Up Your Leadership Skills With The 70–20–10 Model
Have you ever thought about what it takes to be a great leader? How you can up your game and hone your skills so you can be the best leader and employee possible? You may want to take a look at the 70–20–10 model. Developed in the 1980s by three researchers and authors, the model was based on a survey of 200 executives in order to figure out how successful managers learned.
So what is the 70–20–10 model? It’s a model used within training that defines the optimal and most effective ways people learn. It states that 70% of people learn from challenging projects, 20% learn from relationships with others, and 10% learn from training and educational events. This means that most people learn best from on-the-job experience, while the least amount of people learn best by training alone.
Let’s break down the reasoning behind the 70–20–10 model, and how you can utilize it to become a more effective leader and employee.
· 70% of learning is experiential.
This is because hands-on experiences allow you to discover and refine job-related skills, make decisions, address challenges, and interact with influential people within a work setting. Experience is the only way you can learn from your mistakes, and receive feedback on your performance. And studies show receiving feedback is a key ingredient to learning.
· 20% of learning is social.
Think about the relationships you have with coworkers, managers, mentors, or coaches. Chances are, you learn a lot just from interacting with these people. Some of the most successful people attribute their strong leadership skills to mentorship, and studies show teamwork improves learning and career success more than traditional teaching.
· 10% of learning is formal.
Of course, there’s still something to be said for formal teaching and training. This could include one-on-one or group training sessions, formal education events such as seminars or panels, or even videos and podcasts.
Of course, every person and company is different, and has varying needs. The great thing about the 70–20–10 model is that it’s flexible depending on what you need and what works best for you. But times have certainty changed since the model was developed in the 1980s — The Internet and various online learning technologies have shifted some views on the model.
New research has identified a more modern way of looking at the 70–20–10 model. This new concept is called the OSF (on-the-job, social formal) ratio. While it still has the same three categories at the 70–20–10 model, the OSF ratio is much more flexible in terms of percentages based on your personal and professional needs.
No matter how you’re looking to maximize your effectiveness and leadership skills, remembering the three categories is key to figuring out where you should concentrate your efforts. Are you ready to get started on honing your skills today?
