Bringing the ’70’ into the training room

Traditional lectures bores learners. Instead, focus on e-learning for theory and use live sessions for real-world practice through activities like scavenger hunts and role-plays. The goal? Build confidence and make training feel relevant to actual jobs.

I’ll never forget one of the first underwriting trainings I delivered. I wes talking to a virtual group of about 5 underwriting new hires (all with their cameras off), explaining process after process, when my throat got dry. I caught myself thinking: If I’m bored, imagine how they feel.

That was my wake-up call.

Trainers often fall into the same trap I did—stuffing the training room (whether virtual or in person) with content. We want to cover every detail, every policy, every scenario. But according to the 70-20-10 model, only 10% of learning comes from formal instruction. The real magic happens in the 70%—on-the-job, experiential practice—and the 20%—coaching, feedback, and social interaction.

So why are we still using live training time to do the “10”?

Flipping the Script

Here’s the shift I made:

E-learning or pre-work delivers the foundation (the 10).
Group sessions focus on practice and application (the 70) and the just-in-time coaching and social element (the 20).
Application assignments outside of the training room (the 70 and 20).

It sounds simple, but it took me a painful training flop to realize: if I can tell them, I don’t need to take up live time doing it.

Examples of the 70 in Action

Scavenger hunts: Instead of walking through a system, I design scavenger hunts that force learners to click around, discover, and problem-solve together.
Multi-headed coaching demos: For leadership programs, I co-facilitate real-play scenarios where one participant is the coachee (receiving the coaching), the other participants together act as the coach (asking questions, following the frameworks), and the trainer coaches the coaches. Then, participants try the techniques in a role play or real-play (coaching each other through real dilemmas).
Radical Candor real-plays: Rather than just explaining the model, I use pre-work– videos and core concepts in a short and engaging e-learning– for the concept and dedicate the live session to learners practicing difficult feedback conversations, with coaching layered in.

These approaches aren’t just more engaging—they build muscle memory, confidence, and ownership.

The Formula

My design mantra: If they need to know it, put it in e-learning. If they need to do it, bring it into the room.

That means structuring sessions around:

Warmups that get people moving (if in person), connecting, and recalling the pre-work learning.
Role-plays and simulations that feel like the “real world.”
Debriefs that translate practice into application back on the job.

Key Takeaways for Trainers

Don’t just teach—coach learners to become self-sufficient.
Design with the end behavior in mind, not the slide deck.
Always close the loop: tie practice back to real-world use.

The payoff? I hear learners say things like, “That was the first time I’ve actually felt ready to try this at work.” That’s the kind of feedback that tells me I’m not just delivering training—I’m shaping performance.

If you want participants to learn like it’s the real world, then make the training room feel like the real world.

Want to learn how to do that with power and precision? 🚀

Check out Letskillup Train the Trainer programs — designed to help facilitators transform lectures into learning that sticks.

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