JOHARI Window A Tool For Self-Discovery And Improved Relationships
JOHARI Window, A Tool for Self-Discovery and Improved Relationships.
I discovered the JOHARI window back during my days as a trainee therapist, I found it highly beneficial for myself and clients as it helps in the understanding of ourselves and others. This tool was created in 1950s by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, hence the name JOHARI. Over the years I have found it to be useful both personally and professionally to increase self-awareness, improve communication and build trust in relationships in and out of the therapy room. The four quadrants of the window are:
Open Area, known to self and others.
Blind Area, unknown to self but known to others.
Hidden Area, known to self but unknown to others.
Unknown Area, unknown to self and others.
This model encourages open dialogue between the therapist and client. A process that can reveal hidden aspects of a person’s personality and behaviour. The results and benefits are that individuals gain insights and increased awareness about themselves and how others may perceive them.
In everyday life, the JOHARI Window concepts can apply to personal relationships, professional settings, self-improvement efforts and conflict resolution.
When we have an understanding of these areas, we can become more aware of our strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. This increased awareness and understanding leads to better decision-making and improved interactions with those around us.
When we do share information about ourselves, which can be challenging, and when we receive honest constructive feedback from others, leads to increased self-awareness and stronger relationships.
The JOHARI Window serves as a valuable tool for self-discovery and interpersonal development, its simplicity in nature makes it accessible for everyone, this can be from individuals seeking personal growth to workforce teams aiming for better collaboration and communication. Let’s look at the four areas, what they are and how to navigate them.
Open Area –
The open area contains information, behaviours or traits that both ourselves or others are aware of. This can include visible characteristics, personal interests, jobs and personality aspects that is shared comfortably with others. When a person is in a healthy, trusting relationship the open area increases as more is shared about each person and they actively engage in self-disclosure.
Expansion of this area includes activities such as voluntarily sharing thoughts, our experiences and how we feel, along with actively inviting others to share their observations and accepting any feedback in an open and non-defensive way, even it if it’s hard to hear.
Blind Area –
The blind area includes things that others notice about but we are not aware off, which may be things like habits, personality traits and unconscious behaviours that have an impact on how we are perceived. These blind spots can be both negative and positive, such as biases, weakness or hidden strengths and talents.
Reduction of this area may entail asking trusted friends, colleagues for honest feedback on how we come across or handle certain situations. Actively listen to the reactions to you or observing you in different scenarios.
Hidden Area –
The hidden area includes information about yourself, but choose too, for whatever reason not to share with others, this can include personal experiences, secrets, insecurities, elements of your identity that you’re not sure about sharing with others. Keeping things to ourselves can be essential for privacy and emotional safety, however if the hidden area is too large it can prevent a genuine connection with others.
Reduce this area by balancing vulnerability and privacy, carefully revealing more about yourself in certain relationships which will enhance intimacy and trust. Selectively disclose by gradually sharing aspects of yourself in a trusted relationship whilst acknowledging if keeping things hidden is out of fear of vulnerability or a justified desire for privacy.
Unknown area –
This area consists of things neither you nor others in your life are aware off, this may include latent abilities, untapped potential, subconscious beliefs or even traumatic experiences that have not yet surfaced. It’s good to remember that unknown aspects may be inescapable directly, they can sometime be revealed via increasing our self-awareness and through self-reflection, gathering feedback or taking part in new experiences that bring out parts of ourselves we didn’t realise existed. When we explore this area, it can reveal the hidden potential that we have, provides greater self-understanding and can also sometimes resolve internal conflicts or past traumas.
Expand this area via self-reflection and mindfulness, practicing regular activities such as journaling, meditation or therapy can aid in becoming more aware of unconscious habits. Taking up a new hobby, engaging in activities that are unfamiliar or out of the comfort zone can help us become more aware of ourselves. Working with a counsellor or coach can also help in peeling back aspects of ourselves hidden beneath conscious awareness.
The implementation of these strategies takes time and patience, it is important to be open to feedback, willing to share, and committed to self-reflection. With consistent effort, you’ll notice improvements in your self-awareness and relationships.
The JOHARI Window offers a framework for continuous personal development. By expanding your Open Area, you can create opportunities for growth, improvement to communication, and deepen connections with others.
Here are some tips to help apply the JOHARI Window concepts in everyday Life:
Seek feedback regularly –
This can be done by asking trusted friends, family members, or colleagues for honest opinions about your behaviour and personality traits. It is important to listen without defensiveness and reflect on any insights with a compassionate focus.
Practice self-disclosure –
Sharing appropriate personal information with trusted others which helps to build trust and deepen relationships. You might start with small disclosures and gradually increase openness as comfort levels grow. Therapy sessions are a good place to begin this process if you struggle with finding a trusted other.
Reflect on your hidden areas –
Identifying aspects of yourself that you tend to keep private, consider why you hide these traits and whether sharing them might be of benefit to your relationships.
Explore your unknown areas –
Try new experiences and challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone. This exploration helps uncover hidden talents and potential.
References:
Luft, J. and Ingham, H. (1955). The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awareness. Proceedings of the western training laboratory in group development. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles
Handy, C. (1990). Inside Organizations: 21 Ideas for Managers. Penguin Books
Newstrom, J.W. and Rubenfeld, S.A. (1983). The Johari Window: A Reconceptualization. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning: Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference.
Kormanski, L.M. (1988). Using the Johari Window to Study Characterization. JSTOR
Health Education England. Johari’s Window (1955)
