The SBI Frame — Practitioner Experience

Practice: The SBI Frame

Structure feedback as Situation, Behavior, Impact — so it lands as a description, not a verdict.

The Hook

Most feedback gets heard as a verdict on who someone is. SBI makes it land as a description of what they did — and that changes everything about whether it sticks.

DefaultBehavior SpectrumEmbedded

SIGNAL

When does this matter?

Any time you're about to give developmental feedback — in a 1:1, after a meeting, or following a specific incident you observed.

You're about to tell a teammate their update ran long and lost the room.

REDIRECT

What do I do?

Structure it in three parts: Situation — when and where. Behavior — exactly what you observed. Impact — the effect it had. Stop there.

You say: “In today's standup, the update ran eight minutes — two people checked out by minute four.”

SHIFT

How will I know it's working?

You'll know it's working when the person responds with a question instead of a defense.

They ask, “What should I cut next time?” instead of explaining why it ran long.

EMBEDDED

How do I know it worked?

The person hears what they did, not who they are. Feedback conversations get shorter and less charged.

A teammate says, “Your feedback never feels personal.” They ask for it more often.

↺ Repeat until Embedded

Before (Old Pattern)

After (Embedded)

Feedback lands as a judgment on who they are.
They respond with a defense.

You structure it as Situation, Behavior, Impact.
They respond with a question.

The Goal

Make feedback describe what happened, not who someone is.

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