THE FIRO MODEL

Why choose this model?

To understand, be able to follow and identify a group’s development on the road to
efficiency.

When can you use the model?

Mainly on group level but also on individual, organisational and leadership level.
When you want to understand why some groups reach their goals or do their assignments
more effectively than others. When you as a leader or a group member want to know how
to influence the development of the group. When you want to understand your own
behaviour and how you interact with others.

Summary of the model

A group will pass through three main phases to reach efficiency; inclusion, control, and
openness. Each phase is characterised by one or several main questions. A group striving to
reach the openness phase must go through the other two phases in the described system. A
leader can help the group to create a movement by the way he/she is acting.

How can you use the model?

In discussions with the group, for reflection on the group’s level, and as a leadership tool,
etc. Start to analyse the situation, the behaviour of the group members, and the leadership.
Take help from the overview of the different phases. Observe the interaction between the
persons and the feelings in the group. Where is the focus and where does the energy of the
individuals go, etc.? Reflect and ask what the needs are right now for the group in its
development. What can you, as a group member, a leader, a trainer etc. do or not do to
help this group develop further?
Summary of the FIRO model
Will Schutz, an American psychologist, developed a theory, which he called the FIRO theory
– Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation, while carrying out a study for the US
Navy of the efficiency of various groups on board a US warship. The US Navy wanted to
discover why certain groups worked better than others in spite of all the members having
the same level of competence and training.

In his research, Will Schutz found that a group went through three phases in its
development towards unity and efficiency.

A group working towards the goals of unity and efficiency must pass through the phases in
the order shown, to succeed. The process of group development is thought to be cyclical. A
group which through development has reached the third phase, openness, will eventually
return to the previous phases as a result of, for example, the assignment falling outside the
group’s framework, or the addition or loss o f a group member. The more mature a group is,
the shorter the time it will take to reach the third phase.
Overview of the phases

Inclusion Control Openness

_________________________________________________________________________

Focus of Competence Responsibility Emotional closeness

the group: Membership (in or out) (top or bottom) (near or far away)
_________________________________________________________________________

Actions Temporary association Confrontation Co-operation/

between Collaboration
individuals:
_________________________________________________________________________

Basic Dependence Independence Interdependence

feeling:
_________________________________________________________________________

Self- Am I accepted? What responsibility Am I generally liked?

Examin Do I accept the others? do I want to have? Do I like the others?
ation:
_________________________________________________________________________

Important What competence is
questions: needed?
Do I fit into the group?
Who are the other
individuals in the group?
Do I want to be a
member of this group?
Will they let me join them?
What are the boundaries
of membership?
What roles are
acceptable to them?
_________________________________________________________________________
Who is the leader (s)? How great proximity is
How much influence do permitted?
they have? How much feeling/
How much influence do emotion can I show?
(can) I have? How much openness is
Am I strong enough to acceptable?
assert my demands? Do I get my share of
Are people aware of me, warmth?
do they appreciate and Are members loyal to me
respect me? and/or the group?
Am I aware of the other
members, do I appreciate and
respect them?

Common Overtalking and is Try to assume or avoid Feel confident

behaviour: excessively open. leadership. in the group.
Withdrawal Attack the leader(s) or Able to express both
Tell stories group members. positive and negative
Question the group Form sub-groups feelings.
norms/goals Cover up and protect Tightening of the physical
Credential checking Choose the most senior space
as leader Form pairs without
Choose the least disrupting the team
influential as leader Discuss freely and openly
Majority voting for Accept silence without any
leadership feeling of discomfort
_________________________________________________________________________

The group’s Questions concerning Responsibility, Solving

energy: membership. Leadership, Relations assignments
between group members. efficiently.
Between the 3 phases, Inclusion, Control and Openness, the group passes two
intermediate phases.

Intermediate phases:
Comfortable phase

Before a group enters the control phase, the group must pass through an intermediate
phase, the comfortable phase. The group enters this phase when the last of the inclusion
questions has been solved, i.e. when they finally feel that everyone is a part of the group.
During the inclusion phase the group has consciously avoided important conflicts, especially
those concerning leadership, because the members are aware of how difficult it is to deal
with questions of power and responsibility. The group uses the feeling of contentment to
gather strength and avoid having to solve the questions, which lie ahead of them, for as
long as possible.

Idyll phase

After the control phase comes a second intermediate phase, the idyll phase. The idyll phase
is normally preceded by a conflict between the members, or is about leadership. After
experiencing a conflict and reaching a solution, the group often feels itself “redeemed” or
“cleansed”. The feeling in the group during this phase is almost impossible to describe, but
no one who has experienced it can mistake it.
Leadership in the FIRO Model
As a leader you can use three different styles of leadership; power, guidance and authority.
How and when the different styles should be used depends on where in the FIRO circle the
co-worker is. To deliberately choose leadership behaviour to fulfil the needs of the group is
called situational leadership. A leader should always ask himself the following questions:
• What does the group need in the different phases?
• What happens if the needs of the group are fulfilled?
• How should the leader act to make the group develop?

Leadership in the inclusion phase

The leader is using power and steering. He uses his position in the group to give the group
a foundation of structure by giving orders, control and mapping routines. The group and the
individual strongly depend on their leader. This will create tension between the
group/individual and the person (leader) using the power.

Leadership in the control phase

In this phase the leader will use guidelines and he also gives support to the group. He
participates and coaches the group when needed. For example, to get the group to develop,
the leader tries to improve the relations within the group, increase the motivation and make
the group independent of himself.

Leadership in the openness phase

If the group is in the openness phase, the leader should build his leadership on trust
between himself and the group by showing the group authority and capability to delegate.
The leader is striving to treat each member of the group as a responsible and aware
individual out of his/her personal authority.

Critical notes

The leader should be able to guide the group through the different phases. He should also
be able to lead the group backwards (if the development goes in that direction). The
following four principals can be used as support in this process.

• Learn to see what the underlying problems are in the group.

• Make sure that the most important questions (in each phase) are answered before the
group continues.
• Be observant of verbal and non-verbal behaviour that can be signs of something being
wrong.
• Take action, intervene, and give the group tools to meet its explicit needs and thereby
helping it further in its development.

Following question could be within the different phases.

Inclusion Has the question of membership been solved?

Does everyone want to participate in the group?
Is the group stuck in the comfortable phase?

Control Have all questions about the responsibility and conflict situation been solved?
Have the leaders been accepted?
Have the roles been accepted?

Openness Is the group stuck in the idyll phase?