Effective Feedback Techniques for Team Workshops

Conversations of consequence are substantive conversations that allow us to directly address issues, resolve problems, and deliver great results. If we're not able to have these “conversations" at work, it’s likely that we aren't communicating effectively as an organization and limiting our ability to accomplish big things. Perhaps more importantly, when we don't have conversations of consequence, feedback is not getting to the right people at the right time. Feedback (information, data, stories) that are critical to making decisions and understanding how the business is performing in the moment. To help us all, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) has created an easy to understand and use model for people within organizations to have these kinds of conversations. The "Situation, Behavior, Impact" (SBI) model is a framework designed for people on your team to provide clear and actionable feedback. It helps individuals give feedback in a way that is specific, objective, and focused on observable behaviors rather than personal attributes. The model is particularly effective in professional settings, where clear communication and constructive feedback are crucial for personal and organizational growth. Here's a breakdown of each component of the SBI feedback model: Situation (S): Start by describing the specific situation where the behavior happened. This provides context and helps the recipient understand when and where the behavior took place." Example: "During our team meeting this morning..." Behavior (B): Describe the person's actions clearly and objectively, focusing on what they did without making judgments or assumptions. Example: "...when you interrupted me while I was speaking..." Impact (I): Explain the effects of the person's behavior on others or the situation. This helps them understand the consequences of their actions and how it made you feel. Example: "...it made me feel like my contributions were not valued, and disrupted the flow of the discussion." The SBI feedback model is effective because it makes the feedback clear, specific, and actionable. It avoids generalizations or personal attacks, focusing on observable actions and their consequences. Using this model, feedback is delivered in a non-confrontational way, helping individuals clearly see how their behavior impacts others. It's especially useful for those looking to improve, as the feedback is specific, constructive, and directly linked to real situations. This model can be used in many situations; performance reviews, in cases of resolving conflict, and daily communication. It can help to strengthen relationships and support personal and professional growth. Now that you have the SBI framework, try it out. It should bring a new level of confidence to those "conversations of consequence" we need to be having. #leadership #situationbehaviorimpact #CCL #execution

I’m a huge fan of “radical candor,” but it has been abused to just “swoop and poop” with one-way feedback that makes people feel like crap. I can genuinely say this model for constructive feedback was life-changing. The person providing the feedback is asked to listen and engage with curiosity, not just share “constructive criticism”. It’s called SHARED. Rebecca Zucker introduced it to everyone Costanoa Ventures at one of our CEO Summits. This is how I describe it: 1️⃣ Lead with your intent. “I’m sharing this feedback because I believe in your potential as a leader, and I want to help you work on what might be in the way.” 2️⃣ Share what you observed. Include context. “In last week’s meeting, you said there was an issue getting the presentation done on time for sales. But you didn’t say the timeframe in which they should now expect it. I could sense the sales teams’ frustration, and it didn’t make clear you were doing all you could to get things back on track.” 3️⃣ Ask for their experience of the situation. This is the important part. Engage with curiosity and listen to what’s said and also what it infers. It's how to build shared understanding and points to where assumptions are getting in the way. “I assumed by my saying things had slipped that people would know I was doing all I could to get things back on track. It’s hard to hear that I don’t have enough credibility in the organization that people wouldn’t just assume I was doing everything I could. I work really hard for the team”  4️⃣ Close with a coaching conversation. You now have each sides’ perspective so you know what needs to be coached. In this particular situation, you can coach what proactive management of a situation looks like to most as well as address something that was presumed but not said that clearly hurt someone’s feelings. This person is equating hard work with getting the job done. And is making the feedback about their effort overall and not the situation at hand. These are important things to address during the coaching part of the feedback. People aren’t left wondering what is thought of them and you can coach on what the actual situation at hand is. I give more examples and the details of the SHARED model in the article. This feedback framework helped me give more constructive feedback and make feedback I'm getting feel more constructive. Save the world from swoop and poop moments and please share! #leadership #management #productmanagement #marketing #marketingstrategy #startups #prodmgmt #talent #careers #CEO

I once had a team of insecure overachiever analysts. They were introverts, brilliant at their work, and incredibly nice people. Too nice, as it turned out. They were so nice that they wouldn't tell each other what was really going on. Instead, they'd come to me: "So-and-so is doing this thing that's really annoying. Can you do something about it?" I got sick of everyone putting me in the middle instead of taking ownership of their issues with each other. So I did something about it. I brought in trainers from the Center for Creative Leadership to teach everyone the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model (link in comments). The process was simple but powerful: 1. Describe the situation so everyone's on the same page. 2. Share the specific behavior you observed (no judgments about intent). 3. Explain the impact on you or the other people in the room. We started with positive feedback to create safety. We practiced saying things like, “When you walked into that meeting with a big smile, the impact was that it put everyone at ease." Everyone started spotlighting the good that was happening, and that encouraged more thoughtful interactions. Then, we practiced constructive feedback—harder, but even more important. The impact was almost immediate. Soon, I heard people asking each other, "Hey, can I give you an SBI?" The framework made it safe. More importantly, we came to give and receive feedback for the gift that it is. That ability to give and receive honest, thoughtful feedback is the foundation of every healthy team culture. But it's a skill we rarely train for. I’m curious: What frameworks have you used in your organizations to create a culture of feedback?