Learning and Development Theory – The 70-20-10 Model

Back in the 1980’s the Center for Creative Leadership, based on research they were conducting at the time, developed a model for how people learn and integrate new information. At a basic level, the idea is pretty simple and makes logical sense.

70% of learning comes through on-the-job learning. This is the type of learning that comes from trial and error, from practice, and from day to day interactions at work.

20% of learning comes from coaching and mentoring – having someone help you interpret what you are seeing on the job and apply learning principles to those observations.

And the final 10% of learning comes from formal training. Whether it’s classroom training or eLearning, this is the formal theory that grounds the learning process.