JOHARI WINDOW

WRITTEN BY – ANKITA RANJAN

DATE – 29 AUGUST 2021

The Johari window model is a simple and effective tool for demonstrating and improving

self-awareness and mutual understanding among members of a group. This model can also be

used to evaluate and improve relations between a group and other groups. This model is

especially useful when developing teams. It was developed at University of California, Los

Angeles, by American psychologist Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955 during research

on group dynamics. The model was first published by UCLA Extension Office in 1955 and

was later expanded by Joseph Luft in the Proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in

Group Development. Today, Johari Window is particularly relevant because the "soft" skills,

behaviour, empathy, cooperation, inter-group development and interpersonal development

are modernly highlighted and influenced.

Johari window model is based on two things – to build the confidence of others, through

revealing your data to them and through feedback from others. The tool requires people to

understand who they are and to receive feedback from others about how they are perceived.

The data is then added to the Johari Window, two by two matrix. The window allows people

to view any difference between their self-perception and the viewing of others.

The four quadrants of the window are:

1) “Open” (things known by self and others),

2) “Blind” (thing known by others but unknown by self),

3) “Hidden” (things well-known by self but undiscovered by others), and

 4) “Unknown” (things not known by either self or others).

A Johari matrix with four panels is represented as a shared window. Two of these panels

represent self, while the other two constitute the unknown part for oneself but to others. The

information is transmitted from one side to another by mutual trust through socialisation and

feedback from the other members of the group.

1. Open/ Free Area - The person and others will be familiar with the information

about him or her attitudes, behaviour, emotions, feelings, talents, and views. This is

primarily the field in which all communication takes place, and the wider the plot the

more dynamic and effective the relationship becomes. The Feedback Request is a

process that takes place when one understands and listens to another person's

feedback. This allows the open area to be extended by decreasing the blind spot

horizontally. The arena size can also be increased downward and therefore reduced by

revealing one's feelings to someone else, the hidden and unknown zones.

2. Blind area - You will not be aware of information about yourself that others

know in a group. Others may have different interpretations than you expect. The blind

spot is reduced by seeking feedback from others for effective communication.

3. Hidden area - Information you know but that others do not know. This may be

any personal information you are unwilling to disclose. This includes feelings,
 experiences of the past, fears and secrets. We retain some of our feelings, and

information as private as they affect relationships and so, by moving information to

open areas, the hidden area must be reduced.

4. Unknown area- The information you and others do not know about. This

includes information, sensations, skills, talents, etc. This could be due to traumatic

experiences in the past or lifetime events. The individual will be ignorant until he

finds his hidden qualities and abilities or by observing others. Open communication

also provides an effective way of reducing the unknown area and thus communicating

clearly.

How to do Johari Window activity?

To find out what your window looks like requires some honesty, a group of fellow people

and some confidence. You need to choose words that you think describe from a set list and

get your colleagues to do the same to complete the activity. Then you explore the differences

between your words and what they chose. You will be able to build a plan to help bridge the

gap when you understand where the differences are. You can do this using the following

steps:

• Select your fellow men: Identify people that you trust and think you know or

team members if you do a team activity.

• Select your words: Check the list of 56 words and circle 5-10 words you

believe are best descriptive of you.

• Get the feedback. Ask your selected colleagues to do the same practise and

choose the 5 to 10 words they think best describe you.

• Plot your words: In the Open pane, place the words you and others have

chosen. Place the words you have chosen in the "Hidden" pane only.
 • Plot your comments: Put words in the blind pane that your peers chose but did

not. In the "unknown" pane place the remaining words. Alternatively, the "Blind"

panel is left vacant.

• Window review: Check the words in the window of four pains. How do you

think you are aligned with how others see you? As a person, how open you are?

The list of 56 words given in Johari Window are:

Others tend to understand us better when we are more open in our relationships. In

general, this facilitates in effective communication and the development of trust, among other

things.

If you want to increase the size of your "open" window while decreasing the size of your

other windows, you can do the following:

 Make a plan for your hidden pane: Consider whether there is anything else you want to

share about yourself and how you might do so.

Make a plan for your blind pane: Consider whether there is anything else you want to

learn about how others perceive you and how to get more feedback.

Share your window and plans: Show your completed window to the peers who provided

feedback and inform them of your plans to expand your open pane while shrinking your other

panes.