Page 144 · Module 06, Build Your Team · this screen continues that page
All 108 frameworksSBI Feedback Model
Give feedback that actually changes behaviour, not just makes you feel like you said it
The prompt
Copy & paste readyLabelsReplace theseSwap the role below
Pro tip, from the book
The most powerful part of SBI is what comes after the pause. Deliver the Impact statement and stop talking. Most leaders fill the silence with justifications or softening language that undoes the feedback. Let the person respond to what they heard. Their response tells you everything about whether the feedback landed.
Who should run this prompt
Module role profileWho should advise on people and leadership decisions? Leadership decisions are the highest-leverage decisions in any organisation — and the hardest to get right because the stakes are human. The roles on this page bring the perspectives of people who have seen hundreds of teams succeed and fail. Use them before hiring, before giving difficult feedback, before restructuring, and before having the conversations you have been avoiding.
Choose any role to drop it into the prompt above. Only the highlighted opening clause changes — the rest of the prompt stays exactly as printed.
◆◆◆◆◆ → ◆ seniority, board level down to specialist◈ outside the organisation
How to make any role sharper
- Add years of experience: "...with 15 years in enterprise SaaS" produces different depth than just the title.
- Add what they care most about: "You care most about [X]" shapes every word of the output.
- Add their communication style: "Be direct. Flag risks first. No jargon." changes the tone entirely.
Use this when
The problem it solvesYou avoid giving difficult feedback because it always turns into a difficult conversation. Or you give feedback that the person defends against instead of hears. The problem stays the same, the conversation gets harder each time.
How the framework works
From the printed pageDeveloped by the Center for Creative Leadership, the SBI model structures feedback across three elements: Situation (the specific context , when and where), Behaviour (the observable action, what you saw or heard, not your interpretation), and Impact (the effect the behaviour had on you, the team, or the outcome). SBI removes the most common feedback failure modes: vague generalisations ('you're not a team player'), character judgements ('you're disorganised'), and assumed intent ('you clearly don't care'). AI can help you convert a difficult feedback situation into a clean SBI statement.
The method, in four moves
Do these in orderWrite the Behaviour in observable terms only what you could have filmed, not what you interpreted.
State the Impact from your perspective, 'I felt' or 'the team experienced' - not 'you caused.'
Deliver the SBI statement and then pause, ask the person what they think, before adding anything.
Use SBI for positive feedback too specific positive feedback is far more memorable than general praise SBI removes judgment from your language, but the pause after delivering it is where the real change happens. Skip the pause and rush to solutions, and it's still a lecture, just a well-structured one.
Where the framework comes from
Center for Creative Leadership — SBI Feedback Model
Pairs well with
As printed with this frameworkModule 06 — Build Your Team
Build people who build the company leadership is the product.
12 frameworks, printed on pages 135–158.
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