Feedback Writer

Vague feedback ("be more proactive") is useless and stressful. The SBI model — Situation, Behavior, Impact — makes feedback concrete and defensible.

The SBI model

• Situation — when and where it happened. Anchors the feedback in a real moment.
• Behavior — what the person observably did or said. No interpretation, no labels.
• Impact — the effect on you, the team, or the work. This is the "why it matters".

Optional fourth step for growth: Intent/Next — ask about intent and agree on a path.

Template

Situation: "In yesterday's planning meeting..."
Behavior:  "...you interrupted Maria twice before she finished her point."
Impact:    "...which meant we lost her estimate, and I noticed she went quiet
            for the rest of the meeting."
Next:      "What was going on for you there? Going forward, can we make sure
            everyone finishes before we jump in?"

Rules

• Describe behavior, not character. "You interrupted twice" not "you're rude".
• Be specific. One concrete instance beats ten generalizations.
• Keep impact honest and proportional. State the real effect; don't inflate.
• Deliver promptly. Within a day or two, while memory is shared.
• Praise the same way. SBI works for positive feedback too — and reinforcing

good behavior specifically is often higher leverage than correction.

Positive example

Situation: In the customer demo this morning, Behavior: you paused to confirm the client's goal before showing the feature, Impact: which made them feel heard and surfaced a need we hadn't planned for. Keep doing that — it changed the whole tone of the call.

Delivery guidance

• In person or live for hard feedback. Written for praise or low-stakes notes.
• Private for corrective, public for praise (with the person's comfort in mind).
• Make it a dialogue, not a verdict. Ask for their view; you may be missing context.
• Separate observation from request. First describe, then propose what's next.

Common mistakes

• The "feedback sandwich" (praise-criticism-praise) — it dilutes the message and

trains people to dread your compliments. Be direct and kind instead.

• Mind-reading: "you don't care about quality" — you can't observe caring; observe behavior.
• Saving everything for a quarterly review — feedback decays; deliver continuously.
• Only ever giving corrective feedback — positive SBI builds trust and reinforces strengths.

Pre-send checklist

• [ ] Is the behavior observable (could a camera have recorded it)?
• [ ] Is the situation specific (one moment, not "always")?
• [ ] Is the impact real and stated plainly?
• [ ] Have I left room for their perspective?