| name | situation-behavior-impact |
| description | Use Situation-Behavior-Impact to give clear, non-judgmental feedback by naming the context, observed behavior, and impact. Use when feedback risks becoming vague, personal, or hard to act on. |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"itzcull"} |
Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI)
Overview
- Category: Communication Tool
- Purpose: Give clearer, non-judgmental feedback
How It Works
1. Situation
- Describe the specific context where the behavior occurred
- Makes feedback more concrete and relatable
2. Behavior
- Describe the exact behavior observed
- Focus on facts, not interpretations
- Critical for removing personal judgment
3. Impact
- Explain the consequences of the behavior
- Share personal thoughts and feelings
- Describe broader team or organizational effects
Optional: Intent
- Ask about the person's original intention
- Helps understand potential misalignment between intent and impact
Example
A manager giving feedback to a team member:
Situation: "In yesterday's product review meeting..."
Behavior: "...you didn't share recent learnings about customer feature usage..."
Impact: "...which made me worry if you've been talking to customers recently"
Intent: "Why didn't you share anything this time?"
Key Takeaways
- Provide clear, objective feedback
- Remove personal judgment
- Focus on specific behaviors and their impacts
- Encourage reflection and discussion
Template
A worksheet is available in the Untools Worksheets bundle
Source
"Use Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI)" by Center for Creative Leadership
SBI and Situation-Behavior-Impact are trademarks of the Center for Creative Leadership.
Source: https://untools.co/situation-behavior-impact/
