Elements FAQ

What is the Human Element solution?

The Human Element is a process for addressing and resolving human issues in the workplace. It provides efficient and transformative change for your organization, leading to greater accomplishment of goals and better individual, team, and organizational performance. By increasing openness and honesty and reducing unproductive defensive behavior, The Human Element creates cultures of openness, trust, accountability, innovation, and engagement. LEARN MORE…

What are the goals of The Human Element?

The overall aim of the Human Element approach is to

Maximize individual potential
Maximize team potential
Maximize organizational potential

How does it relate to business?

Most businesses focus their energy and resources on strategy, tasks, and processes, looking for ways to do things better, faster and more efficiently. Often missing however is focus and energy on the human change needed to support these technical areas. The Human Element helps remove the obstacles within your organization, both apparent and hidden, that can sabotage any strategy or process.

How can I use The Human Element in my organization?

The Human Element can be used for a variety of organizational solutions. It is applicable to any organizational process where human interaction affects the outcome, including team performance, leadership, quality improvement, revenue generation, safety, innovation, customer service, change management, collaboration, management skills, and career development.

Specifically, how will I benefit?

See The Human Element page.

How is The Human Element solution delivered?

Most often, the process begins with The Human Element program followed by consulting, coaching, and follow up training. It can also be customized or integrated into larger organizational development programs. Contact us.

Is The Human Element an approach to increasing Emotional Intelligence?

Yes, and more. The Human Element helps people become aware of their own behavior (like EQ), but goes deeper to address the root causes—the feelings underlying behavior—and provides means for dissolving emotional blocks. This often results in greater emotional intelligence.

Is The Human Element an approach to improving Social Intelligence?

Yes, and more. The Human Element provides a venue for people to build skills in managing their own reactions, reducing defensiveness, handling difficult conversations, resolving conflict, and making group decisions. In addition, The Human Element helps people gain more personal focus, energy, and clarity.

Should I bring my team through this process? Should we do it at the same time?

Yes, if you are interested in strengthening your team’s productivity and improving the relationships and trust among team members. The methodology that drives The Human Element programs originated in building compatible teams in the U.S. Navy and has been used in a wide variety of organizations since then.

What makes The Human Element different from other approaches?

It addresses issues at multiple levels—individual, team, and organization—using a single simple model, FIRO theory.
It works at emotional depth. Working at an emotional level creates lasting behavioral change.
The methodology blends scientific and experiential learning methods to create change holistically—through the conscious mind using FIRO-based assessments, the unconscious mind using visualization and non-verbal methods, and the interpersonal, through truthful feedback. This leads to deep, long lasting changes in behavior, far more than approaches using behavioral or cognitive approaches alone.
It is scientifically based. FIRO theory is one of the most widely used theories for training.
Flexibility. The Human Element solution can be customized to fit your organization’s specific issues and circumstances.

Is The Human Element coaching?

Coaching is one aspect of The Human Element approach. Coaching, using Human Element principles, is usually used to continue practicing the learnings from The Human Element programs and make them permanent. The Human Element program itself takes place in groups.

What is FIRO?

FIRO (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation) is a theory of interpersonal relations developed by Will Schutz, Ph.D. [link to WS bio page] LEARN MORE…

What is Element B? How is it related to The Human Element?

Element B is a FIRO-based psychometric assessment tool that measures preferences for interpersonal behavior in the areas of Inclusion, Control, and Openness. LEARN MORE…

What is FIRO-B? How is it related to The Human Element?

FIRO-B is the original version of Element B, created as a research tool for the U.S. Navy. LEARN MORE…(link to History page)

Who was Will Schutz, Ph.D.?

Will Schutz created The Human Element, FIRO theory, and the FIRO-based Elements of Awareness [link to Element B page] instruments series. Biography. [link to WS bio page]

Who delivers The Human Element?

The Human Element is delivered by Licensed Human Element Practitioners™.

Can I become qualified to deliver The Human Element?

Yes, we offer practitioner training… LEARN MORE… [link to Practitioner Development page]

When was The Human Element created?

The Human Element was created in 1980 and has been used continuously since then.

Is this like the MBTI, DiSC, Six-Sigma, or ISO 9000?

No. The Human Element is an experiential process that is built around psychometric instruments.

MBTI and DiSC are instruments only, without any specific, experiential methodology or tools for creating change.

Six-Sigma and ISO 9000 are processes and sets of standards for improving quality. They do not address the human factors.

The Human Element Program FAQs

What do you do in a Human Element Program?

Learn and practice. People learn the most when engaged in activities that move learning from the cognitive realm to an experiential one. The Human Element provides opportunities to learn practical skills through a variety of activities and then provide ample opportunity for you to practice these new skills and receive immediate feedback. You learn how to use specific techniques and tools that can be applied immediately upon return to the workplace.

Specifically, we use lecture, verbal and non-verbal activities, visualization, group feedback, and FIRO-based psychometric instruments that quantify behavior, team compatibility, and self-concept. These provide powerful means for immediately implementing lasting changes both on a personal and organizational level.

Is there a shorter version?

No. Because The Human Element is highly experiential, it cannot be shortened effectively. However, the return on investment for the time has proven to be well worth it. See our case studies for examples.

However, we can customize The Human Element process for your organization to fit your schedule.

Is this a “touchy-feely” program?

We do encourage you to get in touch with your feelings because behaviors are driven by feelings and if you want to change behavior, it is helpful to understand what drives it. If you want to improve relationships with others, it is helpful to understand what impact your behavior has on others.

What if I don’t want to do something during the program?

You are invited to participate and will not be forced to do anything. In fact, one of the core concepts of The Human Element is choice, and you will have the opportunity to practice making deliberate choices throughout the program.

Where does the program take place? What are the hours?