Consider Open Feedback vs Closed Feedback

As I've gotten older, I've noticed more and more ways to give feedback to people. It's taken me awhile to put my finger on what makes them different. I still don't have the best words to describe it, but let's call one way "open feedback vs closed feedback". The more I think about it, it might be better to call it holistic feedback vs situational feedback.

I've been taught a feedback model called Situation Behaviour Impact. It's called the SBI model. The idea is that you should succinctly tell someone about the situation, what they did, and the impact it had on you. It's quick, easy, factual and can often start a nice conversation.

Some people do it differently. Some people take quite an effort to put themselves in your shoes. It's common to hear questions about "how did you feel about that" or "what other options did you consider". It's almost like coaching as opposed to mentoring. 

Using that approach, the feedback tends to be more about multiple situations coming together, as opposed to a single situation. I think it's fascinating that there's a bit of a subtle, yet quite profound, difference when you think about it. 

Either way, feedback and conversation is critical. I suppose you can't really go wrong with any approach, as long as you keep adapting and improving. I'll be watching the results of different ways to give feedback. Let's see if one tends to be more effective. Let's see which people/situations lend themselves to certain kinds of feedback.