Feedback Templates - SBIN vs COIN

Some notes on two different feedback templates, and my 2c on when to opt for one over the other.
Almost identical, they differ only on how the stage is opened and closed.

SBIN

SBIN is a helpful one for providing feedback that is directly linked to a particular situation. The acronym stands for Situation, Behaviour, Impact, Next Steps.

Personally, I find this helpful for providing behavioural feedback. Use this one when referencing a particular setting, such as a meeting, or team event. Also relevant when you do not have a close relationship with the receiver.

Situation

In last week’s Sprint Review.

Behaviour

I noticed that you regularly spoke over the other engineers, and cut people off mid sentence.

Impact

This led to a noticeable decrease in participation, and as a result, reduced learnings for the team.

Next Steps

Going forward, I would like you to encourage your peers to contribute, and to be mindful of letting them finish their points before speaking.

COIN

COIN is a helpful one for providing similar feedback, but framed against a goal or objective of the receiver. The acronym stands for Connection, Observation, Impact, Next Steps.

This one is helpful for referencing a personal connection, and usually requires a closer relationship.

Connection

We’ve talked about your goal to become a people leader, and I wanted to discuss your leadership of our Sprint Review last week.

Observation

I noticed that you regularly spoke over the other engineers, and cut people off mid sentence.

Impact

This led to a noticeable decrease in participation, and as a result, reduced learnings for the team.

Next Steps

A strong leader is responsible for ensuring that their team feels safe and valued. I would like you to lead by example by encouraging participation and allowing everyone’s voice to be heard in the next Sprint Review.

Conclusion

The difference is subtle.
When there is a personal connection to the feedback, it can be useful to opt for COIN, but when the feedback is situation specific, then I opt for SBIN. When the connection refers to a long-running goal or career aspiration, you may find that the C (of COIN) is more static, than the S (of SBIN).