FIRO Theory

FIRO^®* (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation) is a comprehensive and widely-used theory of interpersonal relations created by Will Schutz, Ph.D., and introduced in 1958 in the book FIRO: A Three-Dimensional Theory of Interpersonal Behavior. Schutz originally devised the theory to measure and predict the interaction between people for the purpose of assembling highly productive teams.

Over the years, it has held up to extensive research and has proven to be

• Simple
  Easy to use in helping individuals, teams, and organizations; easy to incorporate into training, consulting, and coaching.
  
  
• Powerful
  For understanding human behavior and motivation in a wide variety of situations.
  
  
• Comprehensive
  The three basic dimensions—inclusion, control, and openness—describe the dynamics of individuals, pairs, teams & organizations, eliminating the need for multiple models.

FIRO theory describes three levels of human interaction: behavior, feelings and self-concept:

FIRO-based instruments include Element B: Behavior (originally FIRO-B), Element F: Feelings (originally FIRO-F), and Element S: Self-concept, in addition to several others forming the Elements of Awareness.

In the early 1980s, as part of the work to create The Human Element, the theory was revised and expanded, changing the original dimension of Affection to Openness and adding the level of Self-concept.