Welcome to this unit, where you'll master the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model—a crucial tool for delivering precise and objective feedback. By understanding and applying this model, you'll ensure that your feedback is clear, actionable, and less likely to provoke defensiveness in the recipient. Let’s dive in.

The SBI model stands for Situation, Behavior, and Impact. This framework helps ground your feedback in observable facts rather than subjective judgments. For example, instead of saying, "You're always late," use the model to say, "During yesterday’s team meeting (Situation), you arrived 10 minutes late (Behavior), which delayed our project update discussion (Impact)."

This structured approach allows you to articulate your observations objectively and constructively, minimizing the chance for misunderstandings and defensive reactions.

Delivering feedback using the SBI model involves three clear steps:

Identify the Situation: Begin by specifying the context in which the behavior occurred. For instance: "During this morning's status meeting..."

Describe the Behavior: Focus on specific, observable actions rather than traits or assumptions. For example: "You interrupted your colleague three times."

Explain the Impact: Articulate how this behavior affected the team, project, or individual. For example: "This caused your colleague to feel undervalued and disrupted the meeting flow."

Crafting your feedback using these steps ensures that it is clear, specific, and actionable.

Applying the SBI model in various situations will solidify your proficiency. Here are a couple of examples:

• Positive Feedback: "During last week’s client presentation (Situation), you answered all questions clearly and confidently (Behavior), which impressed the clients and built their trust in our expertise (Impact)."

• Constructive Feedback: "In the last sprint (Situation), you delivered the report two days late (Behavior), which caused delays in the project timeline and added stress to the team (Impact)."

Let's look at a sample dialogue that illustrates using the SBI model in action.

• Victoria: Jake, during our last team meeting, you kept looking at your phone.
• Jake: Oh, I didn’t realize it was disruptive.
• Victoria: It caused interruptions and made it hard for us to stay on track with the agenda.

In this dialogue, Victoria clearly identifies the situation (team meeting), the behavior (Jake looking at his phone), and the impact (caused interruptions and made it hard to stay on track).

This dialogue exemplifies how the SBI model makes feedback clearer and more impactful. Mastering this approach will foster a more open and constructive communication culture in your team.

As we conclude this segment, get ready to apply the SBI model in the upcoming role-play sessions designed to enhance your feedback delivery skills effectively.