Johari Window Model
Improve self-awareness, understanding, and mutual trust between you and your team using the Johari Window.
About the Johari Window Model
What is the Johari Window?
A Johari Window is a framework that allows individuals to enhance their understanding of themselves and others in a group, or among other groups. The model is rooted in two powerful ideas: that you’re more likely to trust people if you understand them better, and you’re more likely to trust yourself if you understand yourself better. Teams complete the Johari Window by filling out four quadrants, each of which reveals something they might not know about themselves or about others.
Who invented the Johari Window Model?
UCLA psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham first introduced the model in 1955. In today’s workplace, teams often use the Johari Window to deepen “soft” skills like empathy, cooperation, interpersonal development, and communication.
What does “Johari” mean? It's a combination of the names of the two men who created the Johari window, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham.
What are the four quadrants of the Johari Window Model?
In the framework, two of the quadrants or window panes represent the self that is aware, while the second two quadrants show what is not known to the person. Let’s look at the details of what each quadrant represents.
Open
The open quadrant, which is the top left, represents qualities or information about the individual that is known by both the person and the group.
2. Blind
The blind pane will show aspects about the individual that is known by the group but is unknown to the subject and is effectively their blind spot in terms of self-awareness.
3. Hidden
The bottom left quadrant represents what the individual knows about themselves that is unknown or yet to be discovered by the group.
4. Unknown
The final pane of the Johari Window will reveal information that is unknown to both the individual and the team.
Create your own Johari Window
Creating your own Johari Windows is quick and easy. Miro’s Johari Window Template is the perfect canvas to create and share with your team. Get started by selecting the Johari Window Template, then take the following steps to make one of your own.
Start in the Open Area Quadrant
Compare the lists made in the 'Adjectives' section and add the yellow stickies which are matching the blue ones to the 'open field', top left quadrant. This quadrant will show you the information you know about yourself and also that other people know about you. For example, maybe you know you’re a good listener and other people have told you the same. It’s an easy point of entry for the exercise because you’re starting on the common ground shared with your teammates.
2. Move on to the Blind field
Move the blue stickies that are not matching any of the yellow ones. Add them to the 'blind field', these are your blind spots.
3. Complete the Hidden pane
Now fill out the bottom left or “Hidden” area with the remaining yellow stickies. These are things you know about yourself but other people don’t know about you. For most of us, that includes anything we’d prefer to hide, like insecurities, fears, or undesirable traits. Perhaps you’re afraid that people won’t like you because you went to a lower-ranked college, or maybe you’re insecure about your job performance.
4. Reflect on the Unknown
Reflect on past experiences and add them to the 'unknown' field, bottom right quadrant. These will show your pivotal learning moments. This one might be a bit tricky. In this box, write down your “unknown unknowns”: things nobody knows about you and you don’t know about yourself.
5. Follow the Arrows from the Open field
Afterward, do what's written in the arrows coming out from the 'open' field, in the first left quadrant. In this stage of the exercise, the individual will self-disclose what is unknown to the group, request feedback on what they are not aware and hopefully discover what nobody knew.
6. Reflect on your findings
To finalize this exercise, reflect on your findings. How easy was it? What are your blind spots and how can you work on them? How can you apply what you learned about your teammates? Although sharing the information can be scary, many people find it empowering.
By talking about their insecurities and fears, people often realize that their coworkers share many of their “hidden” traits. Telling your teammates how you feel reduces the Hidden area and bolsters the Open area, fostering trust and cooperation. If that seems confusing or daunting, don’t worry. Think of this box as an opportunity to reflect on what you might discover about yourself.
You might write something like: “There might be something that’s keeping me from realizing my true potential in the workplace, but I don’t yet know what it is.” By approaching this box as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, you can start to get excited about what the future might hold for you and your teammates!
What are the four quadrants of the Johari Window?
The four areas or quadrants of the Johari Window include the open area or arena, the blind pane, the hidden, and the unknown. Completing all four of these areas in the Johari Window will enhance self-awareness and foster better understanding among and within groups.
How do you use the Johari Window for self-awareness?
You can use the Johari Window template when developing a team. Many teams use Johari Windows to deepen cross-functional or intra-team connections, help employees communicate better, and cultivate empathy. That way, you can mitigate miscommunication and elevate self-awareness. When organizations experience growth, for example, newer employees can sometimes clash with more established teams. Other teams can struggle to communicate cross-functionally and translate across team cultures and norms. Still, other teams might struggle when some employees work remotely. A Johari Window can help facilitate conversations within and among groups.
What are the benefits of the Johari Window Model?
The Johari Window Model is used to help people better understand themselves in gaining more self-awareness and to better understand others within a group. The exercise of completing the framework is intended to improve communication among the group, foster trust through sharing and opening up and reduce the potential for miscommunication in understanding one another.
Get started with this template right now.
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