An ordinary Tuesday morning. You have just attended the presentation of a colleague. The substance is good, but the format was messy, the slides unreadable and the key message was lost. As you leave the room, you spontaneously say to him: “It was good, but be careful with your presentations, it’s sometimes a little confusing. »
Did you think you gave useful feedback? For his part, your colleague leaves confused, wondering what he really missed and how to correct the situation.
Informal feedback, thrown between two doors or diluted in vague generalities, produces the opposite effect to that sought. It generates anxiety, defense or resignation. The reason is simple: the human brain perceives criticism as a direct threat to its status. Without a clear structure, the message evaporates and only the feeling of insecurity remains.
The OSBD method: providing clear benchmarks
Coming from the principles of Non-Violent Communication (NVC), the OSBD model (Observation, Feeling, Need, Request) makes it possible to defuse any emotional reactivity by relying solely on objectively verifiable facts.
- Neutral observation: Describe what happened factually, without judgment or vague adjectives (avoid words like ” always “, ” Never “ Or “mediocre”).
- Feeling : Express what this situation generates (worry, concern, loss of clarity), by assuming the ” I “.
- Need : Identify the underlying professional issue (reliability, fluidity of exchanges, time management).
- Request made: Propose a concrete, measurable and immediately achievable action.
Application example:
“In this morning’s meeting with the project team, you went over the allotted time by fifteen minutes and we were unable to address the last item on the agenda. This worries me because we risk falling behind on delivery. We need to ensure that every topic is covered. Can we review the structure of your presentation together by noon tomorrow? »
The SBI grid: anchoring the message in reality
Highly appreciated for its operational simplicity, the SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact) method offers a direct and effective framework, ideal for regular individual points.
| Stage | Objective | Realized example |
| Situation | Place the precise temporal and spatial context. | “Yesterday, during the delivery of the model to client X…” |
| Behavior | Describe the specific observable behavior. | “…you immediately noticed three layout errors before the client. » |
| Impact | Explain the direct consequence on the team or project. | “…this reinforced the client’s confidence in our professional rigor. » |
The fundamental interest of the SBI lies in the fact that it applies just as well to constructive feedback as to celebratory feedback.
The Sandwich Trap and How to Avoid It
For decades, classic management advocated the sandwich technique: a compliment, the criticism in the middle, then another compliment to sweeten the bill.
In practice, this method degrades trust:
- The employee quickly perceives the maneuver and only retains the feeling of having been manipulated.
- The main message (the point of improvement) is drowned out and loses all its impact.
- Sincere praise loses its value, because it becomes a harbinger of bad news.
Favor clarity and separation of tenses: congratulate when it is deserved, correct when it is necessary, but do not mix the two in the same conversation.
Create a culture of two-way feedback
Effective feedback should not be a top-down monologue. For an employee to include a comment, they must be fully involved in the search for solutions.
- Reverse the process: Before giving your analysis, ask the employee how they experienced the situation (“How do you think the meeting went?” »). Very often, the person is already aware of the problem.
- Practice Feedforward: Oriented towards the future, feedforward shifts thinking from “Why did that go wrong?” » towards “How will we do it differently next time?” ».
- Solicit feedback on your own management: Regularly ask your team: “What can I do to better support you on this project? ». Showing vulnerability normalizes continuous improvement within the group.
Establish regularity on a daily basis
Structuring your managerial feedback requires training and a certain discipline. It is not a question of transforming each exchange into a formal interview, but of adopting clear reflexes to free the floor and help the teams progress in all kindness.
What is the next professional situation for which you could apply the SBI method this week?
