SBI Feedback Model in Coaching: Situation, Behavior, Impact — Examples & Questions
SBI is a feedback model, not a session structure — but it belongs in every coach's toolkit. Coaches use it to give observations without judgement, and they teach it to leaders who need to have difficult conversations. The extended SBI-I adds a question about intent, turning feedback into a coaching conversation.
Origin: Developed by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) as a simple structure for feedback that describes behaviour and its effect instead of judging the person.
SBI at a glance — Situation, Behavior, Impact
- 1Situation: Anchor the feedback in a specific time and place so it is about one event, not a personality.
- 2Behavior: Describe what the person did or said — observable, not interpreted.
- 3Impact: State the effect on you, the team or the work.
- 4Intent (SBI-I): Ask about the intention behind the behaviour, turning feedback into dialogue.
The SBI steps, with questions
Situation
Anchor the feedback in a specific time and place so it is about one event, not a personality.
- “In yesterday's planning meeting, when the estimates came up…”
- “On the call with the client on Tuesday…”
- “Which specific moment are we talking about?”
Behavior
Describe what the person did or said — observable, not interpreted.
- “…you interrupted Ana twice and restated her point.”
- “…you said 'that's not my problem' and left the call.”
- “What exactly did they do or say — as a camera would record it?”
Impact
State the effect on you, the team or the work.
- “…the effect on me was that I stopped sharing estimates.”
- “…the client went quiet and the deal slipped a week.”
- “What was the impact — on you, on others, on the result?”
Intent (SBI-I)
Ask about the intention behind the behaviour, turning feedback into dialogue.
- “What was going on for you at that moment?”
- “What were you hoping would happen?”
- “How did you see it from your side?”
When to use SBI — and when not to
Use it when
- • Sharing an observation with a client without interpreting it (a core ICF skill)
- • Coaching leaders on giving feedback to their teams
- • Difficult conversations where judgement would trigger defensiveness
Set it aside when
- • As a substitute for coaching — SBI delivers an observation; the client still needs to explore it
- • When you cannot name a specific situation and behaviour (then you have an opinion, not feedback)
Example: SBI in a coaching conversation
SBI model FAQ
What does SBI stand for?+
Situation, Behavior, Impact — describe when it happened, what the person did, and the effect it had. SBI-I adds Intent: asking what they were trying to achieve.
Is SBI a coaching model?+
It is a feedback model used inside coaching and leadership. Coaches use it to share observations without judgement and teach it to managers.
How is SBI different from the STAR model?+
STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) structures a story about something that happened, often for reflection or interviews. SBI structures feedback about someone's behaviour and its impact.
Related models and guides
- STAR coaching model — Situation, Task, Action, Result
- GROW coaching model — Goal, Reality, Options, Will
- CLEAR coaching model — Contracting, Listening, Exploring, Action, Review
- All coaching models compared
- The 8 ICF Core Competencies
- Coaching questions library
Steps and questions are a map for the coach, not a script for the client — ICF assesses the competencies, not the model.
Practice the SBI Model with AI
Understanding a model is easy. Applying it in a live conversation is hard.
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