By Gaurav Sangtani · Module 02
The Art of
Feedback
The conversations that change behaviour, build trust, and develop people — without damaging the relationship.
By Gaurav Sangtani · Module 02
The conversations that change behaviour, build trust, and develop people — without damaging the relationship.
Six principles that separate feedback that changes people from feedback that just upsets them.
Eight questions to reveal your feedback patterns and how they land with your team.
Question 1 of 8
How often do you give specific, behavioural feedback to your team members?
Question 2 of 8
When you give developmental feedback, how specific are you about the behaviour?
Question 3 of 8
How do you handle a situation where someone is underperforming repeatedly?
Question 4 of 8
How much reinforcing (positive) feedback do you give compared to redirecting (developmental) feedback?
Question 5 of 8
When you give feedback, how does the recipient typically respond?
Question 6 of 8
How soon after an event do you typically give feedback?
Question 7 of 8
Do you ask for permission before giving developmental feedback?
Question 8 of 8
How do you follow up after giving developmental feedback?
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A breakdown of the SBI model, when to use each feedback type, and an interactive builder to craft your next conversation.
SBI is the gold standard for feedback delivery because it removes vagueness, reduces defensiveness, and focuses on facts rather than judgements. Each element does a specific job — remove one and the feedback loses its power.
Ground the feedback in a specific, recent moment. This prevents the recipient from dismissing it as a vague pattern or feeling ambushed by something they cannot recall.
Describe only what was observable — what was said or done. No interpretations, no motives, no labels like "rude" or "disengaged". Just the action itself.
Share the effect that behaviour had — on you, the team, the client, or the outcome. Own it with "I noticed" or "it meant that". This is not blame — it is consequence.
Anchors a specific behaviour you want repeated. More than "good job" — it names exactly what was done and why it mattered. Creates conscious competence.
ReinforceAddresses a behaviour that needs to change. Not a character judgement — a specific observation about an action and its effect, followed by a clear alternative.
RedirectForward-looking. Focuses on building a capability over time rather than correcting a single incident. Often best delivered in a 1:1 coaching conversation.
DevelopStructured and documented. Should never contain surprises — everything in a formal review should already have been said informally. The review is a summary, not a reveal.
FormalIdeal for most feedback — both reinforcing and redirecting. The event is fresh, context is clear, and behaviour change is most likely.
If the person is about to repeat the same situation (another presentation, another client call), give the feedback before it, not after.
Acceptable for minor observations or when the person needs time to decompress first. Still useful, but impact fades with each passing day.
The person cannot connect the feedback to a clear memory. It feels like an ambush. Avoid unless part of a pattern you are formally documenting.
Annual or quarterly-only feedback is one of the most common leadership failures. It is too infrequent to drive development and too delayed to feel relevant.
Fill in the three SBI fields below to generate a complete, ready-to-use feedback statement.
Your Feedback Statement