situation-behavior-impact

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.

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Source: https://untools.co/situation-behavior-impact/