Essential Experiences
The map of what matters
Most development plans focus on training courses. But the research is clear: 70% of real development happens through experience. The Essential Experiences Blueprint turns that reality into a deliberate strategy.
The problem
Development does not happen in the classroom
Organisations invest heavily in training programmes, but research consistently shows that most leadership development happens through challenging on-the-job experiences - not through courses.
The problem is not a lack of investment in development - it is that most organisations assign stretch experiences ad hoc, without a structured framework defining which experiences build which capabilities.
- Succession plans assess competencies but not experience readiness
- Development conversations lack a common language between HR and managers
- Stretch assignments happen by chance, not by design
- High-potential leaders are promoted without the experiences they need to succeed
The 70/20/10 model
of development happens through experience
The 70/20/10 model - supported by decades of research - shows that most meaningful development comes from on-the-job experience, not formal training. Yet most development plans are built around courses.
through coaching and social learning
Feedback, mentoring, and peer learning account for a significant share of development. The Blueprint creates the shared language that makes these conversations more structured and productive.
through formal training and courses
Formal learning has its place - but it cannot substitute for real experience. Organisations that over-invest in training at the expense of experience-based development consistently underperform on talent outcomes.
Source: Lombardo & Eichinger, 1996; McCall, Lombardo & Morrison, 1988
The framework
A structured map of developmental experiences
The Essential Experiences Blueprint describes and defines the most common developmental job experiences. Each experience is structured across four components that make it actionable for HR, managers, and individuals.
Career Theme
The broad category of career progression. Each theme represents a distinct developmental trajectory - a type of challenge or context that builds a specific set of capabilities when navigated well.
Key Experiences
The essential experiences specific to each career theme. These describe the core nature of the work - what the person is actually doing, leading, or navigating during that phase.
Example Activities
Practical, real-world instances of each key experience. These make the abstract concrete - giving managers and HR professionals a shared reference point for what the experience looks like in practice.
Development Outcomes
The primary capabilities an individual develops by navigating this experience. These connect the experience directly to the skills and behaviours it builds - making development intentional, not incidental.
Illustrative example - Theme: Change Manager
Career Theme
Change Manager
Key Experiences
Leading a significant change effort requiring cross-boundary cooperation and high-visibility sponsorship
Example Activities
Business restructuring, installing a major system like ERP or HRIS for the first time
Development Outcomes
Change management, cross-functional coordination, stakeholder management
The full Blueprint covers 13+ career themes with key experiences, example activities, and development outcomes for each.
Types of experience
Three categories of developmental experience
The Blueprint organises developmental experiences into three broad categories, each with a different development profile and applicable at different points in a person's career.
Challenging Assignments
High-stakes, high-visibility roles that require leading through ambiguity, managing cross-boundary complexity, or building something from nothing. These are the experiences that accelerate development fastest.
Scope and Scale Shifts
Transitions that dramatically increase the size, complexity, or geographic reach of a role. These experiences develop the strategic and operational range needed for senior leadership.
Collaborative and Observational Experiences
Structured opportunities to participate in, observe, or co-lead high-value processes. Particularly effective for early-career talent and high-potentials being prepared for larger roles.
Business value
Why organisations use it
Intentional succession planning
Replace ad hoc stretch assignments with a structured approach. Define the experiences required for each critical role and track whether successors have them.
Accelerated leadership development
Identify the highest-impact experiences for each individual's development path and create deliberate opportunities to access them - rather than waiting for them to occur by chance.
Better development conversations
Give managers and HR a common language for discussing development. Move beyond vague competency gaps to specific, actionable experience goals.
Data-driven talent decisions
When integrated with Talentprint, the Blueprint enables you to assess not just what a person can do today, but whether they have the experience base to succeed in a larger role.
Reduced succession risk
Organisations that rely solely on competency assessments for succession miss a critical dimension. The Blueprint adds experience readiness to the picture - reducing the risk of promoting people who are behaviourally capable but experientially unprepared.
A framework that scales
The Blueprint is designed as a master list. Organisations contextualise it for their industry, size, and strategic priorities - creating a version that reflects the experiences that actually matter in their business.
Part of the ecosystem
Three dimensions of talent readiness
No single dimension is sufficient to assess whether someone is ready for a larger role. The three together provide a complete picture.
How a person acts: 60 behavioural competencies across 18 clusters, assessed by effectiveness.
What a person knows: 500+ technical skills across 20 domains, with 3 proficiency levels.
What a person has done: the experiences that have shaped their leadership capability and readiness for larger roles.
Common questions
What people ask
Access the full Blueprint
The full Essential Experiences Blueprint - including all 13+ career themes, key experiences, example activities, and development outcomes - is available as part of our talent management engagements. Let's talk.