Achieving Personal Growth: Understanding the 70 20 10 Principle

Achieving Personal Growth: Understanding the 70-20-10 Principle

Personal growth is a vital aspect of achieving success in every area of life. It involves assessing your strengths, weaknesses, values and goals, and taking steps to improve yourself continuously. But with so much information online, it’s hard to figure out which strategies are worth pursuing, and which ones are just empty promises.

One strategy that has gained popularity in recent years for achieving personal growth is the 70-20-10 principle. This approach to learning suggests that 70% of learning comes from on-the-job experiences, 20% from interactions with others, and 10% from traditional educational sources like courses and books.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the 70-20-10 principle and explore how it can help you achieve personal growth.

Understanding the 70-20-10 Principle

The 70-20-10 principle was first proposed in the 1980s by Morgan McCall, Robert Eichinger, and Michael Lombardo at the Center for Creative Leadership. They conducted a study to understand how successful executives were able to develop their skills and improve their performance.

The study found that the most effective way to develop skills was through practical experience. In fact, the researchers found that 70% of learning came from on-the-job experiences like challenging assignments, new projects, or difficult tasks.

But the study also found that 20% of learning came from interactions with others, such as coaching, feedback, mentoring, and social learning. And the remaining 10% came from traditional educational sources like books, courses, and workshops.

Applying the 70-20-10 Principle to Achieve Personal Growth

So how can you apply the 70-20-10 principle to achieve personal growth? Here are some tips:

1. Focus on practical experience: The bulk of your learning should come from putting your skills into practice, taking on new projects, and challenging tasks. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things.

2. Seek feedback and coaching: Identify mentors, coaches, or colleagues who can provide constructive feedback and help you improve your skills. Remember that feedback is a gift, and it can help you identify blind spots and areas where you need to improve.

3. Participate in social learning: Join communities, groups, or online forums where you can interact with others who share your goals and interests. This will allow you to learn from others, share ideas, and stay motivated.

4. Supplement your learning with traditional educational sources: While traditional educational sources only make up 10% of the learning process, they can still be valuable. Attend conferences, seminars, or webinars, read books, or take courses that are directly related to your goals.

Examples of the 70-20-10 Principle in Action

To better understand how the 70-20-10 principle works in practice, let’s look at some examples:

1. A marketing executive who wants to develop his digital marketing skills might spend 70% of his time working on a challenging digital marketing project at work, gain feedback from a social media coach or platform, 20% from a social media marketing group on LinkedIn, and completes a digital marketing course for 10%.

2. A teacher looking to improve their classroom management skills might spend 70% of their time observing other experienced teachers, testing new classroom management techniques. They can gain feedback and mentoring by speaking with other experienced teachers, and participate in peer-learning communities online. They can then attend a professional development program or read a book on effective classroom management for the remaining 10%.

In Conclusion

The 70-20-10 principle is an effective way to approach personal growth because it focuses on practical experience, coaching, social learning and education. By following this framework, you can achieve your personal growth goals and become a more confident and skilled person. Remember that personal growth is a lifelong journey, and it requires discipline, perseverance, and an open mindset, but with the right approach, it’s within reach.