> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.designreference.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://www.designreference.xyz/cognitive-tools/universal/managing-people/situation-behaviour-impact-sbi.md).

# Situation-Behaviour-Impact (SBI)

The Situation-Behaviour-Impact (SBI) model is a simple, three-part structure for giving feedback that is constructive, objective, and focused purely on growth.

#### Why SBI Works

The key to SBI's effectiveness is its ability to remove emotion, judgment, and interpretation from the feedback process. Instead of delivering subjective criticism, the focus is placed on observable facts and the tangible consequences of actions. This makes the recipient far less likely to become defensive because there is no arguing with what was said or done in a specific place and time.

#### The Three Components

The model works by guiding the person delivering feedback through three consecutive statements, ensuring the recipient understands the *what, when, why,* and *how* of the feedback:

**Situation (S)**

Start by setting the scene: the specific time and place where the behaviour occurred. This is critical because it anchors the feedback to a single, undeniable event. The statement might begin with, "In the client review meeting last Tuesday..." or "When setting up the booth at the conference yesterday morning..."

**Behaviour (B)**

Next, describe the specific, observable actions or words used. This step avoids generalizations. For example, instead of saying, "...seemed distracted," the feedback should be, "...was scrolling through a phone while the client was speaking." The description must be factual and something that can be verified.

**Impact (I)**

Finally, clearly explain the consequence or effect of that behaviour on the team, the project, or others. This is the crucial part that gives the feedback meaning. The loop is closed by stating, "...and the impact of that scrolling was that it sent a message of being disengaged, which created anxiety about the contract renewal." This statement directly links the behaviour to a real outcome, providing the motivation for change.

When put together, the result is a clear, factual statement like:

> When the project documentation was left incomplete on Friday (S), and colleagues had to spend the weekend filling in the missing data (B), the impact was that two people missed family commitments and started the next week feeling stressed (I).

This makes the feedback direct, actionable, and focused on improvement.

#### Further Reading

{% embed url="<https://untools.co/situation-behavior-impact/>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/closing-the-gap-between-intent-vs-impact-sbii/>" %}

{% embed url="<https://careerminds.com/blog/sbi-model-situation-behavior-impact>" %}

#### Further Viewing

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOSo7TiFX90>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk79WxURKtU>" %}


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