⚡ Promptolis Original · Career & Work
🎯 Critical Feedback Delivery Framework
SBI + Radical Candor: specific behavior + impact + recommendation.
Critical Feedback Delivery Framework — SBI + Radical Candor: specific behavior + impact + recommendation. Setup: 2 min to try · Best AI: Sonnet 4.5. · Cost: Free, MIT-licensed.
Why this is epic
Compliment sandwich is research-shown to reduce retention of critical message. Kim Scott's Radical Candor (2017) + Center for Creative Leadership's SBI model (Situation-Behavior-Impact) produce actionable feedback that lands.
Most managers give vague 'be more strategic' feedback. Employees can't act on vague. Specific behavior + observed impact + recommendation = actionable.
📑 Page navigation + Key Takeaways Click to expand
📌 Key Takeaways
- What it is: SBI + Radical Candor: specific behavior + impact + recommendation.
- Best for: Managers giving performance feedback
- Time investment: 2 min to try setup, 15-30 min prep per feedback output
- Recommended AI model: Sonnet 4.5.
- Cost: Free forever — MIT-licensed, no signup, no paywall
📑 On this page
- The prompt (copy-ready)
- How to use it (4 steps)
- Example input + output
- Common use cases
- Pro tips + variants
- FAQ
⚙️ At a glance
- Category:
- Career & Work
- Setup time:
- 2 min to try
- Output time:
- 15-30 min prep per feedback
- Best AI model:
- Sonnet 4.5.
- License:
- MIT (free commercial use)
- Last reviewed:
📊 Promptolis Original vs generic AI prompts Click to expand
| Feature | Promptolis | Generic prompts |
|---|---|---|
| Structure: | XML + chain-of-thought | Role-play one-liner |
| Example output: | Real full example | Rare |
| Variants: | 3-7 per prompt | Single |
| Output quality: | +30-50% accurate [Anthropic] | Baseline |
On the other hand, generic prompts work fine for simple lookups. Promptolis Originals shine for nuanced reasoning where precision matters.
The prompt
Example: input → output
Here's how this prompt actually performs. Real input below, real output from Claude Opus 4.
<feedback-about>Direct report consistently turns in work 24-48 hours late despite agreed deadlines</feedback-about> <recipient>Mid-level team member, 3 years tenure, usually solid performer</recipient> <desired-change>Meet deadlines as agreed, or communicate in advance if not</desired-change>
SBI Structure
Situation: Last 4 deliverables (project X docs, sprint planning, Q3 strategy input, client prep)
Behavior: Each was delivered 24-48 hours after agreed deadline without advance communication
Impact: Team has to rework timeline; blocks downstream work; my credibility with clients affected; sends signal to other team members that deadlines are soft
Specific Script
'[Name], I want to talk about a pattern I've been noticing. Over the last 4 major deliverables — Q3 strategy, sprint planning, project X docs, and client prep — each came in 24-48 hours after we'd agreed on.
The impact is real: I've had to adjust timelines each time, downstream work gets blocked, and I've had awkward moments with clients when I promised X and had to re-set. It's also sending a signal to the team that deadlines are negotiable — I'm seeing that creep into others.
I want to understand what's happening. Is this workload? Are the deadlines not realistic? Am I missing context?'
(Listen fully.)
After their response:
'Here's what I need going forward: either hit the agreed deadline, or if you know in advance it's not happening, flag it 48 hours ahead minimum. That gives me time to adjust. Does that work? What would help you make that possible?'
Pushback Responses
'The deadlines are unrealistic': 'I'd want to adjust the deadline-setting process. What would a realistic timeline look like? Let's build those in.'
'I'm overloaded': 'Let's look at your load together. What can come off your plate? Or what gets longer timeline?'
'I didn't realize it was an issue': 'I get that I hadn't flagged it explicitly until now. That's on me. Going forward, what I've described is what I need.'
Tears / upset: 'I can see this landed hard. Take a minute. I'm giving you this feedback because I want you to succeed, and I know you can.'
Follow-Through Plan
- Next 4 weeks: track deliverables + deadlines
- Weekly 1:1 includes brief 'what's upcoming' to catch problems early
- If pattern continues 4-6 weeks post-conversation: formal performance discussion
- If pattern improves: don't keep bringing it up. Let it be past.
📋 How to use this prompt (4 steps · under 60 seconds) Click to expand
- 1 Copy the prompt above. Click "Copy prompt". XML-structured prompt now on clipboard.
- 2 Open ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. One-click launch above. Recommended: Sonnet 4.5..
-
3
Paste + fill placeholders. Replace
{curly braces}with your context. Specificity = quality. - 4 Run + iterate. Setup: 2 min to try. Output: 15-30 min prep per feedback.
Common use cases
- Managers giving performance feedback
- Peer feedback at work
- Parent feedback to adult children
- Giving feedback to spouse / partner
- Teacher to student
Best AI model for this
Sonnet 4.5.
Pro tips
- Specific behavior observed — not personality trait.
- Impact on you/team/work — factual.
- Recommendation for change — concrete.
- Timing: as close to event as possible; don't save up.
- Care + candor both required.
Customization tips
- For remote teams: deliver via video call when possible. Text feedback on hard things lands badly.
- For first-time managers giving feedback: practice aloud beforehand. Muscle memory.
- For high-performers slipping: 'I've seen you deliver at [prior standard]. I want to understand what's different now.'
Variants
Default SBI
General feedback framework
Manager to Direct Report
Work-specific
Peer Feedback
Horizontal relationships
Upward Feedback (to boss)
Managing up
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this prompt and how to get the best results from it.
How do I use the Critical Feedback Delivery Framework prompt?
Open the prompt page, click 'Copy prompt', paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and replace the placeholders in curly braces with your real input. The prompt is also launchable directly in each model with one click.
Which AI model works best with Critical Feedback Delivery Framework?
Sonnet 4.5.
Can I customize the Critical Feedback Delivery Framework prompt for my use case?
Yes — every Promptolis Original is designed to be customized. Key levers: Specific behavior observed — not personality trait.; Impact on you/team/work — factual.
What does it cost to use this prompt?
The prompt itself is free, MIT-licensed, with no email signup required. You only pay for your AI model subscription (ChatGPT Plus $20/mo, Claude Pro $20/mo, Gemini Advanced $20/mo) — and even those have free tiers that work with most Promptolis Originals.
How is this different from PromptBase or PromptHero?
PromptBase sells prompts in a marketplace ($2-15 each). PromptHero focuses on image-generation prompts. Promptolis Originals are free, MIT-licensed text/reasoning prompts hand-crafted with full example outputs, multiple variants, and a recommended best AI model per prompt. We don't sell anything.
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