In my three decades of coaching leaders, I have found that most feedback conversations are doomed before they begin. They do not fail because of bad intentions; they fail because of poor preparation. I have used the BOOST model for over 20 years to help leaders fix this specific problem.

When leaders deliver feedback off the cuff, it is often coloured by recency bias, frustration, or vague impressions. The receiver hears emotion rather than data, and their brain shifts into defence mode to protect their status.

The BOOST model works because it acts as a quality control filter for your thoughts. It forces you to strip away opinion and emotion until only the useful data remains.

  • Balanced ensures the conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue, which protects the relationship.

  • Observed and Objective remove the judgement trigger, reducing defensiveness.

  • Specific and Timely ensure the feedback is actionable and relevant, rather than vague and historic.

Together, these five elements transform feedback from a personal critique into a professional tool for growth. If AID is the script for the conversation, BOOST is the checklist to ensure the script is worth delivering.

The BOOST Framework

The BOOST feedback model is a preparation framework for ensuring your feedback is robust, fair, and psychologically safe. It helps leaders move away from generalisations (which damage trust) toward specifics (which build capability).

Most leaders struggle with feedback not because they do not know how to speak, but because they are not sure what is valid to say.

Balanced

There is a common myth that “balanced” means the “Feedback Sandwich”: saying something nice, then the bad news, then something nice again. This is outdated and often destroys trust because the receiver learns to wait for the “other shoe to drop”.

In the modern context, Balanced means creating a conversation where the power dynamic is shared, not hoarded.

  • Balance of Focus: Are you catching them doing things right as often as you catch them doing things wrong? If you only speak up when there is an error, your voice becomes a threat trigger.

  • Balance of Dialogue: Is this a monologue or a dialogue? A balanced conversation involves the other person speaking for at least 50% of the time.

  • Balance of Evidence: Ensure your view is not skewed by one recent bad day. Look at the trend, not just the isolated event.

Balanced questions to consider:

  • Is this feedback weighted fairly against their overall performance?

  • Am I giving this feedback to help them grow, or just to vent my frustration?

  • How will I ensure they speak as much as I do during this meeting?

Observed

Feedback must be based on what you saw, not what you heard from others or what you assume happened. If you did not see it, it is hearsay. If you are guessing their intent (“you did this because you were lazy”), it is fiction.

This is often called the Camera Test. If a video camera had been in the room, would it have recorded the action you are describing? A camera records people arriving late; it does not record people being disrespectful. One is an observation; the other is a judgement.

  • Stick to the visible: Comment on body language, spoken words, written reports, or timestamps.

  • Avoid the invisible: Do not comment on attitude, motivation, or “vibe”. These are guesses that invite argument.

  • Own your perspective: If you did not see it personally, state clearly that you are relying on reported data, or wait until you observe it yourself.

Observed questions to consider:

  • Did I see this with my own eyes?

  • If a video camera had been in the room, would it have recorded this action?

  • Am I commenting on the behaviour (visible) or the intention (invisible)?

Objective

Objectivity is the removal of emotion and bias. Words like “lazy”, “aggressive”, “unprofessional”, or “enthusiastic” are subjective labels; they describe how you feel, not what they did.

Objective feedback describes the event so clearly that a neutral third party would agree with the description. When you are objective, you lower the emotional temperature of the room, allowing the other person’s pre-frontal cortex (the thinking brain) to stay online.

  • Remove Judgement Words: Replace “You were rude” with “You interrupted the client three times”.

  • Focus on Outcomes: Focus on the result of the action (the business impact) rather than the character of the person.

  • Check your State: Are you delivering this feedback because you are annoyed, or because the standard was not met? If you are angry, you cannot be objective.

Objective questions to consider:

  • Can I describe the action without using adjectives or judgements?

  • Am I calm enough to deliver this without emotional leakage?

  • Is this about the business outcome, or about my personal annoyance?

Specific

Vague feedback is the enemy of performance. Telling someone to “be more proactive” or “communicate better” creates anxiety because the person does not know what to change. Specific feedback gives them a coordinate to aim for.

Vagueness creates Cognitive Load. The receiver has to burn mental energy trying to decode what you really mean, often filling in the gaps with their own insecurities. Specificity removes that load and allows them to focus on the solution.

  • Use Data: Incorporate dates, numbers, quotes, or specific slide numbers from a presentation.

  • Narrow the Scope: Instead of “fix the report”, say “fix the data formatting on page 5”.

  • Define the Win: Be specific not just about the problem, but about what “good” looks like.

Specific questions to consider:

  • What distinct data points (dates, numbers, quotes) do I have?

  • If they asked “can you give me an example?”, do I have one ready?

  • Is the “ask” narrow enough that they can achieve it tomorrow?

Timely

Feedback has an expiration date. The further away you move from the event, the less accurate your memory becomes and the less relevant the lesson feels. “Saved up” feedback often feels like an ambush.

Neuroscience tells us that the brain learns best when the feedback is close to the event. This allows the brain to associate the specific behaviour with the specific correction.

  • The Golden Window: Aim to give feedback within 24 to 48 hours of the event.

  • Avoid Dumping: Do not save up six months of feedback for a performance review. This destroys psychological safety.

  • The Exception: If emotions are high (yours or theirs), it is better to wait 24 hours to regain Objectivity than to be Timely but emotional.

Timely questions to consider:

  • Is the event fresh in their mind?

  • Is this the right moment (e.g. not when they are emotional or rushing)?

  • Have I waited too long, making this irrelevant?

Moving from “Vague” to “Verified”

Where the BOOST model adds the most value is in the drafting phase of your leadership. It allows you to take a raw, emotional thought and refine it into a professional tool.

You can apply BOOST to both Telling (Directive) and Asking (Coaching) styles.

Applying BOOST to a “Tell”

The Raw Thought (Un-BOOSTed): “You were really unprofessional in that client meeting. You need to fix your attitude.” (This violates: Objective, Specific, Observed)

The BOOSTed Version: “In the client meeting (Timely), I noticed you checked your phone three times while they were speaking (Observed/Specific). This gave the impression that we were not listening (Objective). Next time, I need phones away so the client feels fully heard.”

Applying BOOST to an “Ask”

The Raw Question (Un-BOOSTed): “How do you think you are doing lately?” (This violates: Specific, Timely. It creates anxiety.)

The BOOSTed Version: “Looking at the project report you submitted yesterday (Timely/Specific), how do you feel the data section landed with the stakeholders (Objective)? Is there anything you would balance differently next time?”

Practical ways to apply

  • The Post-It Check: Before a difficult conversation, write your key message on a Post-It note. Run it through the acronym. If it fails one letter, rewrite it.

  • The 24-Hour Rule: If you are angry, wait 24 hours. Emotion kills Objectivity.

  • Data Mining: If you cannot find a specific example, you are not allowed to give the feedback yet. Wait until you have the data.

This small pause for quality control turns feedback from a source of conflict into a source of competitive advantage.

BOOST feedback model example from my world

I was coaching a Technical Director who was struggling with a “brilliant but difficult” engineer. The Director told me: “I need to fire him. He just has a bad attitude and does not care about the team.”

I asked him to “BOOST” that statement.

  • Observed: Had he seen the “bad attitude”? No, he just felt the friction.

  • Specific: Could he name an instance? He struggled, eventually recalling that the engineer often rejected code without explanation.

  • Objective: Was it “bad attitude” or “high standards”?

We re-worked his feedback. Instead of a personality attack (“You have a bad attitude”), he prepared this: “In the last three code reviews (Specific), you rejected junior work with one-word comments (Observed). This is stalling the deployment pipeline (Objective). I need you to balance your high standards with some mentorship context (Balanced).” When he delivered this, the engineer did not argue. He actually agreed, admitting he was rushing because he was overworked. They fixed the workload, and the “attitude” problem disappeared. BOOST turned a firing offence into a solvable process issue.

Frequently Asked Questions about the BOOST feedback model

1. Is “Balanced” the same as the Feedback Sandwich? No. The “Feedback Sandwich” (Good-Bad-Good) is a structural trick that often damages trust. People quickly learn to wait for the “but”, which makes the opening praise feel manipulative and the closing praise feel like a consolation prize.

In my work, Balanced is not about hiding the message. It is about the balance of power in the conversation. It asks: Is this a monologue or a dialogue? A balanced conversation invites the other person to speak, reflect, and own the solution, rather than just passively receiving your verdict.

2. Can I use BOOST for positive feedback? Yes, and you should. Most leaders give generic praise such as “Great job”, which is pleasant but useless for learning. The brain needs specifics to know what to replicate.

Using BOOST turns a compliment into a coaching moment: “The way you handled that objection (Specific) by showing the data slide (Observed) really calmed the client down (Objective).” This tells them exactly what worked, building competence rather than just confidence.

3. What if I have a “feeling” something is wrong, but no specific evidence? If you have a gut feeling but no BOOST data, you are not ready to give feedback. You are in the investigation phase.

Giving feedback based on a “vibe” often feels unfair to the receiver because they cannot defend against your intuition. It triggers defensiveness rather than reflection. Trust your gut as a signal to pay closer attention, but wait until you have the Observed and Specific facts before you open the conversation.

4. How does BOOST relate to the AID model? Think of them as the preparation and the delivery.

BOOST is your private checklist. It is the work you do before the meeting to ensure your thinking is clear, fair, and stripped of emotion. AID is the structure you use during the conversation to guide them from Action to Impact to Development.

If you skip BOOST, you risk delivering a well-structured AID conversation that is factually weak or emotionally loaded.

5. Why is “Timely” so important? Feedback has a shelf life. The brain learns through association: linking a specific action to a specific result. If you wait two weeks or save it for a monthly review, that link is broken.

Delayed feedback often feels like an ambush. Timely feedback, delivered while the event is fresh, feels like coaching. It allows the person to simply correct the course rather than having to reconstruct the past.

6. What do I do if I can’t be Objective because I’m angry? If you are emotional, do not give feedback.

Even if you use the right words, your tone and micro-expressions will signal threat. When a person feels threatened, their brain shifts into protection mode and learning stops.

Write your feedback down using BOOST to get it out of your system. Wait 24 hours. If it still stands up as a fact-based observation when you are calm, then deliver it.

7. Does the BOOST model work for remote or hybrid teams? Yes, but it requires more discipline. In an office you see the effort, whereas remotely you often only see the result.

Remote leaders often fall into the trap of interpreting “digital silence” as “laziness”. BOOST protects you from this by forcing you to stick to what is Observed (missed deadlines, email tone, work quality) rather than guessing at intent. If you cannot see it or prove it, you shouldn’t use it.

8. Can I use BOOST to ask for feedback from my boss? Yes. In fact, it frames you as a high-potential leader who wants specific coaching rather than validation.

Instead of the vague “How am I doing?”, try: “In the meeting yesterday (Timely), when I presented the budget (Specific), how did the tone land with you (Objective)?” This makes it easy for your boss to give you the high-quality input you need to grow.

9. Does BOOST work across different cultures? Feedback styles vary wildly across cultures, but BOOST helps navigate this because it relies on facts, which are universal.

While some cultures are direct and others indirect, nobody can argue with a specific timestamp, a quote, or a data point. By stripping away “judgement words”, which carry heavy cultural baggage, you focus the conversation on what actually happened, reducing the risk of misunderstanding.

10. What if I use BOOST, but the behaviour doesn’t change? BOOST is a tool for clarity, not control. If you have been Specific, Timely, and Objective, and the behaviour continues, the issue is no longer about awareness; it is about choice.

At this stage, the conversation shifts from feedback to performance management. You can now say: “We discussed this on [Date]. Since then, I have observed the same action two more times. Help me understand the gap.” Because your initial feedback was solid, you have the evidence you need for this harder conversation.

Beyond this post

If you would like support embedding BOOST into your leadership practice, coaching programmes, or team culture, this is where to explore further.

  • The Hub: There is a range of resources and other models in the Feedback Models Hub.

  • The Library: Feedback, both giving and receiving, is included in the 100+ capabilities shared on the Leadership Library page.

  • Deep Dive: If you want to master the delivery side of this conversation, read my guide to the AID Feedback Model.

  • Troubleshooting: If you are dealing with a team member who pushes back even when your feedback is BOOST-verified, this article on handling defensiveness will help you navigate the friction.

 

Do you have any tips or advice for preparing and delivering feedback?

What has worked for you?

Do you have any recommended resources to explore?

Thanks for reading!