Leading people
Delivering Feedback
5 lessons · ~27 min total
01
From accurate to actionable
~6 minTurn feedback that's true but vague into something the other person can actually act on.
Key takeaways
- Accurate feedback states what's true; actionable feedback states what to change.
- Actionable feedback = a specific behavior + its impact + a concrete alternative.
- Behavior + impact without an alternative is a complaint, not coaching.
02
Situation, Behavior, Impact
~5 minUse SBI to deliver hard feedback so it lands as an observation, not an attack.
Key takeaways
- SBI = Situation, Behavior, Impact, anchor feedback to a specific moment.
- State observed behavior, not your interpretation of it, observations are hard to dispute.
03
Handling a defensive reaction
~6 minKeep a feedback conversation productive when the other person pushes back, minimizes, or gets defensive.
Key takeaways
- Defensiveness is a threat response, not proof your feedback was wrong.
- Acknowledge the reaction and get curious before restating the specific behavior. Curiosity de-escalates.
- When someone reframes your point into an extreme, name the false choice and return to the one behavior you raised.
04
Affirming vs. developmental feedback
~5 minBalance affirming and developmental feedback and choose the right moment to deliver each.
Key takeaways
- Affirming feedback makes good behavior repeatable; name the exact behavior and its impact, not just “great job.”
- Keep affirming and developmental feedback in separate conversations; the sandwich teaches people to discount praise.
- Praise the behavior, not the person: specific beats flattering.
05
In the moment vs. saved for later
~5 minChoose when feedback should be delivered on the spot and when it should wait for a private, calmer moment.
Key takeaways
- Feedback loses power as it ages: default to within a day or two, one on one.
- Go immediate only to stop live damage, and even then repair the situation in the room, deliver the personal feedback in private.
- When emotions are too hot, name the delay out loud instead of letting the feedback quietly expire.
Try a sample check
A sample from the Delivering Feedback track. The real checks unlock with an account.
Delivering Feedback
In a 1:1, you tell a report their demo ran long and rambled. They say: "Everyone goes over sometimes." What is your best next move?
Start Delivering Feedback.
Your first lesson takes five minutes, and you can do it right now without an account.