The 70:20:10 Model of Adult Learning and the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve

There are many adult learning models which can have great application in coaching and which could improve the client experience, knowledge retention, skill application and eventual goal attainment.

The two that my colleagues and strategic alliances find the most useful are the 70:20:10 Model of Adult Learning and the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve.

In this blog post I’ll share some overview definitions, links for you to do further exploration, and some information about how these two models have impacted our coaching product and services offering and organisational policies.

Definitions
The 70:20:10 Model of Adult Learning stems from a significant amount of research that indicates that:

• 10% of learning comes from the actual learning event such as workshops, courses, seminars, tutorials and even in some cases reading books and articles and watching videos.
• 20% of learning comes form informal conversations about the learning content, including sharing ideas, experiences and coaching and mentoring about the learning topic. (Reflective learning activities such as journaling also fit here.)
• 70% of learning comes from the actual application and practice of the learning information in a real and practical sense, such as on the job usage or in the pursuit of goals. (Active learning activities fit here, including learning on the job without any formal learning event.)

As you can see, coaching is the “connector” between someone attending a formalised learning event and putting the information into practice in a real and meaningful way.

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve refers to the decline of memory across time and is relevant in both training and coaching. For training events, participants begin forgetting the information they’ve gained nearly immediately. Of course, participants have the opportunity to retain the memory longer if they engage in activities to immediately put the new knowledge into practical application.

Some of the research suggests that there is a 6-9 hour window before learners forget about 50% of the learning if they haven’t done some practical application steps.

This applies similarly to coaching in that the coachee has a limited window of opportunity to act, at least in part, on the discussion and commitments from the coaching session or the strength of the memory of those commitments will begin to fade away.

Links
If you would like to know more about these, here are some links for you:

• http://www.askacoach.com/default.asp?section_id=78 - This page on our website is dedicated to 70:20:10 and has links to further research, case studies and other information by Charles Jennings, Managing Director of Duntroon Associates. Charles is a world-leader in this area and we are happy to celebrate the work he has done and freely shares with others.
• http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Ebbinghaus/index.htm - This is Hermann Ebbinghaus’ original piece from 1885, “Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology”

Impact
My colleagues and strategic partners are so committed to these models that we have even created some branding around it – seventy20ten™.

Furthermore, we have developed an organisational policy that all of our combined training/coaching solutions must meet the 70:20:10 principles to be effective. We will NOT design any solutions that do not fully meet these principles as we believe that by doing so would not ensure a return on investment for any of the key stakeholders.

For example, when approached to just design/deliver training, if coaching is not included in the design (whether delivered by us or internally or another party), then we refuse the work. In such cases we also refuse to provide a referral to another provider as our policy does not allow us to recommend providers who would be willing to provide ineffective solutions.

We share this information with potential clients and define how these models could work for them to ensure “learning that sticks” and a much greater return on investment.

As a result, we have found that those clients who commit to our policies and are also committed to ensuring quick activity-based learning directly after learning events, that they are achieving amazing outcomes and quite quickly.

Those that decide not to work with us often state that although they get the theory behind these models, that it’s “too much” to ask of their team members when “things are so busy around here.” They frequently comment that they would rather just send people to training events and trust that those who are “go getters” will do something with the opportunity.

When challenged on this and particularly questioning whether or not it is a waste of investment if only possibly 10-30% of the participants will follow through and implement what they’re learning, some very brave and honest clients confess that “that’s just the way training is run around here and effective or not, we’ll stick with this way for now.”

So the impact for us as a business is that the work we do acquire is often more robust, interesting, rewarding and achieving positive outcomes for individuals, groups and organisations very quickly. We also appreciate that we could have a lot more business coming through us if we didn’t have such strict policies. However our reputation for being ethical and best-practice-minded certainly does help us secure “good work” that all of us in the team feel proud and energised to be a part of.

At the end of the day, we’re quite proud of the policy and the outcomes for us as individual training and coaching practitioners and as a team.

Questions for Further Exploration
Being consistent with our own policy, after reading this blog post (10% learning) here are some questions you may wish to consider for yourselves and/or engage with others (20% learning) which could also lead to specific actions or behaviour changes (70%):

• What have you found interesting in this blog post?
• What have you agreed with, and specifically what has been your experience?
• What have you disagreed with and specifically what has been your experience?
• Who can you share this information with? What beneficial outcomes would you expect for you, them and others?
• When will you share this information? (What are you committing to?)




Noel Posus


• What changes will you make, if any, to your own business model and/or policies? (What are you committing to?)

Noel Posus is the Managing Director and Master Coach for www.askacoach.com. He was awarded Coach of the Year 2008 and 2009 by the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Coaching (and finalist for the 2010 Coaching Business of the Year), where he has also earned the distinction of Fellow Coach (one step above Master Coach) as well as Master Coach from the International Institute of Coaching. To read his bio click here.

ICF Definition of a Mentor Coach

Greetings Colleagues,

In the April edition of Coaching World, ICF announced the approval of an improved ICF definition of Mentor Coach. As we continue on our journey toward improving the ICF Credential Program it is important that I provide the full context for this board decision.

Based upon the Credentialing and Program Accreditation Committee (CPAC) research, the following points are important and were considered in developing this policy change:

• Engaging with a qualified mentor coach for the purpose of core coaching competency, skill and behavior development is recognized globally as an effective professional development activity;
• The absence of a definition for "qualified" mentor coach has created inconsistency in the experience of being mentored everywhere in the world;
• The brevity of the current definition does not provide guidance for a person to select a suitable mentor coach for professional development and/ or preparation for a credential exam;
• That an ICF Credential is evidence of being a "qualified" mentor is valuable, it is not sufficient;
• Outside of North America, no credential is required to be a "qualified" mentor coach;
• Membership growth is higher outside of North America, e.g. during the first two quarters of 2011 the ratio is 39 percent North American to 61 percent in all other countries; and
• The creation of specific competencies (skills and behaviors) of a qualified mentor coach is recommended along with a training requirement and an assessment process to demonstrate qualification.

CPAC recommended a three-phase approach. The global ICF Board of Directors endorsed and approved Phase I for immediate implementation in order to:

• Improve access to higher quality mentor coaching outside of North America;
• Create a clear, simple policy that is easy to understand everywhere in the world;
• Provide guidance for an individual to select a qualified mentor coach that supports their professional development based upon their known needs and learning preferences; and
• Establish a basis from which to develop Phases 2 and 3 without perpetuating known inconsistencies around the globe.

The announcement in the April edition of Coaching World introduced the rationale for Phase I and can be viewed at http://www.coachfederation.org/includes/docs/April-2011.pdf. The policy change provides guidance for selecting a suitable mentor coach based upon experience and skills. The criteria were developed through dialogue with our large community of ICF Assessors and Faculty in ICF recognized training programs that currently provide mentor coach services. A waiting period is being established to respect individuals who are in the process of working with a mentor coach to complete a credential application process.

The committee is now working on Phase 2, to develop mentor coach competencies and will then proceed to Phase 3, to develop training and assessment processes and provide a globally consistent policy.

ICF is in the process of having the improved ICF definition of Mentor Coach policy translated into Spanish, French, German and Portuguese, which will be posted on Coachfederation.org as soon as it is available. In June, ICF will begin distributing a quarterly Credentialing Newsletter to provide continual updates on the work and accomplishments of the various CPAC Workgroups.

Sincerely,
Janet M. Harvey, MCC
Global ICF President-Elect

Dreaming IS Good For you!

If I asked you what you dream of, how much time would you give to describe it, before jumping into determining how you’re going to make it happen?

Nurture your dream

By dreaming, I don’t mean the REM variety either, or for that matter, aimless fantasizing. I mean dreaming about what’s purposeful to you and about what you would love. This sort of dreaming requires distillation and focus.

I've been observing lately in my coaching practice and when talking with other women that often the dream (or vision) in our life is overlooked in favor of 'how' it’s going to happen. And this is where we get caught out. If your emphasis is on the 'how', you ultimately start to compromise on what you believe is possible, because you haven’t spent time stepping into the ‘impossible’. The 'how' can also be challenging and out of our comfort zone (especially when we bring money into the equation) - so much so that we give up on the dream before we’ve even started.

The key message I want to share with you today about dreaming is how dreams need the time, attention and clarity before you go anywhere near the 'how'.

Having a dream and then manifesting that dream utilises both feminine and masculine principles. The anima and animus are two terms used by psychologist Carl Jung to describe the feminine and masculine halves of the personality. The dreaming part (the 'what') is all about the feminine - it's the visionary, it's about being open and receptive, it’s about what you love and it's about stepping into the unknown, into the seemingly impossible, into your imagination.

The 'how' part is all about the masculine – it’s the strategy, it’s the next steps, it’s about the action, it's about engaging your will. In order to have a dream and then to manifest that dream, you need to utilise both your masculine and feminine. If you have a clear vision of the life you want, but don't take the necessary action, then your dream is just a mere fantasy. And if you have the action, but aren’t clear on the dream, then any action you take will be counterproductive.

The dreaming part is such an important part of the equation. If you have a dream in your life, spend time on it – no, actually spend ‘loads’ of time on it. Nurture your dream, write about it, draw pictures about it, have some still time to sit with it, envisage it, imagine it and play with it.

Big dreams die when we focus on the big to do list. Do you want your dream to die or do you want to be an example of an inspiring woman who 'had a dream and made it happen'?

This post was written by Anne Loyd and previously appeared at http://anneloyd.blogspot.com/.

We are ICF

Over the last several weeks, we have been sharing the various reasons coaches choose the ICF as their premiere coaching organization. This week, we will take a look at Isabel Jaramillo, ACC, of Colombia. She has been an ICF member since 2008.

Isabel is a member of ICF Colombia.

“I like to be a part of a community that is global, sets the standards (quality is important), and is recognized,” she said.

Isabel, whose niche focuses on organizational and life coaching, finds three aspects of her ICF membership equally important: continuing coaching (CCEUs), virtual education and networking. As an ICF member, she is able to invest in all three components through ICF Virtual Education offerings and ICF branded events.

Other reasons people choose to be a part of the ICF will be shared in future blog posts.

Learn how you can become a member of the ICF here.



From Lousy to Great: The Territory of Recovery Coaching



Alida Schuyler

“Beth, ”a 19-year old who relapsed after in-patient treatment for alcohol, pot, and meth, was referred to me by a therapist. Beth was on medications for bi-polar and ADHD, lived with her mother, was unemployed, drinking and smoking pot, and had a history of cutting. Would I be willing to coach her?

Doesn’t sound like an ideal coaching client, does she? I saw a lot of red flags, and I’m a professional Recovery Coach. People call me when they know someone who needs help with recovery from addiction. I coach people to stop alcohol or other drugs using 12-step or other support, or to make a plan to cut back, or to go to treatment or not. I help people coming home from treatment stay on track and in recovery. The first time I talked to Beth she was scraping out a pot pipe, hoping to get a buzz.

We talked about the futility of getting high from pipe scrapings, and about choice and compulsion in regard to drugs, and set a time to talk about coaching. Neither was sure that coaching was a good idea: Beth already had a therapist and a psychiatrist, and I didn’t know if she was coachable.

Coachable or Not
Many coaches assume that those who abuse drugs are not coachable. For them coaching is about helping people get from good to great but not from lousy to great. They forget that addiction affects all levels of society and that there are both high and low functioning people who drink too much. How can a coach know whom to coach? By screening each prospective client.

An Actionable Goal
I asked Beth what she would most like to change about her life. Beth said that if she lived on her own, she’d feel better about her life. I asked what would make that possible. Beth said taking her own meds (without Mom’s help) and getting a job.

Since she was able to name an actionable goal, we discussed what was expected in coaching and she agreed to give it a try. I let her know I couldn’t coach her if she missed calls, came intoxicated, or did not benefit from coaching.

The Potential of Addicts
The ICF defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Addiction drastically interferes with potential. Those who resolve their addictions can move from lousy to great. Recovery Coaching helps that happen more quickly.

The Advanced Skills of Recovery Coaching
To coach addiction recovery clients effectively it is important to have advanced skills in increasing motivation and confidence. Low self-esteem is common, and motivation and confidence waver. Recovery Coaches must be effective at finding and leveraging strengths and be patient with those whose self-efficacy varies.

It is also important to be able to coach effectively all the way through change process from “Who me?” (denial) through “Yes, but” (contemplation) on to making a decision, and setting and carrying out recovery goals. Relapse is common in persons trying to change their habits with alcohol and other drugs, yet there is promising clinical evidence that coaching reduces relapse.

Developmental Coaching
Recovery Coaches must also coach to improve general development and awareness. People who lived in active addiction often have gaps. They may be very good on the job but a poor communicator at home. They may have great interpersonal skills but be lousy with money. Recovery Coaches work with clients to leverage their strengths while identifying and resolving struggles. We coach to increase awareness of choice and responsibility, to identify and meet needs, rather than turning to addictive substances when uncomfortable feelings come up.

Beth’s Progress Report
It took Beth a few months to get her on her feet and employed. Early coaching was about waking up and taking showers and going out the door. Within a year she was living on her own. Today Beth is a trusted and reliable employee. She has three years of sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. Last year she finished a yearlong massage school program. She still has a psychiatrist and a therapist and me, her Recovery Coach. In the past four years Beth moved from really lousy to pretty darn good, and I look forward to coaching her all the way to great now that she is solidly in addiction recovery.

Summary
Professional Recovery Coaches are highly trained coaches. We screen our clients for coachability and work with those who define actionable goals, who co-create the relationship, and benefit from coaching.

Next Steps
Send this article to your fellow coaches, to family members or those suffering from addiction. If you would like to refer to a Recovery Coach or learn more about Crossroads Coaching trainings contact Alida Schuyler at alidacoach@crossroadscoaching.net.

Alida Schuyler (pronounced AL-ih-duh SKY-luhr) began coaching in 1997, graduated from Academy for Coach Training (now InviteChange) in 1999 and began training Recovery Coaches in 2003. She is co-founder of Recovery Coaches International and has an active practice based in Port Angeles, Washington.