Situation-behavior-impact: Proven Way To Give Feedback
“If you're going to say what you want to say, you're going to hear what you don't want to hear.” ― Roberto Bolaño
THINKING TOOL
Give clear feedback to others without judgement. That can be done with the situation-behavior-impact tool. When giving feedback, it can be difficult to remain objective. You and I jump to conclusions and make assumptions for why people act the way they do. Hence situation-behavior-impact was created: to remove judgement out of your feedback and make it clearer and more impactful. The tool is wonderful for constructive negative feedback as it can make the recipient less defensive.
Most of the time, when somebody disappoints you, they do not deserve your negative assumptions. You don’t realize how often you write stories about people in your head. Especially when they let you down. It happens all the time. You see behavior, assume you know why the other person acted that way, and react based on those assumptions. The problem is that people typically intend to do the right thing. They just screw up. They make a dumb mistake. They are human. Something gets scrambled or misinterpreted along the way. That is the thesis of this tool: to bridge the gap between impact and intent. In other words, to figure out why the person behaved a certain way. For real.
Using the model helps both parties give and receive feedback more comfortably. It reduces the anxiety of delivering and the defensiveness of receiving. Fortunately, the process is very simple as well: capture and clarify the situation, describe the specific behavior, and explain the impact the behavior had. That’s really it. The model is particularly useful to avoid misunderstandings and ensure that feedback is actionable and specific. Let’s give some grounds to each of those words.
Situation: when and where it happened. Provide a specific context. This will act as a concrete base for the feedback. Stay clear of generalizations like “You always…” and “You never…” and be specific “In yesterday’s team meeting at four, you…” Behavior: what the person did. Describe observable actions. Not interpretations. Keep it neutral and factual. No need for assumptions and judgmental lingo here, “… you interrupted two colleagues before they finished speaking.” Impact: the effect of their behavior. Explain the consequences on the team, work, you, or emotions. This helps the person understand why it matters, “… which made it difficult for others to share their ideas.” Your final statement is “In yesterday’s team meeting at four, you interrupted two colleagues before they finished speaking, which made it difficult for others to share their ideas.” Situation-behavior-impact.
How you can use the situation-behavior-impact effectively:
The model is often used for correcting behaviors. For giving constructive feedback without triggering defensiveness. Bad feedback: “You were rude in the meeting.” It’s vague, emotional, and subjective. Don’t you dare add an “You are always…” The better alternative: “During today’s client presentation, you interrupted the client multiple times when they were speaking, making everyone appear frustrated and less engaged in the discussion.” Oh, and don’t forget that situation-behavior-impact works for positive feedback too. It’s great for reinforcing behaviors: “Last Friday, when the project deadline was tight, you worked extra hours to help your teammates complete the report on time. This made a huge difference for keeping our client happy.”
Use situation-behavior-impact for absorbing feedback and resolving conflicts as well. If somebody gives you vague or emotion-based feedback, clarify. Ask for specifics. Separate fact from opinion. Understand the consequences. Can you describe when this happened? What exactly did I do that resulted in that impact? How did that affect you, the team, or the organization? Move disputes from emotion to facts. Resolution becomes easier. “During yesterday’s budget discussion, you raised your voice and dismissed my suggestion without discussion, which made me feel undervalued and discouraged from contributing further.” Exploit it as a leader: give clear, precise, helpful performance assessments in lieu of vague comments. “In last month’s project, you proactively identified a risk and formulated a contingency plan, which helped the team avoid delays and earned reputation from the client.”
Traditional feedback is vague. “You’re not being professional.” Whereas situation-behavior-impact feedback is specific. “In today’s meeting, you were checking your phone while the client was speaking, making them feel unappreciated.” Traditional feedback is judgmental and unclear “You have a bad attitude.” or “You did a great job.” But good feedback is neutral and clear: “Yesterday, you sighed loudly and rolled your eyes when critiqued, which made your colleague hesitant to share their thoughts.” and “In the client call on Monday, you explained the project clearly, which reassured the team and resulted in immediate approval.”
Situation-behavior-impact works. It makes feedback specific, factual, and actionable. It works for both constructive and positive feedback—or critique and praise. It reduces defensiveness and improves communication. It helps leaders, teams, and individuals grow through clear, meaningful conversation. Use the model for a culture of clarity, accountability, and growth-oriented feedback. You can also expand it to include a fourth element, intent. Sometimes you may want to figure out why they behaved a certain way. Maybe there’s a sound reason hidden under a veil of your assumptions. Ask. What were you hoping to accomplish with that? What was going on for you? Simple solutions follow.
Grab the template and start using situation-behavior-impact today.