Overview of 70/20/10 Training Theory: Still a Valuable Guide in the Internet Age

E-Learning

Overview of 70/20/10 Training Theory: Still a Valuable Guide in the Internet Age

70/20/10 Training Theory

Learning and development in the workforce has always been a challenge based on how much time it takes and the approach needed to help employees advance in their jobs. Your own company may have constant struggle with this since you may not have proper training resources available, or virtually any time to increase employee training.

No doubt you've had to relent and put in some downtime just to get training going for every department. However, this only leads to money losses, as well as productivity issues for your workers.

A lot of this isn't necessary using a better training method. The 70/20/10 theory began in the 1980s by Morgan McCall, Michael M. Lombardo, and Robert A. Eichinger for the Center for Creative Leadership. In their concept, they worked out a plan that lets employees be able to learn through a more convenient method not requiring extensive training time.

Much of it has to do with hands-on training, though not entirely. Still, it brought a better way to advance employee knowledge by learning while doing.

Here's an overview of 70/20/10 training theory and how you can apply it today.

What is the 70 in 70/20/10?

The 70% is hands-on training, which is an essential part of making the process work. By enabling this, you let employees discover where they need to improve in their skills and refine them in their own way.

You can call this self-education if you want, but it's a way for employees to essentially learn from their own mistakes. In other words, they're learning while they do their job and improving their procedures through real-time feedback given to them by superiors.

It's not the only part of the 70%, though. This gives the freedom to your employees to make their own decisions. Giving autonomy to them lets them figure out their own work processes to create a higher productivity level.

Most importantly, this lets your workers interact with their bosses and mentors within your work setting. Doing so lets them address challenges through a collaborative way so problems get solved faster.

What is the 20 in 70/20/10?

Despite the 70% being the bulk of the theory, the 20% comprises learning from others in the workplace. As an adjunct to solving challenges collaboratively, working with existing employees with expertise helps pass on knowledge more proactively.

You can do this through social learning, direct coaching, mentoring, or basic collaborative learning. All of this works well when employees get immediate feedback and encouragement.

In the age of enhanced digital communication, some of this training doesn't always need doing in person either. Managers in your company can train through video conferencing while still incorporating it as part of their jobs.

What is the 10 in 70/20/10?

The last 10% of this theory makes up formal education or typical training instruction. Those from academic backgrounds might find this surprising, yet this could vary and isn't necessarily uniform in every company.

You need to study which experiences contributed the most to learning and growth in your employees. It may involve having to experiment some to get an idea of what methods better educate through hands-on experience, or which ones need a classroom.

What About the Internet's Use in 70/20/10?

Some might suggest the 70/20/10 theory is a bit outdated since it had creation before the Internet age. It's true that training programs online are effective, though it doesn't take away from direct human interaction.

In this regard, you need to use the 70/20/10 rule as a basic outline and fill in based on your business structure. Even though we're in a digital age, real human relationships in teamwork are still essential to stay in the competitive game.