The 70-20-10 formula by Lombardo and Eichinger is a career development model that divides growth into 70% on-the-job experience, 20% mentorship and feedback, and 10% formal learning. Professionals use it to accelerate promotions and build real-world competence faster than traditional training.

The 70-20-10 formula by Lombardo and Eichinger is a career development model that divides growth into 70% on-the-job experience, 20% mentorship and feedback, and 10% formal learning.

In today’s workplace, everyone wants a shortcut to faster promotions — more courses, more certificates, more upskilling apps. But decades of research say something radically different: formal learning contributes the least to actual career growth.

The most effective way to develop professionally is through a simple, practical framework known as the 70-20-10 growth formula, created by career researchers Lombardo and Eichinger.

This model reshapes how we think about learning. It says that successful professionals grow through:

• 70% hands-on work experience
• 20% mentorship, feedback, and coaching
• 10% structured courses or training

Instead of relying solely on textbooks, webinars, or LinkedIn certificates, the formula pushes you into real-world challenges — the kind that shape leadership, confidence, and competence.

WHERE THE 70-20-10 RULE CAME FROM

The model originated in the 1990s when Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger studied hundreds of high-performing managers.

They found a pattern: the people who grew the fastest weren’t the ones taking endless courses.

They were the ones learning by doing, guided by mentors, and supported by occasional training.

WHY THE FORMULA IS SO EFFECTIVE

Most careers don’t accelerate because of lack of knowledge — they accelerate when ability and visibility grow together. The 70-20-10 formula ensures both.

It works because it mirrors how humans naturally learn: through experience, social reinforcement, and structured information. The balance keeps you challenged but supported.

THE BREAKDOWN: WHAT EACH COMPONENT LOOKS LIKE

**70% hands-on experience: **This is the engine of career growth.

It includes:

• taking ownership of projects
• handling real challenges
• solving problems under pressure
• leading small teams
• volunteering for stretch tasks
• rotating into new roles
• managing deadlines and deliverables

This is where you build demonstrable skills — communication, strategy, leadership, analysis, creativity, and execution. These are the skills promotions depend on.

**20% mentorship and feedback: **This is the accelerator, or the part that sharpens your instincts.

It includes:

• shadowing seniors
• receiving regular feedback
• being coached by managers
• learning from peers
• informal advice in difficult situations

Mentorship helps you avoid mistakes, refine judgement, and learn what textbooks never teach — office politics, stakeholder management, negotiation, and strategic thinking.

**10% courses, training, certifications: **This is the foundation. It is necessary but limited.

It includes:

• workshops
• online certifications
• classroom training
• reading, podcasts, and webinars

These give you vocabulary and basic understanding. But without the 70% and 20%, learning stays theoretical.

HOW TO APPLY THE 70-20-10 RULE IN YOUR CAREER

A simple weekly approach helps you embed it naturally:

• Choose one challenging task each week that stretches your abilities (70%).
• Have one meaningful conversation with a mentor, manager, or peer for guidance (20%).
• Spend 30–60 minutes learning through a course or reading (10%).

Small, consistent steps compound.

WHO BENEFITS THE MOST?

The formula is especially powerful for:

• young professionals entering the workforce
• employees seeking faster promotions
• people switching careers
• managers building leadership capacity
• teams wanting structured development without burnout

If you’re early in your career, this formula can compress learning that normally takes years into months.

WHY THIS FORMULA ACCELERATES GROWTH FASTER THAN ANY COURSE

Courses teach you what to do.

Feedback teaches you how to do it better.

Experience teaches you who you become while doing it.

The combination of all three builds confidence, competence, and credibility — the three qualities that make someone promotion-ready.

In a world obsessed with certificates, the 70-20-10 formula brings you back to the truth: you grow fastest when you learn by doing, guided by mentors, supported by learning — not the other way around.

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Published By:

Roshni

Published On:

Dec 8, 2025