70 20 10 Adult Learning Theory: How Grown-Ups Actually Learn

Ever notice that what sticks in your memory is usually what you actually do, mess up, and fix yourself? That's the whole idea behind the 70 20 10 adult learning theory. Here's the short version: grown-ups learn best by rolling up their sleeves, not just by listening to a trainer or flipping through a slideshow. In this model, 70% of learning comes right from on-the-job experience, 20% from chatting, mentoring, and networking with others, and just 10% from traditional courses or workshops.

If you’ve ever walked away from a formal training and thought, 'Okay, but now what?'—you’re not alone. This approach explains why that happens. For example, when I first taught Maximus to stay off the couch, it wasn’t from a dog-training book; it was those real-life, repetitive moments on the spot. Adults are pretty much the same with new skills at work.

The cool part? You don’t need a fancy degree to tap into this. The 70 20 10 rule is simple and it works whether you’re picking up IT tricks, management know-how, or learning to handle tough customers. It cuts through the fluff and gets you focused on what helps you remember—and actually use—what you learn.

• The 70 20 10 Rule—What It Means
• Where Did This Model Come From?
• Why Doing Trumps Sitting
• The 20: How Others Sharpen Your Skills
• Getting the Best from Formal Learning (The 10%)
• Make it Work for You: Tips and Real-Life Examples

The 70 20 10 Rule—What It Means

The 70 20 10 rule explains how adults actually pick up skills, especially in the workplace. In easy terms, about 70% of what adults learn comes from just doing their job—day-to-day problem solving, trying new things, and even making mistakes. Another 20% of learning comes from talking to others, getting feedback, or seeing how someone else handles a tough situation. Only 10% comes from formal stuff—online courses, lectures, or classic classroom training.

This model isn’t just a guess. The Center for Creative Leadership, a respected research group, pulled together a bunch of studies in the 1990s that showed managers and professionals learned the most on the job—not sitting in a classroom. Since then, tons of HR teams and big businesses—think Google, Deloitte, and Adidas—have used the 70 20 10 method to build smarter workplaces.

Why does this matter? Because if you want to actually remember new skills and use them, you’ll need to focus your energy on real experiences and connecting with people—not just signing up for another webinar. Companies that blend learning into the daily grind see real benefits, like their people picking up skills faster and feeling more confident in what they do.

So, when you hear about the 70 20 10 model, just remember: it’s not about putting all your eggs in the formal training basket. It’s about getting your hands dirty, learning from others, and then using courses to fill in the gaps. Most meaningful growth comes when you mix practical work, advice from people you trust, and a bit of traditional study.

Where Did This Model Come From?

The 70 20 10 model isn’t some trendy idea from the last couple years. It actually started in the 1980s at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), a well-known think tank focused on how adults grow at work. A few CCL researchers—Morgan McCall, Michael Lombardo, and Robert Eichinger—dug into the real-life stories of managers and found a weird pattern. Most learning didn’t come from classes or training days, but from dealing with real problems and talking to people who’d been there.

They summed up their research in a simple rule:

• 70% of what people know at work comes from actual experiences—handling challenges, solving problems, and figuring things out on the fly.
• 20% comes from talking with and learning from coworkers, mentors, or bosses.
• Only 10% comes from formal training, like workshops, manuals, or courses.

Here’s what Morgan McCall himself had to say back when his research first dropped:

"The lessons of experience come from working on tough assignments, handling adversity, and learning from others, rather than just from formal education.”

What really gave this model legs was how companies started using it to rethink learning at work. Instead of spending huge budgets on all-day training sessions, they shifted towards hands-on projects and team-based learning. According to a 2019 survey by LinkedIn Learning, nearly 68% of employees said they learned best by actually doing, not by sitting in a classroom. That’s a huge reason this rule still matters.

The takeaway? This model is rooted in real research and has stuck around for decades because it matches how adults actually learn at work, not how we think they should.

Why Doing Trumps Sitting

Here’s the deal—adults remember what they actually do way better than what they just hear or read. Studies from organizations like the Center for Creative Leadership back this up: people keep around 75% of what they practice themselves, compared to barely 5-10% of what they only read or hear about. That’s a huge gap.

The real world doesn’t give you a cheat sheet. Say you’re starting a new job. You can watch a dozen training videos, but it’s your first live customer or real deadline that shows if you can handle it. That stress, those mistakes, and the pressure to solve problems—that’s when you’re really learning, not just filling up on information.

This is exactly why the 70 20 10 model pushes hands-on learning. Employers like Google and IBM use this rule to shape their training. They’ve noticed that new hires get up to speed faster when they actually work on real projects, not just sit through online modules. That muscle memory, that sort of 'I’ve been there' feeling—it makes lessons stick way longer than a PowerPoint ever could.

• Active problem-solving improves confidence—people get less rattled when things go wrong.
• Mistakes are powerful teachers. Fixing a real problem leaves a much bigger mark than memorizing what to do if problems show up.
• On-the-job action highlights what you don’t know so you can fill those gaps fast.

If you want to grow at work, don’t just sign up for another webinar. Dive into projects. Offer to help with tricky tasks. Ask to cover for someone on vacation. Get your hands dirty because that’s where actual learning happens.

The 20: How Others Sharpen Your Skills

Here’s where things get really interesting. According to the 70 20 10 adult learning theory, a full 20% of what you actually absorb at work doesn’t come from working solo. It comes from other people—think feedback sessions, peer chats, casual advice from a manager, or job shadowing. Humans learn fast by copying others, messing up in a safe space, then tweaking what they do.

The science backs this up. A big LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report in 2023 showed that employees who had regular coaching or mentoring at work were 47% more likely to outperform their peers on important tasks. That’s not some tiny boost—that’s huge. It’s because talking through ideas, getting feedback, and even making mistakes in front of someone who’s done it before helps you shortcut the trial-and-error stage.

Ways you can soak up this "20":

• Find a mentor at work—formal or just someone you trust to show you the ropes.
• Ask for feedback after you finish projects, even when you think you did fine.
• Pair up with a coworker you respect and learn how they handle tough situations.
• Don’t sit on questions. Even a quick chat or Slack message can swap knowledge fast.
• If your company offers job-shadowing or cross-training, jump in and try it once.

All these interactions stack up over time. And no, you don’t need a stuffy formal program—plenty of people learn the most over coffee breaks or during rides home from work.

Here’s a quick look at why the "20%" is so effective, in a table:

The point is, don’t try to go it alone. If you’re chasing new skills or growth at work, half of the gold is in who you talk to, who you watch, and who gives you honest feedback. Next time you’re stuck, grab a colleague—or just your phone.

Getting the Best from Formal Learning (The 10%)

Formal learning—that classic classroom setting, webinars, or e-learning—makes up just 10% of the 70 20 10 adult learning theory. Still, if you make it count, this 10% gives your real-world and social learning a solid boost. It can fill in the blanks, offer structure, and make sure everyone’s talking the same language (no more, 'Wait, what spreadsheet version are we using?').

The key? Don’t treat courses like a to-do-list checkmark. Mix them with hands-on tasks and you’ll actually use the info, not just stuff it in a folder somewhere. Research from the Center for Creative Leadership shows that just under 1 in 4 people can apply what they learned in a traditional course without extra coaching or real-world practice. Now, add in some real workplace tasks, and that number jumps up a lot.

Formal learning is best for:

• Getting up to speed on strict rules or safety (like GDPR, First Aid, or compliance training)
• Picking up a new tool or system (like company-wide software updates)
• Sharpening basic skills (such as Excel formulas or project planning)
• Setting a foundation before jumping into more advanced, on-the-job experiences

You can spot a good formal course if it:

• Is practical, not just theory-heavy
• Lets you try things, not just listen
• Offers support, like quizzes, review sessions, or a Q&A with an expert

Here’s a look at how people feel about formal learning at work:

So, for that 10% to really work, connect it to your actual tasks as soon as possible. Take what you just learned and do something with it right away—even if it’s a mini project, a coworker teach-back session, or simply building a checklist you’ll use tomorrow.

Make it Work for You: Tips and Real-Life Examples

Putting the 70 20 10 model into practice isn’t just for giant companies or training pros. Anyone who wants to grow at work (or even at home) can use these tactics.

The first step is to get hands-on as much as possible. If you’re learning a new software, actually use it all week—not just during scheduled training. If you're moving into a leadership role, ask to run a small team project, even if it’s outside your usual tasks.

• Shadow a coworker: Instead of waiting for a supervisor to teach you, ask someone experienced to walk you through how they solve real problems. A surprising 55% of workplace skills are picked up by observing others on the job (ATD 2022 report).
• Start a peer group: Regular coffee chats where each person shares a recent challenge and how they dealt with it—this builds that valuable 20% learning chunk the model talks about.
• Mentoring isn’t just one-way: If you’re new, find a mentor. If you’re experienced, agree to mentor someone. Both people end up learning.
• Create a “fail fast” log: After trying new things, jot down what bombed and why. This makes failure feel less scary and turns it into teaching moments.
• Connect learning to goals: Don’t do training just to tick a box. Keep a quick list next to your monitor—"What do I want to get better at this month?" Then match new tasks to those goals.

Companies like Google and Marriott make use of the 70 20 10 approach by encouraging job rotations and short-term assignments. Google, for example, is famous for its “20% time” policy, letting people spend a fifth of their time on projects outside their usual work. This gives people a real shot to learn by doing—that’s the 70% in action.

For a day-to-day example, think about learning customer service: you might spend 10% of time in a workshop, but 70% will be dealing with real customers—both the nice and the very cranky ones. The remaining 20% is chatting with teammates about what actually works when calming down frustrated callers.

The bottom line: Look for ways to practice new skills in the real world, talk to others about what you’re working on, and only use courses to fill true gaps. The more you can blend all three, the faster you’ll really learn—and remember—it all.