Playbook · Article 04 · Behavioural Science in HR

Retrain Managers in Direct Feedback

A six-week plan for managers. They learn to give clear feedback on time. They also learn to welcome questions from young teams.

6Plays
6Weeks
5Tools
FreeTo use
PULSE 6 WEEKS S B I
01

At a glance

What it is

A practice plan for managers

Young people at work often ask why. Some managers hear that as rude. Then they go quiet, and feedback stops.

This plan builds a simple habit. Say what you saw, why it matters and what comes next. Then ask the team for feedback too.

Like young Nachiketa in the old story, many want the real answer. Give it to them, kindly and clearly.

Who it is for

The people who lead teams

People managers, team leads, HRBPs and L&D partners.

When to use it

Three moments

  • Young joiners say they never hear how they are doing.
  • A manager says, "They argue all the time."
  • Your staff survey scores low on feedback.
Kyun, the Mimansa loris
Kyun

Your young team keeps asking why. Shall we help managers answer clearly?

02

The six plays

Six weeks, one play a week. Weekly check-ins start in week 3 and keep going after the plan ends.

  1. 1Take a baseline pulseWeek 1
  2. 2Practise SBI in pairsWeek 2
  3. 3Hold weekly 15-minute check-insWeek 3
  4. 4Ask for feedback firstWeek 4
  5. 5Observe a peerWeek 5
  6. 6Pulse again and recogniseWeek 6
1
Play 1 of 6

Take a baseline pulse

Week 1

The HRBP runs this for each manager's team.

  1. Send the Team Pulse to each team.
  2. Keep it anonymous, with five questions only.
  3. Show each manager only their own team's scores.
Kyun

First, let's hear how the team feels today.

PULSE
2
Play 2 of 6

Practise SBI in pairs

Week 2

L&D runs a 60-minute session. Managers work in pairs.

  1. Learn the three parts of SBI: what, how, so what.
  2. Practise three real cases each, in pairs.
  3. Swap roles and give each other one tip.
Kyun

Situation, behaviour, impact. Try it out loud.

S B I
3
Play 3 of 6

Hold weekly 15-minute check-ins

Week 3

Each manager does this with each person in the team.

  1. Book 15 minutes with each person, every week.
  2. Give one SBI line on something real from the week.
  3. Agree one next step and log it in the tracker.
Kyun

Fifteen minutes a week. Small and steady.

WEEK 15 MIN
4
Play 4 of 6

Ask for feedback first

Week 4

Each manager does this in a team meeting.

  1. Ask the team one question about how you lead.
  2. Thank them, and do not defend.
  3. Act on one point and report back next week.
Kyun

Your turn to ask. What would they like you to change?

?
5
Play 5 of 6

Observe a peer

Week 5

Managers pair up. The HRBP sets the pairs.

  1. Sit in on one check-in, with the team member's consent.
  2. Note one thing that worked and one thing to try.
  3. Share it with your peer within a day.
Kyun

A peer can see what you might miss.

6
Play 6 of 6

Pulse again and recognise

Week 6

The HRBP runs the pulse. Senior leaders do the thanks.

  1. Send the same Team Pulse again.
  2. Compare each team's score with week 1.
  3. Thank managers who improved, by name, in a leaders' meeting.
Kyun

Six weeks on. What has changed?

WK 1 WK 6
03

Example and how-to

Filled-in example · SBI Script Card

Feedback to a Junior Analyst

Finance team, 8 people, a GCC in Gurugram. Names are made up. Copy the shape, not the words.

Situation
In Tuesday's client call with the Mumbai team.
Behaviour
Kavya, you shared the cash report two hours after the deadline.
Impact
The client waited, and I had to say sorry for the delay.
Ask
What got in the way?
Listen
She says the data came late from another team.
Next step
Kavya flags late data by 3 pm. I will speak to the other team lead.
Check
We look at it again in Friday's check-in.
How-to guide · 5 minutes

How to give hard feedback in 5 minutes

  1. Pick one thing. Only one.
  2. Say when and where it happened.
  3. Say what the person did. Stick to what you saw.
  4. Say what it caused.
  5. Ask what got in the way, and listen.
  6. Agree one next step and a date.
  7. Write it in the tracker the same day.
04

What you get

5 free tools. Each one is a single page or a single sheet.

Kyun

That's the playbook. Each one is ready to use.

05

Why it matters, and what's next

16%

of employees say their last talk with their manager was extremely meaningful. Yet 80% of those who got meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged.

Source: Gallup, The Great Manager's Most Important Habit, 2023 (16% figure from nearly 15,000 employees)
91%

of young Gen Z workers in India say help from senior colleagues grows their career.

Source: Deloitte, 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, India country report (809 people in India: 505 Gen Zs, 304 millennials)
48%

of workers who get feedback from their manager every week are engaged. Only 5% are engaged when feedback comes once a year or less.

Source: Gallup, How Organizations Can Redefine Feedback, 2024 (20,721 US working adults, Aug 2024)
Kyun

Next, help teams speak up to their managers.