Measures, milestones, and learning actions

The video focuses on AC 2.3 of FREE07 – Coaching, Appraisals and Giving Feedback, covering what comes after a SMART objective has been written: specifically, how to build the measures, milestones, and learning actions that turn a written goal into a working development plan. It addresses the distinction between quantitative measures — such as sales figures or error rates — and qualitative ones, such as observable behavioural change or stakeholder feedback, and examines what constitutes convincing evidence of achievement from a neutral standpoint. The video also looks at how milestones function as intermediate checkpoints within longer-term objectives, including how their sequencing relates to the logical dependencies of a given goal.

A significant portion of the video is devoted to learning actions and the 70-20-10 model, which frames on-the-job experience, learning from others, and formal training as distinct but complementary sources of development. The video covers concrete examples within each category: stretch assignments, project leadership, shadowing, and deputising sit within the experiential strand; coaching relationships, mentoring arrangements, and observing role models fall under social learning; and training courses, e-learning, qualifications, and professional reading represent the formal strand. The discussion considers how to select an appropriate combination of these approaches for a specific objective rather than defaulting to formal training alone.

The video also addresses the practical infrastructure that supports a development plan once objectives, measures, and learning actions are in place — covering agreed support, resources such as time allocation and training budgets, access to systems, and the importance of documenting who provides each form of support and when. This connects directly to the indicative content for AC 2.3 around accountability, follow-up schedules, and linking objectives to organisational priorities and role expectations, all of which feature in the video's treatment of how development plans remain active and useful rather than static records.