The Seventy-Twenty-Ten Model & Learning in the Flow of Work

If people learn mostly by doing, why do companies still treat training as a calendar invite? The Seventy-Twenty-Ten model challenges the comfortable myth that capability is built mainly in classrooms - it says real development happens when work, people and formal learning reinforce each other.

Big Picture - Capability Is Built in Three Places

The model is easiest to remember as a simple shift: formal training starts the learning, relationships sharpen it, and real work proves it. A good L&D design does not ask, “Which course should we run?” It asks, “What work experience, social support and structured content will make this behaviour show up on the job?”

Core Explanation - How the 70-20-10 Model Actually Works

The big idea: learning transfer improves when the employee learns close to the context where the skill must be used. A sales manager does not become better at negotiation only by attending a negotiation workshop. They improve when they handle real customer objections, receive manager coaching, observe strong peers, practise scripts and reflect after calls.

The model has three parts, but they are not isolated buckets. The “10” gives language and structure. The “20” gives feedback and social correction. The “70” gives pressure, ambiguity and repetition - the conditions under which skill becomes performance.

A useful way to apply the model is to start with the performance problem, not the training catalogue. If relationship managers are mis-selling a product, the solution is not just a compliance module. It may need a product refresher, live call observation, manager feedback, role-play practice and incentive alignment.

Learning in the Flow of Work - The Modern Upgrade

Learning in the flow of work means employees receive learning support at the moment of need, inside their normal work tools, instead of leaving work to “go learn.” Think of a salesperson getting a product-comparison card inside the CRM, a developer receiving secure-coding guidance inside the IDE, or a store associate watching a 90-second product demo before serving a customer.

This is powerful because it reduces the gap between learning and doing. Traditional training often suffers from “forgetting before applying.” Flow-of-work learning reduces that decay by making the learning small, timely, contextual and immediately usable.

The 2x2 Matrix - Where Learning Design Becomes Powerful

Use this matrix when you want to sound sharper than someone who merely repeats “70-20-10.” The best learning interventions sit in the top-right: close to real work and rich in feedback.

The matrix also explains why many L&D programs fail. A passive e-learning module may be efficient, but if it is far from the job and has no feedback loop, behaviour change is weak. A coached stretch project, however, creates real stakes and immediate correction.

Worked Example - Designing a 70-20-10 Plan

Suppose a company wants to build “key account management” capability for 30 new B2B sales managers over one quarter. A weak plan says: “Send them to a two-day workshop.” A 70-20-10 plan looks like this:

The numbers help communicate balance, but they should not become rigid arithmetic. The real test is whether the learner can perform better in the role.

Definitions - Say These Cleanly

The 70-20-10 idea is widely associated with work by Morgan McCall, Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger at the Center for Creative Leadership. Use that as historical context, but remember: the model is a guide for learning design, not a universal law of human learning.

Metrics - How to Prove the Model Is Working

In interviews, never stop at “employees liked the program.” L&D credibility comes from showing that learning changed behaviour and business outcomes.

The best measurement chain is: learning completion, knowledge check, behaviour observation, job KPI, business result. That prevents the classic mistake of measuring only attendance.

Case Study - Decathlon India: Learning on the Store Floor

Situation: Sports retail is knowledge-heavy. A store teammate may need to explain running shoes, cycling gear, trekking equipment or swimming accessories to very different customers. Product knowledge matters, but so does confidence, empathy and the ability to recommend responsibly.

The move: Decathlon's people model has long emphasised sport-passionate employees, hands-on store exposure and team-level responsibility. In India, the learning logic fits the 70-20-10 pattern well: teammates learn by serving customers and managing categories, improve through peer and manager feedback, and use structured product knowledge or digital learning to build baseline understanding.

Outcome or lesson: The win is not caused by one factor such as “good training.” The primary driver is high work-proximity learning on the store floor, supported by hiring for sport interest, peer coaching, product knowledge systems and team autonomy. The strategic lesson: for customer-facing roles, learning design should sit as close as possible to the customer moment.

How AI Changes the Seventy-Twenty-Ten Model & Learning in the Flow of Work

AI does not replace the 70-20-10 model. It makes each part more precise, personalised and measurable.

Practical student workflow: Use NotebookLM before an HR interview. Upload the company's annual report, career page and a job description. Ask: “Create a 70-20-10 capability-building plan for this role, with flow-of-work learning examples and measurable L&D outcomes.” Then refine the answer using the company's actual business context.

Interview Relevance

Common Mistake

What to Revise Next

Revise Blended, Digital & Self-Directed Learning Design next because it expands the “10” and shows how formal learning can be delivered intelligently. Then move to Competency Mapping and Proficiency Levels, which helps you define the behaviours and skill levels that a 70-20-10 plan should build.