The Fundamental Interpersonal Relationships Orientation (FIRO^®) theory focuses on the link between personal needs, values, emotions and defences and how these impact on all our relationships, both in our personal life and at work.

FIRO^® helps people to understand how they interpret the world through the medium of their own needs and experiences. By increasing self-awareness it leads to emotions become less disruptive and relationships being more understandable and productive.

FIRO^® is a philosophy, an approach, a toolkit and a process, all of which can be used wherever human relationships are important. In assessment terms it is based on a set of questionnaires that cover behaviour (Element-B), feelings (Element-F) and self-concept (Element-S). The Element-B questionnaire, which is the updated version of the old FIRO^®-B, concentrates on:

• Inclusion
  Maintaining the right amount of contact with people.
  
  
• Control
  Gaining the right amount of control over people.
  
  
• Openness
  Achieving the right amount of openness (self-disclosure).

It looks at the degree to which a person wants to include, control, and be close to others, and how much other people are perceived to include, control, or be close to that person.