70-20-10 Learning Framework
70-20-10 Learning Framework
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Model Foundation & Organizational Alignment
Introduce the model developed by Morgan McCall, Robert Eichinger, and Michael Lombardo at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). The framework proposes that roughly 70 per cent of learning comes from on-the-job experiences, 20 per cent from social interactions (coaching, mentoring, peer learning), and 10 per cent from formal training. Emphasise that the ratios are directional, not prescriptive.
Audit the existing L&D portfolio to determine how investment, time, and content are currently distributed across experiential, social, and formal learning. Most organizations over-invest in formal training (classroom and e-learning) and under-invest in structured on-the-job and social learning, creating a significant rebalancing opportunity.
Map the organization's strategic priorities and critical capability needs to determine where experiential, social, and formal learning can each make the greatest contribution. For example, leadership development may lean heavily on the 70 (stretch assignments) and 20 (executive coaching), while compliance training is predominantly the 10 (formal courses).
Present the business case for shifting from a training-centric to a learning-centric culture, using evidence from CCL research showing that experiential learning produces more durable skill development than classroom training alone. Leaders must model continuous learning behaviors and allocate time and resources for on-the-job development.
Establish measurement criteria for experiential learning (project outcomes, stretch assignment completion, skill application rates), social learning (mentoring relationship quality, peer feedback scores, community of practice participation), and formal learning (completion rates, assessment scores, learner satisfaction). Balanced measurement prevents over-reliance on easily measured formal training metrics.
The 70% — Experiential & On-the-Job Learning
Create a structured inventory of on-the-job learning opportunities such as cross-functional projects, acting-up roles, job rotations, client-facing assignments, turnaround projects, and international secondments. Map each experience to the specific capabilities it develops, referencing the CCL research on 'hardship' and 'challenge' experiences that accelerate leader growth.
Require every individual development plan (IDP) to include at least one experiential learning goal alongside formal training. Managers should discuss stretch assignment opportunities in career conversations and actively broker developmental experiences for their team members.
Deploy action learning methodology where small groups of employees work on live organizational problems, learning through the process of diagnosis, experimentation, and solution implementation. Action learning, developed by Reg Revans, combines experiential and social learning and delivers both skill development and tangible business outcomes.
Experience alone does not guarantee learning — reflection is the mechanism that converts experience into insight. Implement structured reflection tools such as after-action reviews, learning journals, and debriefing sessions with managers to ensure employees consciously process and internalise lessons from their on-the-job experiences.
Train managers to identify developmental moments in everyday work, delegate challenging tasks with appropriate support, and provide real-time coaching and feedback. The manager's role shifts from assigning tasks to designing learning experiences, making them the organization's most critical learning facilitators.
The 20% — Social & Collaborative Learning
Design a mentoring program that matches mentors and mentees based on development goals, provides training for both parties, sets a minimum meeting cadence (monthly is standard), and includes a defined program duration (typically 9–12 months). Research by Gartner shows that employees who have mentors are promoted five times more often than those without.
Create cross-functional learning communities where practitioners in the same discipline (e.g. data science, project management, people leadership) share knowledge, discuss challenges, and collaborate on standards. Communities of practice, as defined by Etienne Wenger, are powerful vehicles for tacit knowledge transfer that cannot be achieved through formal training.
Establish small peer learning groups (four to six people) that meet regularly to discuss shared learning goals, practise skills together, and provide mutual feedback and accountability. Peer coaching leverages the 20 per cent social learning component and builds horizontal relationships across the organization.
Deploy social learning features within the LMS or use platforms such as Degreed, Microsoft Viva Learning, or Slack channels dedicated to knowledge sharing. Enable employees to curate and share resources, post questions, and recognise peer contributions to create a continuous social learning ecosystem.
Provide internal or external coaching for managers and senior leaders, and train managers in coaching skills (using models such as GROW by John Whitmore) to embed coaching conversations into the daily management practice. Coaching is the highest-impact form of social learning and directly improves both the coach's and coachee's capability.
The 10% — Formal Learning & Training
Design the formal learning portfolio to address the capabilities that genuinely require structured instruction — such as technical skills, compliance, onboarding, and new methodology adoption. Avoid using formal training as the default solution for every development need; reserve it for areas where foundational knowledge must be established before experiential learning can be effective.
Design formal learning experiences that combine pre-work (reading, videos, self-assessment), facilitated sessions (workshops, virtual instructor-led training), and post-program application activities (action plans, peer discussions, manager check-ins). The 70-20-10 model should be applied within formal programs themselves, not just across the broader learning strategy.
Create short, focused learning modules (three to seven minutes) that employees can access at the point of need. Microlearning supports the experiential and social components by providing quick reference materials, job aids, and performance support tools that reinforce learning during the flow of work.
Evaluate formal training programs at all four levels: Reaction (learner satisfaction), Learning (knowledge or skill acquisition), Behavior (on-the-job application), and Results (business impact). Most organizations only measure Levels 1 and 2; extending measurement to Levels 3 and 4 demonstrates true learning ROI and justifies continued investment.
Review completion rates, learner ratings, and content relevance quarterly to retire outdated materials, update existing courses, and commission new content for emerging skill needs. A stale learning library undermines credibility and reduces engagement with the formal learning component.
Integration & Continuous Improvement
Encourage senior leaders to share their own learning experiences publicly — discussing what they learned from a failed project (70), who mentored them through a transition (20), and what formal program shaped their thinking (10). When leaders normalise continuous learning across all three components, it gives employees permission to do the same.
Update the performance review and development planning templates to explicitly prompt managers and employees to identify learning goals across all three components. This structural integration ensures the model moves from an L&D concept to an embedded organizational practice.
Develop a learning analytics dashboard that captures metrics from all three domains — not just LMS completion data for the 10 per cent. Track mentoring relationships, community of practice participation, stretch assignment uptake, and coaching hours to provide a complete view of organizational learning activity.
Assess the impact of the blended learning approach on capability development, employee engagement, and business outcomes. Gather feedback from learners, managers, and L&D practitioners on what is working and what needs adjustment. Refine the balance and delivery methods based on evidence.
Participate in industry surveys (e.g. LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, Towards Maturity / Fosway benchmarking) to compare the organization's learning maturity, investment, and outcomes against peers. Identify areas where the organization leads and where it can adopt practices from more mature learning organizations.
What Is the 70-20-10 Learning Framework?
The 70-20-10 Learning Framework is a workforce development model that describes how professionals actually build capability on the job. It proposes that roughly 70% of workplace learning comes from hands-on experience, 20% from social interactions like coaching and mentoring, and 10% from formal training courses and workshops. This blended learning ratio has shaped L&D strategy at organizations worldwide for over three decades.
The experiential learning model originated from research by Morgan McCall, Michael Lombardo, and Robert Eichinger at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the 1980s. They studied 200 successful executives and found that the vast majority attributed their professional development to challenging assignments and relationship-based learning rather than classroom instruction.
The framework does not mean you should slash your training budget to 10%. Instead, it serves as a learning strategy lens for designing development programs that leverage all three channels intentionally. It helps L&D teams stop over-investing in formal instruction at the expense of the on-the-job learning and social knowledge transfer that drive most real-world capability building.
Why HR Teams Need This Framework
Most organizations spend the majority of their L&D budget on formal training — instructor-led courses, certifications, and e-learning modules. Yet ATD research shows that formal training alone transfers only 10–20% of new skills to on-the-job performance. The 70-20-10 learning model helps your team allocate development resources where they’ll have the greatest impact on actual workplace capability.
For your learning and development strategy, this experiential learning framework provides a critical balancing mechanism. It encourages you to design stretch assignments, facilitate mentoring relationships, build communities of practice, and create peer coaching programs alongside your formal curriculum. The result is a blended development ecosystem that meets people where they actually grow.
It also helps you justify L&D investments to leadership with stronger logic. When you can show that your learning strategy addresses all three development channels — not just expensive classroom training — the conversation shifts from "how much are we spending on courses?" to "how comprehensively are we building workforce capability?" McKinsey found that companies with mature learning cultures are 92% more likely to innovate.
Key Areas Covered in This Framework
The framework breaks down each learning channel with actionable guidance. For the 70% experiential component, you’ll find tools for designing stretch assignments, job rotations, cross-functional project placements, shadowing opportunities, and action learning sets that accelerate on-the-job development through real business challenges.
The 20% social learning component covers mentoring program design, coaching framework implementation, peer learning circles, communities of practice, and knowledge-sharing forums. It provides practical tools for facilitating the relationship-based learning and collaborative knowledge transfer that drive social development at scale.
For the 10% formal component, the framework helps you design targeted training that reinforces and complements experiential and social learning. It covers needs assessment, instructional design alignment, microlearning strategies, and evaluation using Kirkpatrick’s model — ensuring your formal programs deliver maximum impact within their focused role in the blended learning ecosystem.
How to Use This Free 70-20-10 Learning Framework
Select the Brief version for a strategic learning model overview or the Detailed version for a full implementation guide with activity templates and program design tools. Download instantly in PDF or DOCX format to get your blended development strategy started right away.
Customize the framework to match your organization’s learning culture. Adjust the suggested experiential learning activities for each channel, modify the social development program timelines, and add your company’s specific capability priorities. The editable fields make it straightforward to adapt the 70-20-10 model to your unique workforce development context.
Hyring’s free framework generator gives you a professionally structured blended learning strategy guide without consulting fees. It’s an ideal starting point for building — or rebalancing — your organization’s approach to capability development across all three learning channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Written by Adithyan RK