The 70/20/10 model is a rough rule of thumb for the balance of types of learning. Whilst there’s not a lot of evidence to support it (especially the specific numbers), it’s certainly something that feels right to a lot of people.
In essence, it states that 10% of learning comes from formal training, 20% our relationships with others, and 70% from learning in practical contexts.
Anyone who’s ever learnt anything will feel this breakdown. Reading the instructions gets you going. Watching the Youtube video helps, but you only get proficient by doing the activity a number of times. Different activities will certainly have difference balances! It’s easier to master putting together flat pack furniture than complex woodworking, you need a lot more practical effort for the second.
Even if it’s not super well founded in evidence, it does have some useful points to take away.
The first is that this all needs to be deliberate effort. Just go through the motions doesn’t count. Doing a job for a long time won’t imply mastery, you need to be pushing yourself to learn.
The second is that all of the three types of learning are necessary. Sure, you might “just figure it out”, but without that formal foundation you’ll likely be going for a long time, and making some really basic mistakes you could have easily avoided.
This second point is a really key one. Sometimes people who’ve just heard the breakdown will say the 10% bit isn’t important, it’s the smallest part. Smart people know it’s foundational, and won’t try to skip it. Don’t get fobbed off with the “learn by doing” approach, you need that initial learning and then peer support before diving into the doing to be truly effective.
Again, this model isn’t super well supported with evidence, but it’s easy to remember so it’s got a lot of traction. Take what’s valuable from it, and make sure you blend all the types of learning to accelerate your growth.
James Osborn 