Embedding learning into your team’s workflow

70 20 10 shouldn’t surprise us. In the 1980s McCall, Eichinger and Lombardo proposed this proportion of the way we learn, 70 on the job, 20 by interaction with others and 10 through formal training. It is a sobering thought for those of us developing training programmes.

“Come and do this with me for a while” is one of the most powerful learning tools available to us. I am lucky enough to have undergone training as a commercial pilot somewhere back in my past. I am sure you’d feel better flying with me knowing I had been assessed actually flying rather than via great discussions groups postulating about techniques for landing in strong cross wind (the “20”), or because I had passed exams on weather systems and aircraft technicals (the “10”). I actually passed the highest level commercial flying exams in Europe by the way (they are called the ATPLs, Airline Transport Pilots Licence) but I still think a way far better pilot than me was my friend Jimmy who couldn’t pass exams but for years flew the air ambulance in the demanding crazy weather environment of the Orkneys. This guy was good. Really really good. He had experience.

The “70” is that experience. If we want to embed learning into the team, the first thought should be ‘experience’. The next thought would be “what training do I need to provide to prepare them for this experience”.  And that’s the role of training. Not to equip with skills for full competence, but rather to prepare for the experience of practicing the skills on the job. The classroom experience significantly prepared me to fly (that’s the 10), then I practiced and reached a certain level (that’s the 70), and enroute I spent endless hours chatting with colleagues about “what would you do if …” (that’s the 20). We al know the method works, we have all been there.

So use training to prepare for the job experience, then enable your people to undergo the experience, and en-route chat about how it is going. That’s about it. With a final couple of thoughts on the training piece …..

Once we accept the purpose of training is not to fully equip for competence, but to equip for a period of practice, we can become far more creative, and effective, with the training we provide. Since Covid our people are now much more familiar with remote and digital learning. As preparation for on-the-job practice, this is excellent and often good enough. Good e-learning encompasses not only knowledge but also digital interaction, linking with an online community, support coaching, assignments and buddy systems. Modern e learning systems offer the suite of activities which enable us to cover the 10 and the 20 together in one go. We have found fantastic results from developing and applying this type of e learning, then following with on-the-job practice. If the organisation can also afford to bring people together face to face, then fantastic. But bear in mind that the real clout is the 70 not the 20.

So thanks to McCall, Eichinger and Lombardo for stating the obvious to us. And it is up to us training providers to grasp the significance of this ‘obvious’ and build it into our training programmes. I guess its about having the humility to accept that we can’t actually fully equip others with skills, but we can help set a context where they fully equip themselves.

Written by Mark Miller – Managing Director