How to Give Feedback That Helps Your Team Grow, Not Give Up

How to give feedback your team can act on, using the SBI structure, example phrases suited to Thai workplace culture, and what managers should avoid.

Your team member submits the report late for the third time. In the meeting you say, "Why have you been so irresponsible lately?" They go quiet and nod. The next week it is still late, and they look even more demotivated. Your intent was fine, but your words described who they "are", not what they need to change. Feedback that works has to answer the second part.

What good feedback is

Good feedback is specific information about behaviour or work, delivered at the right time, that helps the other person know what to do next. Managers need to be fluent in two types:

• Positive feedback: say clearly what was good so it can be repeated
• Developmental feedback: say what should change, with a way forward

Many managers only give the second type, so their team feels they only ever hear about mistakes.

Use SBI to make feedback clear

SBI stands for Situation, Behavior, Impact. It is a structure that helps you talk about facts instead of judging the person.

1. Situation: which event, and when
2. Behavior: what you actually saw or heard, not your interpretation
3. Impact: how it affected the work, the team or customers

Then close with a question or an agreement about what happens next.

Developmental feedback example

Instead of: "You have not been very responsible lately."

Try: "This week's sales report and the one two weeks ago arrived after noon on Monday, so the sales team went into their meeting without numbers. I want to understand where you got stuck. Is there anything I can help with?"

Positive feedback example

Instead of: "Great job."

Try: "When the customer called to complain yesterday, you listened to the end and then summarised the problem for them to confirm. They calmed down right away. Keep doing that."

Good feedback is about what people do, not who they are.

Adapting to Thai workplace culture

• Discuss improvements privately: speaking in front of others causes loss of face, and people defend themselves instead of listening
• Praise in public is fine: but make it specific, not generic
• Make room for them to speak: many team members are too polite to disagree, so ask open questions such as "How do you see this?"
• Do not be so indirect that the point is lost: politeness does not mean avoiding important topics. If you are too indirect, they may not even realise they are getting feedback

Timing matters as much as words

• Give feedback as close to the event as possible, the same day or within a few days. Do not save it for the year-end review
• If you or they are still emotional, wait
• With regular 1:1s, feedback becomes normal rather than a scary event

What to avoid

• The feedback sandwich every time: praise, criticise, praise, until people spot the formula and stop believing the praise
• "Always" and "never": "You are always late" makes them argue about the exceptions instead
• Comparing with others: "Look at your colleague" breeds resentment in the team
• Sensitive feedback over chat: tone is lost and readers interpret it more harshly than intended

What to do after the conversation

Agree together on what will change, by when, and how you will help. Write it down briefly and schedule a check-in. When you see the change, say so straight away, because positive feedback after someone adjusts is what makes new behaviour stick.

Where to start

1. Think of one issue you have not yet raised with a team member
2. Write it down as Situation, Behavior, Impact before you talk
3. Prepare one open question to hear their perspective
4. Book a one-to-one conversation this week
5. Next week, give every team member at least one specific piece of positive feedback

If you are new to managing, read from individual contributor to manager and a new manager's first 90 days. To rehearse your wording before the real conversation, let AI Career Assistant help you refine it.