Johari Window Self Awareness Model Theory | Johari Window Exercise Example

What is Johari Window Model?

The Johari Window Model, devised by American Psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham during a research period at the University of Los Angeles in 1955, is a behavioral model that aims to boost group relations through individual self-awareness and mutual (group) understanding.

Johari Window is a technique that aims to help people understand their physical and emotional relationship with themselves and other people. Johari Window questionnaire used in both a self-help context, group setting, and in the corporate environment to improve individual and team performance

The model is a communication window that consists of four quadrants and has two dimensions, namely;

1. Others Area
2. Self Area

Others Area

What is known by others about me and, respectively, what is not known by others.

Example: They know that I never drive a car. They do not know that it is because I have lost my driving license due to drunk driving.

Self Area

What is known by myself, and what is not known by myself.

Example: I am aware that I do not like holding speeches for large gatherings. However, I am unaware that I am touching my hair when I am saying something from the two dimensions.

Understanding the Johari Window Model

Myself and others appear in four quadrants. The lines dividing the four quadrants are like window shades; they can move as an interaction progresses. Johari Window areas include;

1. The Johari Window open Area(what is known by myself and known by others).
2. The Johari Window Blind area ( what is known by others but not known by myself).
3. The Johari Window hidden area ( what is known by myself but not known by others).
4. The Johari Window Unknown area (what is not known by myself and not known by others).

Johari Window Model & Examples

Johari Window Open Area

These are what is known by myself and known by others  and includes;

• Factual Information
• Feelings, Desires, Needs
• Time and Confidence

In the beginning, we get to know each other the quadrant is not very large since there has been little time to exchange information. But the longer we know each other and the more confidence we have in each other.

The more the window shades move down or to the right. We know more about each other. You know more about me.

Johari Window Open Area Example

I know my name, and so do you if we have been introduced to each other; it is factual information.

Johari Window Blind Area

The blind area quadrant represents things that are not known by myself but are known by you.

Johari Window Blind Area Examples

You may have noticed that my eye contact seems to be lacking in our ongoing conversation or that I am interrupting you in your sentences. It’s a bad habit for my side, which makes the communication between us difficult.

If you choose to tell me, it becomes part of the open quadrant. The window shade moves to the right, enlarging three open quadrants area.

But if you don’t say anything, it remains unknown to me, and it stays as part of my blind quadrant. You know it, and I do not know it.

Johari Window Hidden Area

The hidden area quadrant represents things that are known by myself are not known by you.

Johari Window Hidden Area Examples

For instance, I love dark chocolate. As soon as I tell you this secret, I’m effectively pulling the window shade down, thereby moving the information from my hidden quadrant into the enlarged open quadrant.

Until I told you,  you were not aware of it, but now you are.

The more I trust you, the more I might tell you about my secrets, how I lost my driving license, how I got divorced, what I think about our joint colleagues, and so on. I extend my open quadrant to you.

Some people have almost nothing in the hidden quadrant. They publish all their intimate details online on social media such as Facebook.

Johari Window Unknown Area

The Unknown quadrant represents things that are neither known by myself nor by you.

Johari Window Unknown Area Examples

I was aware that I did not like to hold speeches for large gatherings. I later found out that this was due to a lack of self-confidence on my part.

I simply couldn’t imagine that I could say anything that might interest a large group of people at once. Neither I nor others knew that this was the reason for my fear about holding speeches.

Johari Window Personal Examples.  How to Expand Johari Window

How to expand Johari Window Open Area Quadrant

It is widely believed that we need to expand the open quadrant as far as possible, but Why

• It provides better communication between us.
• We believe disclosure to be good for the soul. At least that’s the impression one gets after reading Freud.

However, my common sense tells me that others should not know everything about me, and I don’t want to know everything about others.

Some examples of how to expand the Johari window open area quadrant.

Ask Feedback on the Blind Quadrant;

I could make a part of the blind quadrant into a part of the open quadrant. I can ask for feedback from my surroundings.

It could be that people would tell me that I am touching my hair when talking, or I have wondering eyes when I am talking to them or that I am actually interrupting them, then it would be part of the open quadrant.

However, please be aware that what other people think of you is subjective, and it is not certain that what they are saying is actually what is happening.

How to expand Johari Window Hidden Area Quadrant

You can also expand the open quadrant by telling something about yourself that is not known by others. You can go down and tell something that is in the hidden quadrant.

However, please be aware that not everyone might be able to accept your hidden secrets. Example; Never say anything about politics, race, or religion. This rule is probably true in most cultures.

You are definitely more likely to win a promotion if you have not told your boss about your alcohol or mental health problems. So if you must tell your secrets to someone, you have to choose that person very carefully.

How to expand Johari Window Unknown Area

You can also expand the open quadrant into the unknown quadrant.

Others Observe You;

You can actively ask others to observe you in different situations.

How do you deal with a critical customer?

How do you react to stress?

If you do it voluntarily, remember to be critical of whom you let observe you. It requires a great deal of trust.

Jointly with Others

You may also, jointly with others, expand the open quadrant into the unknown quadrant. It is often the purpose of team-building exercises amongst colleagues.

In the ideal team-building exercise, all participants develop a large open quadrant in relation to each other and thereby a better communication among each other afterward.

Own Experience. How Does Johari Window Improve Self Awareness? 

You can also develop your own experiences.  You could drag aspects about yourself from the unknown Quadrant into the hidden quadrant.

An example is if you go hiking alone in a remote area and thereby experience an unknown aspect of yourself. Furthermore, as you gain experiences throughout your life, you learn about yourself, and we hopefully all do that throughout our lives.

If you later tell others about your experience and it, therefore, becomes part of the open quadrant, it is, of course, up to you.

Importance of Johari Window Model

Johari Window’s theory model is useful because it can help bring better understand and awareness about ourselves, which ultimately boosts the level of self–awareness. It is a simple and basic tool, although it provides the user with useful information as to how others see and think of them and how we see ourselves in relation to them.

Advantages and Disadvantages/ Criticism of Johari Window

• The Johari Window does not take into account that are limits regarding openness are very different. It also varies how much we want to know about others.
• If some colleagues have family problems, some of them believe it should be shared with everybody. They place it in the open quadrant. Others keep this to themselves; they place it in the hidden quadrant. Not everybody wants to give all aspects of their private lives away.
• Observe also that many do not want to know. They fear it uncomfortable. If your open area quadrant is too big, they have no interest in knowing anything about your private life. They see your cooperation as purely work-related.
• Before you start using the model, you must know where you are placed and where you think others are placed. You can give too little, but certainly also too much of yourself.