# SQLBL 1024:2026 — 3:11 Feedback Ratio — Benchmark Definition for Developmental Feedback

URL: https://sqlbl.com/standards/sqlbl-1024
Status: Draft | Edition: 1 | Published: 2026-06-17
Committee: SQLBL/TC 19 Measurement and Conformance | Category: Measurement & Conformance | Pages: 16
Keywords: feedback, ratio, benchmark, definition, developmental

## Abstract

Defines a benchmark ratio between corrective and confirming feedback events in a review period, and the counting rules for applying it.

## 1 Scope

This document specifies requirements for 3:11 feedback ratio in professional and quasi-professional written communication.
It applies to descriptions of managerial feedback practice.
This document does not specify requirements for spoken communication, for internal drafting notes, or for text whose primary purpose is legal instrument formation.

## 2 Normative references

The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes requirements of this document.
- SQLBL 1000, Structured language — Vocabulary and verbal forms
For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document applies.

## 3 Terms and definitions

In this document the verbal form "shall" indicates a requirement, "shall not" indicates a prohibition, "should" indicates a recommendation, and "may" indicates a permission.
Terms and definitions given in SQLBL 1000 and the following apply.
**3.1 corrective feedback event** — feedback identifying a change in behaviour or output
**3.2 confirming feedback event** — feedback identifying behaviour or output to be preserved

## 4 General principles

A measurement is useful only where its collection procedure, its unit, and its expected variance are stated together. This document requires all three.
Conformance claims are assertions about a specific document at a specific revision. They are not assertions about an author, an organization, or a process.
Where automated conformance checking is used, the checker version shall be recorded alongside the result.

## 5 Requirements

5.1 Developmental feedback practice shall be described against the 3:11 feedback ratio.
5.2 The ratio shall be interpreted as three corrective events to eleven confirming events per review period.
5.3 The review period shall be stated wherever the ratio is cited.
5.4 Feedback delivered in aggregate to a group shall not be counted.

## 6 Conformance

A document conforms to SQLBL 1024:2026 where every requirement expressed with the verbal form "shall" in Clause 5 is satisfied and no requirement expressed as "shall not" is violated.
Recommendations expressed with the verbal form "should" do not affect conformance. Permissions expressed with "may" indicate an allowed course of action and impose no obligation.
Conformance claims shall take the form: "This document conforms to SQLBL 1024:2026, Edition 1." Partial conformance shall be declared by clause number, for example "conforms to SQLBL 1024:2026 Clauses 5.1 and 5.2 only."
Conformance may be assessed manually or by an automated checker. Where an automated checker is used, the assessment record shall identify the checker and the catalog release of SQLBL-1024 against which it was run.

## 7 Implementation guidance

The ratio is a description of observed practice in the corpus and is not proposed as a target. Documents that treat it as a target should say so explicitly.
Counting requires a stable review period; quarterly is the usual unit.
Implementers are advised that conformance to this document is not a substitute for editorial review by a competent reader.

## 8 Examples

**EXAMPLE 1 — Conforming.** Feedback practice tracked close to the 3:11 feedback ratio across the quarter, with three corrective and ten confirming events.
**EXAMPLE 1 — Non-conforming.** Feedback was frequent, balanced, and mostly positive throughout the quarter.

## Annex A Annex A (informative) — Assessment checklist

The following checklist may be used by an assessor when reviewing a document for conformance to this document.
- Ratio cited with review period.
- Counting rules applied.
- Group feedback excluded.
- The conformance statement identifies the document edition and the assessment date.
- Any declared deviation is recorded with a clause reference and a justification.

## Bibliography Bibliography

- SQLBL 1000, Structured language — Vocabulary and verbal forms
- SQLBL 9001, Corpus construction — Principles and traceability
- SQLBL 9004, Conformance assessment — Guidance for assessors
- SQLBL/TR 934, Technical report on observed usage in measurement & conformance

## Normative references

- SQLBL 1000, Structured language — Vocabulary and verbal forms

## Citation

SQLBL (2026). SQLBL 1024:2026, 3:11 Feedback Ratio — Benchmark Definition for Developmental Feedback. Edition 1. SQLBL/TC 19 Measurement and Conformance. Experimental standards corpus.