Remember how feedback triggers threat responses? There's a simple framework that cuts through this problem: the SBI model.

SBI stands for Situation-Behavior-Impact. It's your roadmap for giving feedback that feels safe and specific rather than threatening and vague.

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Ever wished you had a formula for difficult conversations?

Let's break down each piece. Situation means describing when and where something happened - the specific context.

Instead of "You always interrupt," try "In today's team meeting when we discussed the budget..."

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See how the specific situation feels less threatening than "always"?

Behavior describes exactly what you observed - just the facts, no interpretation or judgment.

Not "you were rude" but "you spoke over Sarah three times while she was presenting her ideas."

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Can you feel the difference between facts and judgment?

Impact explains how the behavior affected you, the team, or the work - without making assumptions about their intentions.

"When you spoke over Sarah, I noticed she stopped sharing ideas and the meeting became tense."

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Notice how this avoids mind-reading about why they did it?

Here's why SBI works: it keeps you in the safe zone of observable facts rather than threatening interpretations.

Compare "You're disrespectful" (judgment) with "In today's meeting, you interrupted Sarah three times, which caused her to stop contributing."

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Which one would make you less defensive?

SBI also makes it easier for people to change because they know exactly what to do differently.