Feedback and coaching frameworks for managers: SBI, GROW, Radical Candor and more
Use SBI (Situation, Behaviour, Impact) to give specific, fair feedback; GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward) to coach people to solve their own problems; Radical Candor to care personally while challenging directly; situational leadership to match your style to each person's readiness; and feedforward to focus on what to do next. Give feedback soon, in private for criticism, and about behaviour, never personality.
- Describe behaviour, not personality
- Give feedback within days, not at appraisal time
- Coach with questions before offering answers
- Adjust your style to each person's experience on the task
- Praise in public, correct in private
Feedback and coaching are where most managers struggle, especially first-time managers promoted for being great individual contributors. These frameworks give you a structure, so hard conversations become clear and fair.
SBI: specific, fair feedback
Situation, Behaviour, Impact, from the Center for Creative Leadership.
- Situation: when and where.
- Behaviour: what the person did, observable and specific.
- Impact: the effect on you, the team, the customer or the result.
Then ask a question and listen.
"In yesterday's sprint review (situation), you presented the delay without a recovery plan (behaviour). The client left unsure whether we'd hit the launch date, and they've escalated (impact). What happened, and what do you think we should send them today?"
SBI works for praise too: "In the board meeting, you answered the CFO's question on margins with the exact numbers. It built a lot of confidence in our plan."
GROW: coach people to their own answers
Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward, associated with Sir John Whitmore.
| Step | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Goal | What do you want to achieve? What would success look like? |
| Reality | What's happening now? What have you tried? |
| Options | What could you do? What else? What would you do if there were no constraints? |
| Way forward | What will you do, by when? What support do you need? |
GROW takes ten minutes and builds people who solve problems, instead of a queue outside your door.
Radical Candor: care personally, challenge directly
Kim Scott's framework plots feedback on two axes: how much you care personally and how much you challenge directly.
- Radical Candor: high care, high challenge. The goal.
- Ruinous Empathy: high care, low challenge. Being "nice" while someone keeps failing. The most common trap.
- Obnoxious Aggression: low care, high challenge.
- Manipulative Insincerity: low care, low challenge.
Situational leadership: match your style to the person
Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard's model says the right style depends on the person's competence and commitment for this specific task:
- Directing for someone new to the task: clear instructions, close follow-up.
- Coaching for someone learning but losing confidence: direction plus encouragement.
- Supporting for someone capable but hesitant: listen, encourage, share decisions.
- Delegating for someone skilled and confident: agree the outcome and step back.
The same person can need delegating on one task and directing on another.
Feedforward: focus on the future
Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith's idea: instead of dwelling on what went wrong, ask for suggestions for the future. "For the next client pitch, one thing I'd try is opening with their numbers, not ours."
Five rules for any feedback conversation
- Soon: within a day or two, not at appraisal time.
- Private for correction, public for praise.
- Specific: behaviour and impact, never "you're careless".
- Two-way: ask for their view and listen.
- Agree a next step and follow up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SBI feedback model?
SBI stands for Situation, Behaviour, Impact. You describe when and where something happened, the specific behaviour you observed, and its effect, then invite the person's view.
What is the GROW model in coaching?
GROW is a four-step coaching conversation: Goal, Reality, Options and Way forward. The manager asks questions so the person finds and commits to their own solution.
How do I give negative feedback without demotivating someone?
Be specific about behaviour and impact, show you care about their success, ask for their perspective, and agree a clear next step. Avoid labels about personality.
How often should managers give feedback?
Little and often. Short, specific feedback every week works better than a long list at the annual appraisal.
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