The 70:20:10 model is based on a study in which nearly 200 leaders were asked to report how they learned most efficiently.
The results showed a proportional breakdown of how people learn most efficiently:
70% of learning occurs through on-the-job experiences, when an employee faces a challenging task or has to solve a real problem.
20% of learning occurs through developmental relationships, such as mentoring, coaching and feedback.
10% of learning occurs through formal learning, including courses, training and reading.
When the 70:20:10 model is referenced in the context of digital learning, it is often to highlight that significantly greater impact is achieved if digital learning and/or platforms also support the 70% experiential learning and 20% social learning. Traditional LMSs are typically focused primarily on the 10% formal learning.
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Charles Jennings played a key role in popularizing and expanding the 70:20:10 model, though he is not its original creator. The model originates from research conducted in the 1980s by Morgan McCall, Robert Eichinger, and Michael Lombardo at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), and was described in the book “The Career Architect Development Planner” (1996). Charles Jennings further developed and promoted the approach from 2002 onward, including through publications and the founding of the 70:20:10 Institute, which helped establish the model globally as a practical framework for understanding workplace learning.