FIRO

Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation

Introduction to Will Schutz’ theory of Behavior

Facilitated byAlan W. Beck

Understanding FIRO Theory

Purpose: Increase awareness of:-- our behavior choices

(what we choose to do)-- our behavior preferences

(what we want)

Understanding FIRO Theory

BACKGROUND:

WILL SCHUTZ’ NAVY RESEARCH--During Korean War—FIRO published 1958--Research to predict interpersonal interactionSUCCESS OF FIRO-B

EVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN ELEMENT

BEYOND CONFLICT COURSE RESULTS

BEYOND CONFLICT RESULTS RESEARCH

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IneffectiveNeutralEffective

• DISPUTES REDUCED 85% IN GROUPS TRAINED THREE YEARS EARLIER.

• California Public Employment Relations Board study on state union-management disputes

BEYOND CONFLICT RESULTS RESEARCH

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Before After

IneffectiveNeutralEffective

• Effective communications increased from 6% to 71%

BEYOND CONFLICT RESULTS RESEARCH

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Before After

LowTrustNeutral

HighTrust

• High trust relationships increased from 10% to 62%

BEYOND CONFLICT RESULTS RESEARCH

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Before After

Adversarial

Neutral

Cooperative

• Adversarial relationships reduced from 70% to 1%

Understanding FIRO TheoryQuestions to consider:

How do I relate to others?

How do others relate to me?

How do I want to relate to others?

How do I want others to relate to me?

Understanding FIRO TheoryWays to increase our awareness:

- Hear and ponder theory.

- Decide on our preferences from opposite choices.

- Guided imagery to visualize our preferences.

- General perceptions from our “best guess.”

- Detailed feedback from instrument.

- Feedback from others.

PERCEPTUAL ACCURACY

AWARENESS

DISTORTION

REALITY

Our Perception of ourselves/others

Understanding FIRO Theory

FIRO choices are not:right or wronggood or badethical or unethicalstupid or intelligentmoral or immoral

Choices are simply how we choose to interact.

FIRO Behavior

INCLUSION

CONTROL

OPENNESS

3 DIMENSIONS

GUIDED IMAGERY

FIRO Behavior

INCLUSION

CONTROL

OPENNESS

3 DIMENSIONS

BE WITHBELONGGET ATTN

HAVE POWERINFLUENCEAUTHORITY

SHARE FEELINGSSECRETSINNER THOUGHTS

Let’s take a boat trip.

Understanding FIRO Theory

Our preference for Inclusion:How strong is your preference?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Alone Together

Understanding FIRO Theory

Our preference for Control:How strong is your preference?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Go with flow Hierarchy

Understanding FIRO Theory

Our preference for Openness:How strong is your preference?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Businesslike Personal

BEHAVIORAL CHOICESPREFERENCES ON ATMOSPHERE

LOW HIGHINCLUSION:ALONE TOGETHER

CONTROL: FLOW HIERARCHY

OPENNESS: BUSINESSLIKE OPEN

Will Schutz’ Human Element Theory

Let’s decide how to proceed withthe rest of this workshop.

Let’s decide how to proceed withthe rest of this workshop.

How should we spend therest of our time today?

INCLUSION PREFERENCESLOW HIGHBEING OUT BEING ININTROVERTED EXTRAVERTEDALONE TOGETHERRESERVED PARTICIPATIVEPRIVATE INCLUSIVE

INTERACTIONPARTICIPATIONINVOLVEDJOIN

TOGETHERNESSPROMINENCEOUTSIDERALONE

ACCEPTEDDETACHEDASSOCIATEEXCLUDED

INCLUSION ISSUES/CONCERNS

CONTROL PREFERENCESLOW HIGHBEING ON BOTTOM BEING ON TOPAccomodating Decision makingAccepting InfluentialAdaptable QuestioningUnstructured CriticalEasygoing Directing

POWERAUTHORITYINFLUENCELEADER

DOMINANCEOBEDIENCECHAIN OF CMDCONFORMANCE

HARMONYFOLLOWERFLEXIBLESUBMISSIVE

CONTROL ISSUES/CONCERNS

OPENNESS PREFERENCESLOW HIGHBEING CLOSED BEING OPENPRIVATE PERSONALPERSONAL EXPRESSIVEBUSINESSLIKE FRIENDLYSECRETIVE EMBRACING

DISTANTELUSIVEUNEMOTIONAL

AFFIRMINGCLOSENESSFAMILY

FRIENDSHIPLOVE/LIKEFEELINGS

OPENNESS ISSUES/CONCERNS

How FIRO preference may affect management decisionsor recommendations for policy.

How FIRO preference may affect management decisionsor recommendations for policy.

Assume two managers are to recommend policy to you. You know their FIRO preferences are:

Inclusion Control OpennessLee 9 1 6Jan 2 9 2

TEAM COMPATABILITY

I INCLUDE YOU----------YOU WANT TO BE INCLUDED

I CONTROL YOU-----YOU WANT TO BE CONTROLLED

I AM OPEN WITH YOU----YOU WANT ME TO BE OPEN

FIRO ELEMENT B MEASURESWHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE WANT TO GET FROM OTHERS

SELF-ESTEEM

FIRO ELEMENT B MEASURESWHAT WE SEE OURSELVES AS DOING OR GETTING ANDWHAT WE WANT TO DO OR GET

THE “DO-GET” DIFFERENCE MAYREFLECT OUR SATISFACTION

SELF ESTEEM

HOW SATISFIED AM I WITH ME?

WHAT IGETFROMOTHERS

WHAT IWANTFROMOTHERS

SELFESTEEM

IT MAY BE STRESSFUL TO WORK AGAINST YOUR PREFERENCES

I WANT TO CONTROL YOU, BUTI AM NOT CONTROLLING YOU

I WANT TO WORK ALONE, BUTI AM WORKING IN A TEAM.

I DON’T WANT TO SHARE MYSECRETS WITH YOU, BUT I AMCHOOSING TO SHARE THEM.

12 FIRO MEASURES

DO--------------WANT TO DOGET-------------WANT TO GET

4 INCLUSION SCORES

4 CONTROL SCORES

4 OPENNESS SCORES

FIRO ELEMENT B

4 INCLUSION MEASURESLOW HIGH1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

I INCLUDE PEOPLEI WANT TO INCLUDE PEOPLE

PEOPLE INCLUDE MEI WANT PEOPLE TO INCLUDE ME

FIRO ELEMENT B

4 CONTROL MEASURESLOW HIGH1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

I CONTROL PEOPLEI WANT TO CONTROL PEOPLE

PEOPLE CONTROL MEI WANT PEOPLE TO CONTROL ME

FIRO ELEMENT B

4 OPENNESS MEASURESLOW HIGH1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

I AM OPEN WITH PEOPLEI WANT TO BE OPEN WITH PEOPLE

PEOPLE ARE OPEN WITH MEI WANT PEOPLE TO BE OPEN WITH ME

USING YOUR FIRO SCORES

LOOK FOR DIFFERENCES > 2(IT SHOWS WHERE YOU ARE NOT GETTING WHAT YOU WANT)

CONSIDER YOUR RIGIDITYIN BEHAVIOR VERSUS YOURFLEXIBILITY TO CHOOSE TOACT DIFFERENT FROM YOURFIRO SCORE PREFERENCE.

RIGIDITY IN BEHAVIORAL CHOICE

FLEXIBLE BEHAVIOR IS DESIRABLE GOAL

WE SHOULD CHOOSE BEHAVIOR APPROPRIATE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

IF WE ARE RIGID AND ENTRENCHED IN OURBEHAVIOR, WE MAY EXHIBIT BEHAVIORWHICH APPEARS NEGATIVE TO OTHERSAND THUS IMPAIR OUR EFFECTIVENESS.

RIGIDITY OTHERS SEE IF WE ARERIGID ON INCLUSION:

LOW MIDDLE HIGH

AVOIDING HALF-HEARTED ACTING OUTQUITTING IN-OUT BEHAVIOR OVER INVOLVEDWITHHOLDING LUKE WARM TAKING CREDITLEAVING COMMITMENT BUSY BODYNOT AVAIL. OVER NEUTRAL “NOTICE ME”

RIGIDITY OTHERS SEE IF WE ARERIGID ON CONTROL:

LOW MIDDLE HIGH

PASSIVITY GIVES IN THREATENINGCOMPLACENCY PLAYS MARTYR ONLY MY WAYNON-ASSERTION OVERLY NICE SHAMINGNOT TRYING BLAMING HOSTILEAVOIDING NAME CALLING ATACKINGRESPONSIBILIY RIDICULES DOMINEERING

NEGATIVE ARGUING

RIGIDITY OTHERS SEE IF WE ARERIGID ON OPENNESS:

LOW MIDDLE HIGH

WITHHOLDING LACKING PASSION SUPERFICIALSILENT PLEASANT FRIENDLYSAYS NOTHING NEUTRAL PREMATURESECRETIVE UNPREDICTABLE OVERPROCESSWON’T ASK HOT OR COLD TELLS TOO

MUCH

SO WHAT? TELL THE TRUTH.

CHOOSE YOUR BEHAVIOR, UNDERSTANDING YOUR SELF AND OTHERS.

SEEK DEEPER AWARENESS TO ENABLE MORE OPEN AND HONEST BEHAVIOR WITH CO-WORKERS.

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Schutz Philosophy• At the heart of all human functioning is the Self.

• Best solutions to organizational and leadership issues

require self-awareness as an essential first step.

• Deeper self-awareness leads to self-acceptance and

then self-esteem.

• As individuals gain self-awareness and self-esteem,

they become more open and honest with their co-

workers. Schutz, 1994

The rest of Schutz’ FIRO story:Book/workshop The Human Element Other FIRO instruments, including:FIRO Element F—FeelingsFIRO Element S---SelfFIRO Element J---JobFIRO Element W---Work relationsFIRO Element O---Organizational ClimateTeam Compatibility IndexLeadership survey

Military Service DifferencesMean FIRO Element B #11, 21, 31

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I includepeople

I controlpeople

I am openwith

people

Army O-6Navy O-6USAF O-6

Military Service DifferencesMean FIRO Element B #12, 22, 32

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Army O-6Navy O-6USAF O-6

I want toincludepeople

I want tocontrolpeople

I want tobe opento people

Military Service DifferencesMean FIRO Element B #13, 23, 33

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6

Peopleinclude

me

Peoplecontrol

me

People areopen with

me

Army O-6Navy O-6USAF O-6

Military Service DifferencesMean FIRO Element B #14, 24, 34

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Army O-6Navy O-6USAF O-6

I want people toinclude me

I want people tocontrol me

I wantpeople tobe open with me