When was the last time you learned something and did you find the opportunity yourself or rely on someone else to do it for you?
We tend to think of training a bit like teaching – something we rely on others to drive; something that is done to us. Learning and development though is wider and has more opportunities for you to drive your own growth. So how do you take control of your own learning in a fast-changing world, where time and attention both in work and outside are under pressure? A good place to start is by adopting the 70:20:10 model of learning.
The 70:20:10 Model for learning suggests we gain 70% of our knowledge from job-related experiences, 20% from interactions with others, and 10% from formal educational events.
Hands-on experience (the 70%) is the most beneficial for us because it enables us to discover and refine our job-related skills, make decisions, address challenges and interact with influential people within work settings. We also learn from our mistakes and can get in the moment feedback on our performance. If you ask an experienced person how they got to where they are now, they won’t tell you about what they studied, they will give you a list of experiences. How they got thrown in at the deep end, volunteered to take on a gnarly project, how they stumbled a few times, got up, wiped their grazed knees and learned from the experience to do better next time. 70% of what we learn, we learn by doing.
The model continues by suggesting that 20% of what we learn, we learn from others. This can be a formal arrangement like getting a coach or a mentor, as well as learning from your own manager. Or it might be informal like watching someone do something really good (or bad!) and learning from what you see. Now that we work in a more flexible way from a range of settings (hooray for that) the moments to see and learn from others are all the more precious.
And that leaves the final 10% – formal learning – a small but mighty piece of the puzzle. Study, courses, training events and workshops, whether online or in-person, still provide a great opportunity to add to our learning. This is the bit we tend to think of first when we talk about learning, because it’s usually a planned event. Make the most of these experiences and enhance them all the more by moving quickly from the formal learning applying it back at work – which puts you back in the 70% arena.
So, here’s a quick reminder:
- 70% of learning is experiential. It happens through learning on the job, including assignments, practice and trying things out.
- 20% of learning is social. It happens with and through other people managers and team members. It also includes mentoring, coaching and feedback.
- 10% of learning is formal. It happens through structured training events and programmes.
Create a world for yourself where you can manage your own development through doing, coaching, mentoring and generally putting your hand up for stuff, as well as the more traditional methods of training and education and see where it takes you. Make this year the one that you devote some time to your own development. Be prepared to invest in yourself. And as with any DIY, it’s all in the preparation.