Will Schutz
Since the publication of FIRO® Theory in 1958 thousands of people from around the world have completed training and development programmes and are using Will Schutz’ innovative ideas to enhance their careers, their lives and their close relations. The FIRO® approach has been widely accepted across the spectrum of commerce and industry. It is extensively used by Leaders, HR and OD professionals. It is used in medicine, counselling, education, management development, psychotherapy, coaching and consulting by individual practitioners and organisations around the world.
Dr Will Schutz is the originator of FIRO® theory, FIRO® B, The Human Element Seminar and a new Generation of instruments called The Elements of Awareness.
The Human Element® is a registered trademark of BCon WSA International, Inc.
FIRO is a registered trademark of Consulting Psychologist Press.
Will Schutz's Publications include:
The Human Element; Productivity, Self-Esteem and the Bottom Line: Jossey Bass.
Profound Simplicity; Foundations for a Social Philosophy: Will Schutz Associates.
FIRO; A Three Dimensional Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour: Will Schutz Associates.
The Truth Option; A Practical Technology for Human Affairs: Ten Speed Press.
Carl Jung
Few psychologists have written as widely and touched on so many areas as the Carl Jung (1875 to 1961). Jung’s writings continue to influence areas such as art, mythology, philosophy and religion. His greatest influence, however, has been on understanding the human condition, particularly through his study of how we balance the opposing forces within us and continue to develop throughout our lives. In may ways, his focus on the individual made Jung the first truly Humanist psychologist.
Jung’s extensive therapeutic work influenced his exploration of how personality is expressed through preference, and the resulting model of Psychological Type. The widely used terms such as ‘introversion’ and ‘extraversion’ derive from Jung’s work and describe a person’s primary source of energy or motivation – in contrast to their more commonly perceived meanings relating to sociability. In applied psychology, Jung’s greatest influence is through how the model of Psychological Type can be used to understand preference and used to enhance personal development and effectiveness.
The Profiling for Success TDI® and LSI are based on Jung’s pioneering work, as is the MBTI®. Jung’s emphasis on growth and development also runs through not only the TDI® and LSI, but all the PfS instruments and Team Focus’s approach to all their services.
Selected reading:
Campbell, J. (Ed) (1961) The Portable Jung. New York: Penguin
Jung, C. G., & Hull, R. F. C. (1991). Psychological Types (a revised ed.). London: Routlege
Jung, C. G., & Jaffe A. (1962). Memories, Dreams, Reflections. London: Collins
Ray Cattell
One of the most respected psychologists of his generation. Ray Cattell (1905 to 1998) is known the world over for his pioneering work into personality and his best-known product – the 16PF®. Some of you who know Team Focus may actually have met Ray at one of our seminars – during the years 1990, 1991 and 1992 Team Focus were responsible for arranging what became known as ‘The Cattell Seminars.’ Even at the advanced age of 88, when most people are retired or unable to hold the floor, Ray was still able to captivate his audience with details of his work and his reminiscences.
Cattell’s work was driven by rigorous approach to measurement that never lacked innovation, resulting in the identification of the personality factors for which he is most widely remembered. In addition to his well-known self-report measures of personality, he also explored many innovative ways of understanding individual differences including the use of objective assessment. As well as personality he was also interested in areas including ability and motivation, and authored over 30 tests and assessments.
Selected reading:
Cattell, R.B., (1933). Psychology and social progress: Mankind and destiny from the standpoint of a scientist. London: C. W. Daniel
Cattell, R. B. (1965). The scientific analysis of personality. Harmondsworth (England): Penguin Books.
David Kolb
In 1984 David Kolb published the highly influential book “Experiential Learning”, which combined a description of the process or cycle with the view that people have preferences for different stages of this cycle. Based on ideas around how we perceive and process information, Kolb proposed a learning cycle that has four stages:
- Active experimentation
- Reflective observation
- Abstract conceptualisation
- Concrete experience.
Learning is described as being most complete when it involves all four stages in a cyclical process of development. Individual preferences, however, mean that we are likely to gravitate towards, or feel most comfortable when, during that part of the learning cycles that matches our personal preferences. As each part of the learning cycle is valuable and necessary, skipping or paying insufficient attention to part of the cycle may mean we miss crucial parts of the experience. Whilst described in terms of ‘learning’, Kolb’s work has applications to wider areas such as communication and team-working, and his model has influenced the development and applications of the Profiling for Success LSI.
John Holland
John Holland is professor emeritus at John Hopkins university, and has spent much of his academic career researching career interests and the world-of-work. His practical ideas have supported many people through the transition from education to the workplace an also those in work develop greater career satisfaction by helping them make effective career choices.
Holland’s research has identified six career themes which can be used as a basis of classifying interests, personal preferences and workstyles:
- Realistic
- Investigative
- Artistic
- Social
- Enterprising
- Conventional.
These themes can also be used to classify different types of work, so enabling tools such as the Profiling for Success CII to suggest matches between an individual’s interests and broad career areas or more specific families of jobs. As people typically seek jobs where they can express their interests, abilities, preferences and work styles, matching these personal characteristics to aspects of a job, results in greater satisfaction and commitment. Tools such as the CII are particularly useful when people are starting their career exploration, as that act as ‘ideas generators’ which can lead people to consider careers that previously had not thought of.
In 1995 John Holland was presented with the Distinguished Contributions to Knowledge award from the American Psychological Association for his work on careers.
Selected reading:
Gottfredson, G. D. (1999). John L. Holland's Contributions to Vocational Psychology: A Review and Evaluation. Journal of Vocational Behaviour, 55(1), 14-40
Holland, J. L. (1966) The Psychology of Vocational Choice: A Theory of Personality Types and Model and Environments. Waltham, Mass: Blaisdell.
TDI® is the registered trademark of Team Focus, FIRO® is a Registered Trademark of CPP Inc., 16PF® is a Registered Trademark of IPAT