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70-20-10 Development Plan Template

Most development programs invest almost entirely in formal training, the 10% that research shows accounts for a fraction of how adults actually learn. This template helps you plan across all three zones of development so learning translates into real behavior change, not just course completions.

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What is the 70-20-10 development model?

The 70-20-10 model describes how professionals actually develop their capabilities over time. Roughly 70% of learning comes from on-the-job experiences: challenging assignments, stretch projects, and learning from mistakes in real work. Around 20% comes from social learning: feedback from managers, peer conversations, mentoring, and observing skilled colleagues. The remaining 10% comes from formal training: courses, workshops, and structured programs.

Formal training builds knowledge. Experience builds judgment. Social learning accelerates both. A development plan that ignores two of these three zones is not a development plan, it is a course schedule.

The model is descriptive, not prescriptive. It does not mean every development plan must hit those exact percentages. It means that if your development programs consist almost entirely of formal training, you are addressing only 10% of how your people learn and leaving the other 90% to chance. A 70-20-10 plan makes all three zones intentional and structured.

What does this template cover?

Experience-based learning planner (70%)

Identify stretch assignments, project responsibilities, and job rotations that build the target skill through direct practice. Includes a guide for matching experiences to development goals.

Social learning activities (20%)

Plan structured feedback conversations, mentoring relationships, peer coaching, and shadowing opportunities. Includes a template for scheduled manager development check-ins.

Formal learning selector (10%)

Choose formal training that reinforces on-the-job practice. Includes guidance on sequencing formal learning with experiential activities for maximum transfer.

Progress and reflection tracker

Build in regular reflection on what was learned from experiences and conversations. Track development progress across all three zones, not just course completions.

Includes pre-filled examples for three common development scenarios: a new manager, an experienced IC growing into a senior role, and an L&D professional expanding their strategic impact.

How to build a 70-20-10 development plan

The template walks you through a five-step process for creating development plans that balance all three learning zones. Each step builds on the previous one.

Define the capability you are developing

Start with a specific skill or competency, not a vague goal like 'improve communication.' The more precisely you define the target capability, the easier it is to identify the right experiences, conversations, and training that will build it. Use the template's competency definition guide to get specific.

Identify high-impact on-the-job experiences (70%)

What assignments, projects, or responsibilities will force the learner to practice this skill in real conditions? Look for experiences with meaningful stakes, a feedback loop, and room to experiment. The template includes a library of experience types matched to common development goals.

Design structured social learning touchpoints (20%)

Social learning only works when it is intentional. Schedule regular manager feedback conversations focused on the target skill. Identify a mentor or senior colleague whose approach the learner can observe and debrief. Build in peer reflection conversations after key experiences.

Select formal learning that reinforces practice (10%)

Choose formal training that provides frameworks and language for skills the learner is already practicing on the job. Formal learning lands better when it connects to real challenges the learner is actively working through. Sequence it to follow, not precede, initial experience.

Set check-ins and build in reflection

Experience without reflection does not produce learning. Schedule monthly check-ins to discuss what the learner is noticing, what is working, and what needs adjustment. The template includes a structured reflection guide so check-ins are substantive rather than status updates.

Who should use this template?

L&D professionals redesigning development programs

Need a framework that shifts their programs from course-centric to experience-centric, with structured support for the 70% and 20% zones most L&D teams under-design.

People managers building individual development plans

Need a practical structure for development conversations that goes beyond 'what training should you take?' to 'what experiences and feedback will actually develop this skill?'

HR leaders demonstrating L&D effectiveness

Need development frameworks that produce measurable capability change, not just training completions, so they can show the business impact of people investment.

Download the 70-20-10 Development Plan Template

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Used by L&D professionals across 40+ organizations

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Frequently asked questions

Is the 70-20-10 model backed by research?

The 70-20-10 model originated from research at the Center for Creative Leadership in the 1980s, studying how successful executives described their own development. The specific ratios are approximate, not empirically precise. What the research consistently supports is that experiential and social learning are far more significant contributors to professional development than formal training alone.

How do we apply 70-20-10 for remote or hybrid teams?

The model applies in any working environment, though the form of each zone changes. On-the-job experiences can include leading virtual projects, owning cross-functional initiatives, or presenting to senior stakeholders remotely. Social learning can happen in scheduled video check-ins, structured peer coaching pairs, or async feedback exchanges. Formal training is already well-served by digital formats.

What is the difference between a 70-20-10 plan and a standard development plan?

A standard development plan often focuses primarily on formal training activities. A 70-20-10 plan explicitly designs for all three learning zones, identifying specific experiences, social touchpoints, and formal learning that together build the target capability. The key difference is intentional design of the experience and social zones, rather than leaving them to chance.

How do we measure development progress across all three zones?

Track outcomes rather than activities. For the 70% zone, look for changes in how the person approaches the skill in real work. For the 20% zone, assess the quality of feedback conversations and mentoring relationships. For the 10% zone, measure knowledge acquisition and application. The template's progress tracker covers all three dimensions.