Situation, behaviour, impact
Feedback anchored in a specific situation, describing observable behaviour instead of inferred character, and naming the impact. It removes the two triggers of defensiveness, generalisation and diagnosed intent, and gives the person something they can change.
Evidence grade: practice A widely adopted practitioner model with clear provenance.
Use it when
Any corrective or reinforcing feedback, at any seniority, in either direction.
Where it stops working
The structure does not supply the courage. A well-shaped message that is never delivered is still avoidance. For a pattern, name the pattern and support it with several specific instances.
Where the standard uses it
- PL-2Feedback and difficult conversationsTimely, specific, behaviour-anchored, in both directions.
Sources
- Sloan R. Weitzel. Feedback That Works: How to Build and Deliver Your Message. Center for Creative Leadership Press, 2000. In the bibliography
Used alongside it
- Feedback as a system practice
- Radical candour practice
- The three triggers practice
Cite this model
Chicago, BibTeX and licence →Engineering Management Academy. (2026). Situation, behaviour, impact. In Engineering Management Academy Body of Knowledge (Version 3.1, TEC.situation-behaviour-impact). https://www.engineeringmanagement.academy/body-of-knowledge/techniques/situation-behaviour-impact