Does training equal development? Yes, 10%! Where is the rest coming from?

Having worked with and in different organizations I witnessed that there was a conviction that development just meant classroom training, during which employees were told what and how needed to be done.

To enable a change in thinking the 70:20:10 model was put together and has been used for many years by other organizations.

Today, unfortunately, many still consider that classroom training is the primary vehicle for professional development.

What is the 70:20:10 model about?

- 70% of development happens on the job, learning from experience;

- 20% comes from learning from and with others, e.g. coach, mentor, role models

- 10% is the level of impact of "structured learning", such as classroom training

How do we at Inspiring Culture use this model in our interventions?

Let us share a real case, which was about creating a manager-coach culture at a multinational company. Rather than jumping in and provide "standard" line management training right away, we began with a "focus group"-type of approach with line managers, aimed at gathering feedback, assessing the current state of play and generating a readiness to engage and improve. Here is how our intervention went, sequentially:

1) We kicked off with roundtables comprised of participants from different functions, and part and HR to assess the current and desired states.

2) Based on that input we ran the "'10%", i.e. ran workshops for line managers and future in-house coaches on how to be an effective manager-coach and how to give feedback constructively.

3) We followed on with the "20%": 1-to-1 live practice coaching sessions with the participants, involving a line manager, a would-be in-house coach and an external professional coach.

4) We added the "70%": deliberate practice for line managers using their newly acquired tools and skills in the daily or weekly on-the-job performance review and coaching of their reports.

Of course, as "repetition is the mother of skill" we'll do 3) again in a few months. And monitor how 4), the on-going implementation is taking place and how the leadership actually shifts.

This is how we believe the 70:20:10 model can be applied, when you care about lasting change and sustainable results, creating an inspiring leadership culture by installing new effective behaviors.

What are your thoughts? We look forward to a fruitful exchange. Click here.