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(December 19, 1925 to November 9, 2002)
In November 2002, people working in organization development lost Will Schutz one of the field's most exciting contributors over the last 40 years. Throughout his life, Will sought to understand human behavior. His early goal was to develop a useful theory of behavior-one which would reach from the theoretical to the practical, with simple to learn concepts for individuals and organizations to use as everyday tools to change the way they live and work.
Will far more than succeeded in his goals. He developed the FIRO (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation) theory in 1958 along with the instrument FIRO-B, redesigned in 1978 into Element B: Behavior is still used extensively. His work on small groups and group behavior, strongly influenced by Elvin Semrad, has been applied throughout the world and forms a basis of our modern understanding of how people work together in groups and teams.
Will spent the last 22 years developing The Human Element '- a comprehensive program for individual and organization development. This is being used to improve relationships and productivity in organizations in business, government and the non profit sector throughout the world. 'The Human Element' has become a powerful organizational development tool, unique in its multi layered experiential focus on enabling people and teams to learn for themselves how to change and improve. As part of this, Will also developed an international network of Human Element practitioners and 'The Human Element' is now used in 20 countries in Europe, North and South America and Asia. The company Will founded in 1980 - Will Schutz Associates was purchased in 2001 by Business Consultants Inc. of Japan and continues to operate in San Francisco as BCon WSA International.
'The Human Element' draws strongly on Will's research that extended his FIRO theory to include more focus on mind/body connection. He first experimented with the range of new mind/body techniques emerging in New York during his period on the faculty at Einstein Medical School these include Rolfing, psychodrama, psychosynthesis, gestalt, feldenkrais, bioenergetics and meditation. As a result of these explorations he wrote the best selling book "Joy" which brought him considerable fame and controversy.
In 1967 he began teaching at the Esalen Institute and was a co-founder of...