The SBI feedback model: your go-to guide for end-of-year reviews
Simplify the feedback process and make your evaluations impactful, fair, and actionable.
This week, I have been reflecting on the exercise of providing feedback. You know, it’s calibration time with end-of-year reviews. As a senior manager, I have to provide lots of feedback and can’t improvise when doing so.
This is why I wanted to share with you a framework that I have really taken to practice. I really hope its simplicity helps you not only provide constructive feedback, but also be fair when you are praising someone!
Let’s dive in!
Let’s begin with 3 questions for you
How many times have you tried to deliver feedback and started stumbling on your words or bouncing from topic to topic?
How many times have you known that someone is doing great, but you can’t really specifically say why?
How many times have you found yourself hesitating to give feedback because you worry it might come across the wrong way?
Well, that has happened to me multiple times. And jezz it’s uncomfortable if any of the 3 above happen.
In this blog post I want to present you a way to deliver fair and robust feedback through the SBI feedback model.
Take a step back — why do you want to provide feedback?
If your answer is because it is part of the business-as-usual process we have to run each half a year…
… then you are probably on the wrong path…
Personally, there are 3 things I want to achieve through providing feedback.
Recognise something that an individual is doing well.
Develop an individual to perform more efficiently / effectively or learn something new for their growth.
Improve or correct behaviours which negatively impact the individual’s performance.
Providing feedback on the 3 different dimensions above can seem to need different approaches, but I believe that the SBI feedback model provides a way to be consistent on how you provide feedback, regardless of the goal for it.
The SBI(N) feedback model
Let me show you examples of how would I apply SBI to recognise, develop and improve.
Recognition through the SBI model.
Most recognition sounds like this: “Great job!” Nice to hear, but not very helpful. Why was it great? What should they keep doing?
Sit down and analyse the 4 dimensions below:
Situation. Identify the situation. If you can be specific about time and place, then much better
Behaviour. Try to be factual. Avoid opinion. This is about behaviour.
Impact. Try to draw a connection with the behaviour to an outcome.
(Next steps). Encourage keeping up the good practices. Help provide guidance on what could be even better.
Example.
(Situation) In the all-hands presentation to the execs last week…
(Behaviour) You presented the results of our new machine learning algorithm, which sparked lots of questions, and you had answers for all of them…
(Impact) Stakeholders are confident that you are in the detail of our work, even if the results were not as expected…
(Next Steps) The preparation of questions really helped, keep it for future sessions. I recommend also investing some extra time on learning best practices for data visualisation.
Development through the SBIN model.
Giving feedback for growth can be tricky. You want to encourage development without sounding overly critical.
Situation. Identify the situation. If you can be specific about time and place, then much better
Behaviour. Try to be factual. Avoid opinion. This is about behaviour.
Impact. Try to draw a connection with the behaviour to an outcome.
(Next steps). Suggest areas of improvement with specific examples. Dont solve the problem, but help with 1 or 2 clear problems.
Example.
(Situation) In our monthly planning sessions with engineering stakeholders…
(Behaviour) You asked for engineering help on implementing a change to the way we log our events data, but this was the first time they were hearing about this request…
(Impact) Engineering pushed backed as they hadn’t planned for this in the upcoming quarter…
(Next Steps) With these requests, I suggest preparing engineering before hand with a few sessions where we clearly explain the problem and the impact of the solution. This might make stakeholders less defensive in the first go.
Improvement through the SBI model.
Giving corrective feedback can feel uncomfortable. But when done right, it builds trust and drives improvement.
Situation. Identify the situation. If you can be specific about time and place, then much better
Behaviour. Try to be factual. Avoid opinion. This is about behaviour.
Impact. Try to draw a connection with the behaviour to an outcome.
(Next steps). Try to understand the reasons behind their behaviour. Don’t assume.
Example.
(Situation) During the last few meetings…
(Behaviour) I noticed that you were not asking questions as you usually do…
(Impact) I know you had a couple of ideas you wanted to discuss with the team, but we didn’t get time to discuss it. We will need an additional meeting to cover these…
(Next Steps) Did anything keep you from participating? How can I support you to participate more in these meetings?
How to start practising delivering feedback with the SBI model?
Getting started with the SBI model is easier than it sounds, especially if you ease into it step by step. Here are some practical tips:
Start with formal feedback processes. While continuous feedback is ideal, SBI is not designed for casual chats over coffee. It’s more a tool for structured conversations, like mid-year or end-of-year performance reviews. These settings give you the time and space to explore each element thoroughly.
Begin with writing. If diving straight into verbal delivery feels intimidating, start by drafting your feedback in writing. Writing helps you distill your thoughts into the four SBI(N) dimensions—Situation, Behaviour, Impact, and Next Steps—ensuring your feedback is accurate and balanced. Plus, what might come out as a verbal blurt (the typical thing you say and then regret or think it could have been say differently) can transform into something more thoughtful and constructive when put on paper.
Practice makes progress. The first few times might feel clunky, and that is okay. The goal is to get comfortable with the structure, so it becomes second nature. Give it a try next time your colleague presents something, or even easier, set yourself a Friday reminder to praise someone that week. You can write these piece of feedback using the SBI model.
Summary
Delivering feedback does not have to be a nerve-wracking experience.
With the SBI model, you have a simple, effective way to recognise achievements, foster development, and address areas for improvement. And most importantly, doing it fairly and with clarity.
Here is the essence of SBI(N):
Situation: Set the context clearly.
Behaviour: Focus on observable actions, not opinions.
Impact: Link the behaviour to tangible outcomes.
Next Steps: Provide actionable guidance to move forward.
Your turn!
Next time you find yourself struggling to deliver feedback, remember: SBI is your guide to clear, fair, and meaningful conversations.
Try it out, and let me know how it works for you!