About the FIRO-B™: Team Work Environment – Total Need for Inclusion

This time we'll look at how your total Need for Inclusion score might affect your perception of your team’s mood or work environment.  In general, your highest total need score shows which aspect of the team will give you the most satisfaction.  If Inclusion is your highest score, then this will be the most important aspect of team work for you.  You will likely work hardest to maintain or improve this aspect of team work.

Here are some signs your total needs for Inclusion are not being met by your team.  You might complain about too little contact with the group, or people are withholding information from you, or that team decisions are made in secret.  You can feel as if no one realizes the team exists, that your contribution is marginal to the team's success, or that no one on the team is accessible.  Further, you might feel people do not appreciate the differences among team members, or that the group fails to realize everyone is responsible for the outcome, or that the group dislikes doing things together.  Finally, you might feel as if your contributions to the team are not recognized.

The more of the above statements you agree with, the more likely you'll need to address some key issues with your team.  For example, you might need to have a team discussion about the process for participation, valuing group differences, and clarity about the common goal.  With further clarity, you can redefine your team role or perhaps move out of the team entirely if no agreement can be reached.