1980s began to bring the idea together more coherently. It identified that around "70% of all learning projects are planned by the learner himself."2

Important parallels can be drawn with Jay Cross's widely-referenced 80:20 model of learning. This states that, on average, around 80% of work-related learning in an organisation is informal, and around 20% is formal.3 Cross outlines a plethora of research which appears to confirm these broad ratios. He attributes the original source of the 80% informal learning figure to Peter Henschel at the Institute for Research on Learning.

As Cross explains, Henschel's work found that "80% or more of corporate learning is found to be informal."4 An international expert on informal learning, Cross has since led the way in questioning the strong emphasis that organisations have traditionally placed upon formal learning. He has also called for a realignment of L&D thinking in order to support informal learning activity.

The bulk of the credit for developing 70:20:10 as a formal framework is attributable to the authors Morgan McCall, Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger at the Center for Creative Leadership in North Carolina. Based on the results of research they conducted with senior business executives about the factors they felt made them successful, their 1996 publication, The Career Architect Development Planner, set out the ways in which people learn, using the 70:20:10 format for the first time.5

They found that over the course of their careers, the most successful executives had gained their most valuable learning in the following ways:

n 70% from tough jobs and assignments n 20% from other people (mainly their manager) n 10% from going on courses and reading

1 Tough, A. Why Adults Learn: A Study of the Major Reasons for Beginning and Continuing a Learning Project (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, 1968). 2 Tough, A. The Adult's Learning Projects: A Fresh Approach to Theory and Practice in Adult Learning (Toronto Institute for Studies in Education, 1971). 3 Cross, J. (2006) Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance (John Wiley & Sons, 2006). 4 Jay Cross and The Internet Time Group, "Where did the 80% come from?" Available at: (accessed 25 October 2014). 5 Eichinger, R. Lombardo, M. The Career Architect Development Planner (Lominger Ltd, 1996).

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