Johari window

The Johari Window model is a simple and useful tool for illustrating and improving self-awareness, and

mutual understanding between individuals within a group. The Johari Window model can also be used to

assess and improve a group's relationship with other groups. The Johari Window model was devised by

American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955, while researching group dynamics at the

University of California Los Angeles. The model was first published in the Proceedings of the Western

Training Laboratory in Group Development by UCLA Extension Office in 1955, and was later expanded

by Joseph Luft. Today the Johari Window model is especially relevant due to modern emphasis on, and

influence of, 'soft' skills, behavior, empathy, cooperation, inter-group development and interpersonal

development. The Johari Window concept is particularly helpful to understanding

employee/employer relationships within the Psychological Contract. Over the years, alternative Johari

Window terminology has been developed and adapted by other people - particularly leading to different

descriptions of the four regions, hence the use of different terms in this explanation.

Luft and Ingham called their Johari Window model 'Johari' after combining their first names, Joe and

Harry. In early publications the word appears as 'JoHari'. The Johari Window soon became a widely used

model for understanding and training self-awareness, personal development, improving communications,

interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, team development and inter-group relationships. The Johari

Window model is also referred to as a 'disclosure/feedback model of self-awareness’, and by some people

an 'information processing tool'. The Johari Window actually represents information - feelings,

experience, views, attitudes, skills, intentions, motivation, etc - within or about a person - in relation to

their group, from four perspectives, which are described below. The Johari Window model can also be

used to represent the same information for a group in relation to other groups. Johari Window

terminology refers to 'self'and 'others': 'self' means oneself, ie, the person subject to the Johari Window

analysis. 'Others' means other people in the person's group or team.

would be the group, and 'others' would be other groups. However, for ease of explanation and

understanding of the Johari Window and examples in this article, think of the model applying to an

individual within a group, rather than a group relating to other groups. The four Johari Window

perspectives are called 'regions' or 'areas' or 'quadrants'. Each of these regions contains and represents the

information - feelings, motivation, etc – known about the person, in terms of whether the information is

known or unknown by the person, and whether the information is known or unknown by others in the

group. The Johari Window's four regions, (areas, quadrants, or perspectives) are as follows, showing the

quadrant numbers and commonly used names:

Johari window four regions:

1. What is known by the person about him/herself and is also known by others -

Open area, open self, free area, free self, or 'the arena'

2. What is unknown by the person about him/herself but which others know -

Blind area, blind self, or 'blindspot'

3. What the person knows about him/herself that others do not know -

hidden area, hidden self, avoided area, avoided self or 'facade'

4. What is unknown by the person about him/herself and is also unknown by others -

unknown area or unknown self

Like some other behavioural models (eg,Tuckman, Hersey/Blanchard), the Johari Window is based on a

four-square grid - the Johari Window is like a window with four 'panes'. Here's how the Johari Window is

normally shown, with its four regions

This is the standard representation of the Johari Window model, showing each quadrant the same size.

The Johari Window ‘panes' can be changed in size to reflect the relevant proportions of each type of

'knowledge' of/about a particular person in a given group or team situation. In new groups or teams the

open free space for any team member is small because shared awareness is relatively small. As the team

member becomes better established and known, so the size of the team member’s open free area quadrant

increases.

Johari window model - explanation of the four regions

Johari quadrant 1 - 'open self/area' or 'free area' or 'public area', or 'arena'

behaviour, attitude, feelings, emotion, knowledge, experience, skills, views, etc - known by the person

('the self') and known by the group ('others').

The aim in any group should always be to develop the 'open area' for every person, because when we

work in this area with others we are at our most effective and productive, and the group is at its most

productive too. The open free area, or 'the arena', can be seen as the space where good communications

and cooperation occur, free from distractions, mistrust, confusion, conflict and misunderstanding.

Established team members logically tend to have larger open areas than new team members. New team

members start with relatively small open areas because relatively little knowledge about the new team

member is shared. The size of the open area can be expanded horizontally into the blind space, by seeking

and actively listening to feedback from other group members. This process is known as 'feedback

solicitation'. Also, other group members can help a team member expand their open area by offering

feedback, sensitively of course. The size of the open area can also be expanded vertically downwards into

the hidden or avoided space by the person's disclosure of information, feelings, etc about him/herself to

the group and group members. Also, group members can help a person expand their open area into the

hidden area by asking the person about him/herself. Managers and team leaders can play an important

role in facilitating feedback and disclosure among group members, and in directly giving feedback to

individuals about their own blind areas. Leaders also have a big responsibility to promote a culture and

expectation for open, honest, positive, helpful, constructive, sensitive communications, and the sharing of

knowledge throughout their organization. Top performing groups, departments, companies and

organizations always tend to have a culture of open positive communication, so encouraging the positive

development of the 'open area' or 'open self' for everyone is a simple yet fundamental aspect of effective

leadership.
Johari quadrant 2 - 'blind self' or 'blind area' or 'blindspot'

Johari region 2 is what is known about a person by others in the group, but is unknown by the person

him/herself. By seeking or soliciting feedback from others, the aim should be to reduce this area and

thereby to increase the open, i.e., to increase self-awareness. This blind area is not an effective or

productive space for individuals or groups. This blind area could also be referred to as ignorance about

oneself, or issues in which one is deluded. A blind area could also include issues that others are

deliberately withholding from a person. We all know how difficult it is to work well when kept in the

dark. No-one works well when subject to 'mushroom management'. People who are 'thick-skinned' tend to

have a large 'blind area'.

Group members and managers can take some responsibility for helping an individual to reduce their blind

area - in turn increasing the open area - by giving sensitive feedback and encouraging disclosure.

Managers should promote a climate of non-judgemental feedback, and group response to individual

disclosure, which reduces fear and therefore encourages both processes to happen. The extent to which an

individual seeks feedback, and the issues on which feedback is sought, must always be at the individual's

own discretion. Some people are more resilient than others - care needs to be taken to avoid causing

emotional upset. The process of soliciting serious and deep feedback relates to the process of 'self-

actualization' described in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs development and motivation model.

Johari quadrant 3 - 'hidden self' or 'hidden area' or 'avoided self/area' or 'facade'

Johari region 3 is what is known to ourselves but kept hidden from, and therefore unknown, to others.

This hidden or avoided self represents information, feelings, etc, anything that a person knows about

him/self, but which is not revealed or is kept hidden from others. The hidden area could also include

sensitivities, fears, hidden agendas, manipulative intentions, secrets - anything that a person knows but

does not reveal, for whatever reason. It's natural for very personal and private information and feelings to

remain hidden, indeed, certain information, feelings and experiences have no bearing on work, and so can
and should remain hidden. However, typically, a lot of hidden information is not very personal, it is work-

or performance-related, and so is better positioned in the open area.

Relevant hidden information and feelings, etc, should be moved into the open area through the process of

'disclosure'. The aim should be to disclose and expose relevant information and feelings - hence the Johari

Window terminology 'self-disclosure' and 'exposure process', thereby increasing the open area. By telling

others how we feel and other information about ourselves we reduce the hidden area, and increase the

open area, which enables better understanding, cooperation, trust, team-working effectiveness and

productivity. Reducing hidden areas also reduces the potential for confusion, misunderstanding, poor

communication, etc, which all distract from and undermine team effectiveness.

Organizational culture and working atmosphere have a major influence on group members' preparedness

to disclose their hidden selves. Most people fear judgement or vulnerability and therefore hold back

hidden information and feelings, etc, that if moved into the open area, ie known by the group as well,

would enhance mutual understanding, and thereby improve group awareness, enabling better individual

performance and group effectiveness.

The extent to which an individual discloses personal feelings and information, and the issues which are

disclosed, and to whom, must always be at the individual's own discretion. Some people are more keen

and able than others to disclose. People should disclose at a pace and depth that they find personally

comfortable. As with feedback, some people are more resilient than others - care needs to be taken to

avoid causing emotional upset. Also as with soliciting feedback, the process of serious disclosure relates

to the process of 'self-actualization' described in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs development and

motivation model.

Johari quadrant 4 - 'unknown self' or 'area of unknown activity' or 'unknown area'

Johari region 4 contains information, feelings, latent abilities, aptitudes, experiences etc, that are

unknown to the person him/herself and unknown to others in the group. These unknown issues take a
variety of forms: they can be feelings, behaviours, attitudes, capabilities, aptitudes, which can be quite

close to the surface, and which can be positive and useful, or they can be deeper aspects of a person's

personality, influencing his/her behaviour to various degrees. Large unknown areas would typically be

expected in younger people, and people who lack experience or self-belief.

Examples of unknown factors are as follows, and the first example is particularly relevant and common,

especially in typical organizations and teams:

 an ability that is under-estimated or un-tried through lack of opportunity, encouragement,

confidence or training

 a natural ability or aptitude that a person doesn't realise they possess

 a fear or aversion that a person does not know they have

 an unknown illness

 repressed or subconscious feelings

 conditioned behaviour or attitudes from childhood

The processes by which this information and knowledge can be uncovered are various, and can be

prompted through self-discovery or observation by others, or in certain situations through collective or

mutual discovery, of the sort of discovery experienced on outward bound courses or other deep or

intensive group work. Counselling can also uncover unknown issues, but this would then be known to the

person and by one other, rather than by a group.

Whether unknown 'discovered' knowledge moves into the hidden, blind or open area depends on who

discovers it and what they do with the knowledge, notably whether it is then given as feedback, or

disclosed. As with the processes of soliciting feedback and disclosure, striving to discover information

and feelings in the unknown is relates to the process of 'self-actualization' described in Maslow's

Hierarchy of Needs development and motivation model.

extent and depth to which an individual is able to seek out discover their unknown feelings must always

be at the individual's own discretion. Some people are more keen and able than others to do this.

Uncovering 'hidden talents' - that is unknown aptitudes and skills, not to be confused with developing the

Johari 'hidden area' - is another aspect of developing the unknown area, and is not so sensitive as

unknown feelings. Providing people with the opportunity to try new things, with no great pressure to

succeed, is often a useful way to discover unknown abilities, and thereby reduce the unknown area.

Managers and leaders can help by creating an environment that encourages self-discovery, and to promote

the processes of self discovery, constructive observation and feedback among team members. It is a

widely accepted industrial fact that the majority of staff in any organization are at any time working well

within their potential. Creating a culture, climate and expectation for self-discovery helps people to fulfil

more of their potential and thereby to achieve more, and to contribute more to organizational

performance.

A note of caution about Johari region 4: The unknown area could also include repressed or subconscious

feelings rooted in formative events and traumatic past experiences, which can stay unknown for a

lifetime. In a work or organizational context the Johari Window should not be used to address issues of a

clinical nature.

Johari window example - increasing open area through feedback solicitation

This Johari Window model diagram is an example of increasing the open area, by reduction of the blind

area, which would normally be achieved through the process of asking for and then receiving feedback.
Feedback develops the open area by reducing the blind area

The open area can also be developed through the process of disclosure, which reduces the hidden area

The unknown area can be reduced in different ways: by others' observation (which increases the blind

area); by self-discovery (which increases the hidden area), or by mutual enlightenment - typically via

group experiences and discussion - which increases the open area as the unknown area reduces.

A team which understands itself - that is, each person having a strong mutual understanding with the team

- is far more effective than a team which does not understand each other- that is, whose members have

large hidden, blind, and/or unknown areas.

Team members - and leaders - should always be striving to increase their open free areas, and to reduce

their blind, hidden and unknown areas.

A person represented by the Johari Window example above will not perform to their best potential, and

the team will fail to make full use of the team's potential and the person's potential too. Effort should
generally be made by the person to increase his/her open free area, by disclosing information about

his/her feelings, experience, views, motivation, etc, which will reduce the size of the hidden area, and

increase the open free area.

Seeking feedback about the blind area will reduce the blind area, and will increase the open free area.

Discovery through sensitive communications, active listening and experience, will reduce the unknown

area, transferring in part to the blind, hidden areas, depending on who knows what, or better still if known

by the person and others, to the open free area.

Johari window model - example for new team member or member within a new team

This Johari Window model diagram is an example of a member of a new team or a person who is new to

an existing team.
The open free region is small because others know little about the new person.

Similarly the blind area is small because others know little about the new person.

The hidden or avoided issues and feelings are a relatively large area.

In this particular example the unknown area is the largest, which might be because the person is young, or

lacking in self-knowledge or belief.

Johari window example - established team member example

This Johari Window model diagram is an example of an established member of a team.

The open free region is large because others know a lot about the person that the person also knows.

Through the processes of disclosure and receiving feedback the open area has expanded and at the same

time reduced the sizes of the hidden, blind and unknown areas.
USAGE OF THE JOHARI WINDOW. (APPLICATIONS)

 The JW is generally used for teaching and considering and administering an understanding of:

 How individuals communicate with themselves and with others.

 How individuals present themselves to themselves and to others.

 How individuals perceive their place in the world.

 With a little consideration Johari is also suitable for multiple usage:

 Coaching to facilitate conversations around 'actions vs. perceived motivations'.

 As an Organizational Development tool to visualize the political and cultural issues that may be

in or out of sync within a business.

 As a management tool to demonstrate the dynamics in a team.

 As a self-development tool that helps to consider one's own 'behavior vs. reaction'.

STRENGTHS OF THE JOHARI WINDOW. (BENEFITS)

 Easy to grasp, flexible outcomes.

 The method catalyses open information sharing.

 The method will create a shared reference point.

LIMITATIONS OF THE JOHARI WINDOW. (DISADVANTAGES)

 Some things are perhaps better not communicated (your sexual behavior, mental health problems

or large-scale failures).

 Some people may pass on the information they received further than you desire.

 Some people may react negatively.

correct negative behaviors.

ASSUMPTIONS OF THE JOHARI WINDOW. (CONDITIONS)

In reality Johari's assumption is the same as any feedback-tool: the individuals which are experiencing the

process must proceed further to create Development Plans, etc.

REFERENCES

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window

https://www.communicationtheory.org/the-johari-window-model/