The Whakatipu: Ako Rhythm

Whakatipu: Ako Rhythm™ (Tahere, 2025) offers a kaupapa Māori reframing of the globally recognised 70:20:10 learning model. Rather than viewing learning through fixed allocations or percentages, it shifts the focus from proportion to pattern — recentring development within whakapapa, cosmology, and rhythm.

In this way, learning is understood as a cyclical movement through Te Kore, Te Pō, and Te Ao Mārama — from the infinite potential of unformed knowledge, to the gestation and awakening of understanding, to the illumination and flourishing of insight. Whakatipu: Ako Rhythm expresses learning as a relational and iterative process through which knowledge continually emerges, expands, and transforms — reflecting both the energetic and ontological rhythms of Te Ao Māori.

Origins of 70:20:10

The 70:20:10 framework is grounded in early research by McCall, Lombardo, and Morrison (1988) at the Center for Creative Leadership. In The Lessons of Experience, the authors studied how managers learn and develop, identifying that approximately 70% of learning comes from challenging assignments, 20% from developmental relationships, and 10% from formal coursework.

Lombardo and Eichinger (1996) later formalised and popularised this ratio in The Career Architect Development Planner, bringing it into organisational learning and leadership development discourse globally. The model has since become a widely cited framework across sectors for structuring leadership and professional development.

Reframing as a Learning Rhythm Through a Kaupapa Māori Worldview

Within Manu Hōmiromiro: Poutama Insights – A Strategic Thinking System for Kaupapa-Aligned Leadership, Whakatipu: Ako Rhythm becomes more than a model — it becomes a learning rhythm.

While the 70:20:10 framework offers valuable insight into how learning is distributed across experience, relationships, and formal study, it also implies a fixed ratio — a static division of effort. The Whakatipu: Ako Rhythm reconceptualises this structure through a kaupapa Māori worldview, recognising that learning is not proportional but cyclical, oscillating, and relational.

Knowledge development occurs through continuous movement — returning, re-grounding, and re-emerging as new understandings are formed. This rhythm reflects both the flow of Te Ao Māori and the iterative nature of capability development, where learning is reactivated and deepened over time.

The three stages — Pī Mōhio Moe (emergence of knowledge in stillness), Pū Mātau Oho (awakening of understanding from its source), and Pā Mārama Ora (flourishing of insight in connection) — are purposefully crafted collocations carrying interwoven and multi-dimensional meaning.

Their sequencing reflects Māori cosmology:

• Pī evokes the early stirrings or seedling stage of potential,

• Pū refers to the source or root from which strength and clarity arise, and

• Pā denotes connection, establishment, and flourishing.

Each stage aligns with Māori epistemic realms (Mōhiotanga, Mātauranga, Māramatanga) and energetic states (Mauri Moe, Mauri Oho, Mauri Ora), creating an integrated rhythm of hinengaro (mind), whanaungatanga (relationship), and wairua (spirit) in development.

Learning within this rhythm is non-linear and iterative — a continual process of emergence, awakening, and flourishing, where understanding is revisited and refined as practice deepens.

These stages also align with sequencing phases across other Kura Poutama frameworks — Whakarite (preparation and grounding), Whakapuāwai (growth and discovery), and Whakaora (activation and return) — embedding learning in whakapapa, rhythm, and cultural integrity while transforming the model from a training ratio into a dynamic, culturally anchored leadership practice.

The Rhythm in Motion

• Pī Mōhio Moe | Emergence of Knowledge in Stillness

  The quiet emergence of knowledge from potential — a return to Te Kore, the realm of pure possibility where learning begins as an impulse, a stirring in the stillness. This space grounds learning through strategic frameworks, foundational tools, and the Seven Thinking Rhythms of Kaupapa-Aligned Leadership, in a phase of Whakarite where preparation and grounding cultivate deep attunement.

• Pū Mātau Oho | Awakening of Understanding

  The awakening and expansion of understanding through relational space — resonant with Te Pō, the realm of becoming and transformation, where form begins to emerge through reflection, kōrero ā-kanohi, tukutuku pūrākau, and co-created rhythm-mapping. Here, collective reflection deepens trust, connection, and shared meaning in a phase of Whakapuāwai where growth and discovery nourish development.

• Pā Mārama Ora | Flourishing of Insight

  The transformation and flourishing of insight through lived application — aligning with Te Ao Mārama, the realm of enlightenment and embodied knowing. Insight is translated into practice through real-world leadership contexts, informed decision-making, and sustained refinement via Ngā Herenga Whaihua™ (digital portal), in a phase of Whakaora where activation and return catalyse transformation.

Learning does not move forward in a straight line — it returns, oscillates, and evolves, allowing deeper layers of understanding to unfold through each new cycle.

Together, these stages trace a developmental cosmology of learning — from Te Kore to Te Pō to Te Ao Mārama — illustrating how capability unfolds through cycles of potential, becoming, and illumination. This rhythm mirrors both the ascent of Poutama and the natural evolution of consciousness in practice: learning as light emerging through depth.

Contribution to Ako – Teaching and Learning

By re-envisioning the 70:20:10 framework in this way, the learning process becomes a cultural and relational experience rather than a compliance-based formula. It places equal value on formal, social, and experiential learning while embedding them in a cyclical rhythm that mirrors the relational nature of Te Ao Māori and the evolving demands of contemporary leadership.

In Kura Poutama – Poutama IQ Ascent Series pathways, this rhythm is lived, tested, and refined — enabling leaders to grow with cultural integrity, relational depth, and strategic clarity.

Evidence in a Kaupapa Māori Context

While no kaupapa Māori-specific study has evaluated the 70:20:10 learning model in the same way as its creators (McCall, Lombardo, & Morrison, 1988; Lombardo & Eichinger, 1996), there is strong evidence that its principles align closely with Māori pedagogical traditions. Māori leadership and capability development literature (Katene, 2010; Ruwhiu & Elkin, 2016) emphasises ako as a reciprocal, relational process grounded in lived experience — a clear parallel to the model’s weighting toward experiential (70%) and social (20%) learning. Wānanga pedagogy, inherently collaborative and reflective, mirrors this balance through culturally anchored processes such as hui, wānanga, and mahi-a-ringa.

The framework’s roots in experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984) align with Māori epistemologies that privilege observation, practice, and iterative application. In Aotearoa, research by Vaughan, O’Neil, and Cameron (2011) found that most workplace learning occurs informally through doing the work, interacting with others, and problem-solving in context. Formal learning is most effective when integrated with these informal processes and reinforced by opportunities for peer exchange, feedback, and collaboration.

Importantly, growing capability in today’s rapidly changing and often unpredictable environments requires more than the transfer of knowledge from experienced practitioners to emerging leaders. Mentoring offers the benefit of shared wisdom, but coaching extends beyond advice-giving — it builds a leader’s capacity for self-discovery, agility, and accountability (Coote, 2018). Professional coaching is increasingly recognised as a global development approach for both established and emerging leaders, with research showing that organisations fostering a culture of coaching report greater productivity, lower turnover, and higher innovation (McGovern et al., 2001). In a climate of constant change, coaching is not a peripheral extra — it is central to cultivating adaptive, future-ready leadership.

This cyclical rhythm of capability development that combines structured approach, relational exchange, and real-world application is reflected across the Poutama IQ Ascent Series:

• Manu Hōmiromiro: Poutama Insights provides structured and creative professional development — a strategic thinking system, frameworks, and tools that ground leadership practice.

• Hā Tārewa: Poutama Flow delivers a rhythm-based coaching framework — recalibrating leadership practice through reflective cycles, relational resonance, and embodied alignment.

• Te Puna Kōrero: Poutama Signature guides the revitalisation of professional presence — translating lived experience into strategic value across written, visual, and relational platforms.

Indigenous education scholarship (Thaman, 2003; Bishop & Berryman, 2006) shows that models emphasising relationship, contextual relevance, and applied knowledge foster deeper engagement and better outcomes for Indigenous learners. Similarly, within Te Kotahitanga, a project led by Bishop, Berryman, Cavanagh, and Teddy (2007), culturally responsive pedagogy — grounded in strong relationships and contextual relevance — was shown to significantly improve engagement and achievement for Māori learners.

Through Whakatipu: Ako Rhythm™, learning becomes a pattern of return and renewal — a dynamic movement between knowing, doing, and being that sustains capability development as a living, rhythmic practice of growth.

Reflection for Leaders

• Consider how your own learning journey balances structured development, relational exchange, and applied practice. Which phase are you most drawn to — and which might need more deliberate attention?

Further Reading

Read Vaughan, O’Neil, and Cameron’s Successful Workplace Learning: How learning happens at work (NZCER) here.

References

Bishop, R., & Berryman, M. (2006). Culture speaks: Cultural relationships and classroom learning. Huia Publishers.

Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T., & Teddy, L. (2007). Cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy. Ministry of Education. https://lms.learningcircle.co.nz/d2l/lor/viewer/viewFile.d2lfile/6606/120/Cultural%20relationships%20for%20responsive%20pedagogy.pdf

Katene, S. (2010). Modelling Māori leadership: What makes for good leadership? MAI Review, 2010(2), 1–16. https://www.journal.mai.ac.nz/maireview/article/824

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.

Lombardo, M. M., & Eichinger, R. W. (1996). The career architect development planner (2nd ed.). Lominger Limited, Inc.

McCall, M. W., Lombardo, M. M., & Morrison, A. M. (1988). The lessons of experience: How successful executives develop on the job. Lexington Books.

Ruwhiu, D., & Elkin, G. (2016). Converging pathways of contemporary leadership: In the spirit of Māori tikanga. Leadership, 12(3), 308–323. https://www.journal.mai.ac.nz/system/files/maireview/334-2540-1-PB.pdf

Thaman, K. H. (2003). Decolonizing Pacific studies: Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, and wisdom in higher education. The Contemporary Pacific, 15(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1353/cp.2003.0032

Vaughan, K., O’Neil, P., & Cameron, M. (2011). Successful workplace learning: How learning happens at work. New Zealand Council for Educational Research. https://www.nzcer.org.nz/sites/default/files/downloads/successful-workplace-learning-2011.pdf

Image credit: Tahere, K. (2025). Used with permission.

Author: Megan Tahere. (2025).