Driving Growth Through Feedback

The “Feedback Sandwich” Is Dead

Long Live the SBI Method

Remember when everyone said to cushion criticism between compliments? Yeah, that's giving off a lot of "participation trophy" energy, and people see right through it.

Enter the SBI Method: Situation, Behavior, Impact

Instead of: "You're great, but maybe don't interrupt so much in meetings, but you're still awesome!"

Try: "In yesterday's client call (Situation), when you jumped in while Sarah was explaining the budget (Behavior), the client looked confused and we had to backtrack (Impact)."

Your Mini Challenge: Practice SBI on something small this week. Maybe it's telling your roommate about the dishes, or giving your direct report feedback on their presentation style. The beauty is in the specificity.

Receiving Feedback Like a Pro

The person giving you feedback is basically handing you a cheat sheet for your next promotion. But only if you know how to decode it.  Think about the person who tells you when you have spinach in your teeth; they care enough to tell you.  Someone else may let you walk around all day without mentioning it.  People who give you feedback genuinely care; they want you to grow, learn, and succeed.

The LEAP Framework for Receiving Feedback:

• Listen without planning your defense

• Explore with questions ("Can you give me an example?")

• Acknowledge what resonates

• Plan your next move

Hot tip: When someone gives you feedback, resist the urge to explain why you did what you did immediately. That's your ego talking, not your growth mindset. Instead, try: "That's helpful insight – let me think about how I can adjust that."

Your Power Move: Next time you get feedback, write down three questions you can ask to understand it better. This shifts you from a defensive to a curious mindset – and curious people tend to get promoted.

The Feedback Timing Hack That Changes Everything

Timing isn't just everything in comedy – it's everything in feedback, too. You know that thing where you rehearse the perfect comeback three hours after the meeting ended? Don't do that with feedback.

The 24-48 Hour Rule: Give feedback within 24 hours when possible, but if emotions are running high, give yourself (and them) 48 hours to cool down.

The Secret Sauce: Start with "I noticed..." instead of "You always..." The first one is an observation; the second is an accusation that'll have them building walls faster than you can say "annual review."

Your Experiment: This week, try giving one piece of real-time feedback. See someone crush a presentation? Tell them immediately what specifically worked. Notice a colleague interrupting? Address it in the moment with curiosity: "I want to make sure everyone gets heard – let's circle back to what Jake was saying."

The “Feedback Culture” Reality Check

Here's some tea: You don't need to wait for your company to create a "feedback culture." You can create your own feedback ecosystem, starting with your immediate circle.

The Feedback Circle Strategy: Find 2-3 colleagues who are also committed to growth and create an informal feedback exchange. Make it fun – maybe you grab coffee monthly and do "glow-ups and grow-ups" where you share what each other is excelling at and what could be improved.

Your Accountability Partner Challenge: Text a trusted colleague right now and ask: "What's one thing I could do differently in meetings that would make me more effective?" Then actually implement what they say.

The Ultimate Feedback Flip: From Dreaded to Desired

The individuals who rise the fastest in the corporate world are those who actively seek feedback and iterate quickly.

The Feedback Seeking Scripts:

• "What would you do differently if you were in my position?"

• "If you were coaching someone in my role, what would be your top advice?"

• "What's one thing I could stop doing that would make the biggest impact?"

Your Bold Move: Schedule a 15-minute feedback conversation with your manager this week. Don't wait for your review – be proactive. Ask specifically about one project or skill area where you want to improve.