Professional Development
Feedback That Helps: A Guide to Giving Constructive Criticism in English
Giving feedback, especially when it's critical, is one of the most challenging communication tasks for any professional. For non-native English speakers, the challenge is amplified by the need to navigate cultural nuances and choose precise, professional language. The goal is to be constructive—to help the person improve—not to criticize or demotivate.
A simple yet powerful framework can guide you: the SBI Model (Situation-Behavior-Impact). Using this structure and the right phrases can make your feedback clear, objective, and effective. The BizVoc app can help you master the phrases you need to communicate like a leader.
The SBI Framework for Constructive Feedback
This model breaks your feedback down into three objective parts, removing personal judgment and focusing on facts.
1. Situation: Set the Context
Start by pinpointing a specific time and place. This makes the feedback concrete and avoids vague generalizations.
- "In this morning's client call..."
- "When you were presenting the quarterly results yesterday..."
- "In the project update email you sent on Tuesday..."
2. Behavior: Describe the Action
Describe the specific, observable action or behavior. This is the crucial step—stick to the facts of what you saw or heard, not your interpretation or opinion of it.
- "I noticed that you interrupted the client a few times while they were speaking." (Factual)
- Instead of: "You were being rude to the client." (Judgmental)
- "The final slide of the presentation contained several typos." (Factual)
- Instead of: "Your presentation was sloppy." (Judgmental)
3. Impact: Explain the Result
Explain the effect of the behavior on you, the team, the project, or the client. This helps the person understand why their action matters.
- "The impact was that the client seemed to get flustered and didn't finish their thought."
- "Because of the typos, the final report appeared less professional and could undermine our credibility."
- "When the deadline was missed, it delayed the start of the next phase of the project for the entire team."
Phrases for Suggesting a Path Forward
After delivering the SBI feedback, the conversation should shift to solutions and improvement. This shows you are invested in their growth.
- "Moving forward, I'd suggest..."
- "Perhaps in the future, we could try..."
- "What are your thoughts on how we can approach this differently next time?"
- "I'm happy to help you brainstorm some strategies for..."
Putting It All Together: An Example
(Situation) "Hi John, do you have a minute? In this morning's team meeting, (Behavior) I noticed you provided an update on the marketing campaign without referencing the latest data. (Impact) The impact was that the team was working with outdated information, which led to some confusion about our next steps. (Suggestion) In the future, could you please make sure to check the shared dashboard for the most current figures before our meetings? It would help keep us all aligned."
Deliver Feedback with Confidence
Using a structured approach like SBI, combined with professional English vocabulary, transforms difficult conversations into productive opportunities for growth. Mastering these phrases is a key leadership skill.
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