Radar Brief · 1 min read
Better feedback begins with what happened
Useful feedback starts with a specific moment and something a person actually did. Asking about their intention can reveal what an assumption misses.
Center for Creative Leadership · SBI and intent
Make the conversation concrete
The Center for Creative Leadership describes Situation–Behavior–Impact, often shortened to SBI. The framework asks you to identify a situation, describe observable behavior, and explain its impact. Its extended approach adds a question about the person’s intention.
The distinction is practical. “You are careless” judges a person. Describing what happened gives both people something they can examine. An observation also leaves room for an explanation you may not have considered.
Curiosity after the observation
In a kitchen, a changed handoff might look like disregard for a colleague when it actually reflects an unclear instruction or a competing demand. That possibility does not erase the effect on the team. It makes the next conversation more useful.
SBI offers a structure for starting that conversation. Listening remains essential: what was the person trying to do, and what did each of you understand about the situation? The framework’s value lies in making feedback easier to discuss, rather than turning a difficult exchange into a script.
Original work & further reading
Center for Creative Leadership · SBI and intent ↗
Source published August 19, 2025
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