SBI model (Situation, Behavior, Impact): meaning

The SBI model is an operating framework in three steps for giving effective feedback: the situation anchors the feedback to a specific reference (e.g. "in Tuesday's meeting"), the behavior describes in observable terms what the team member did or did not do, and the impact spells out what effect that behavior had on the project, the team or the other person. Without the situation, feedback floats in generalities; without observable behavior, it slides into judgment; without the impact, the behavior looks like a stylistic preference. The structure applies both to positive, reinforcing feedback and to corrective feedback.

Distinctive: three steps
Distinctive: specific reference
Essential: situation
Essential: behavior
Essential: impact
Constant: observable terms

Glossary

SBI model (Situation, Behavior, Impact)

A three-step framework for structuring effective feedback: anchor it to a specific situation, describe the observable behavior and spell out its impact.