Johari Window

What is Johari Window?

The Johari window is a concept that allows people to improve relations with themselves and especially with everyone else. For example, an employee can get better insights to strengthen his or her relationship with teammates and superiors. More specifically, it helps identify the best way to convey a message, receive others’ opinions, and improve the results when working in a team.

In addition, the employee can also increase self-awareness and personal development. This model works on two principles.

• Learning others’ perspectives about one’s behavior and skills.
• Sharing your behavioral traits and information with others and earning their trust.

What is the Johari Window model?

The model can be represented by a diagram that contains 4 windows, grids, or panes. Each window describes a different aspect of knowledge about a person and the people in the surrounding.

These four windows are open area, blind area, hidden area, and unknown area.

1. Open area

The model always starts with this area. The open area represents facts that are known to everyone, including the person. Regular communication is what makes these details available to the public. Due to the continuous sharing of this knowledge, trust between people can be made better. The main aim of this model is to expand the open area and reduce the other three. This area includes behavior, skills, professional attitude, knowledge, etc., for example.

2. Blind area

Next in the model is the blind area or the blindspot. This categorizes the information that the person is oblivious to. However, people around him or her might have noticed. The best example of this is constant shaking of legs, poor eye contact during meetings/presentations, etc.

Details, knowledge, and data in this window can be very beneficial to conduct 360-degree feedback in an organization’s performance
management system. As the person is unaware, he can ask others to share reviews about himself, thereby taking feedback. This is how the window can be reduced effectively.

3. Hidden area

The third window is the hidden area or facade. This is the exact opposite of the blind area. Information that the person is aware of, but others in the surroundings don’t come under this window. There can be many reasons behind the secrecy. The person is too sensitive, easily offended by judgements, or the details are very private such as credentials, feelings, fears, goals, or past experiences. But this area can be minimized by developing trust in others. However, in the end, it is the person’s will to share such details.

4. Unknown area

This region is the exact opposite of the open area, where neither the subject nor the audience knows. But discovering information in the area can be quite exciting as no one knows about their skills or characteristics.

How can Johari Window improve team building?

Johari Window can be a great way to improve teamwork, especially if you have any new recruits.

During this approach, 56 adjectives are used, which represents a person's knowledge, attributes, sentiments, and cues. Initially, the person (or subject) and team members will choose four or five adjectives that characterize that person. The attributes will then be placed in the four grids by both sides.

After this process is completed, team members can submit input. Regular, open, and honest feedback will inform an individual of their strengths and needs for improvement. As a result, members will improve confidence due to the strategy, and there will be fewer blind, hidden, and unknown places.

Example about using Johari Window at the Workplace

Sara started working in an organization. At first, her teammates knew very little about her due to the fact that she had just joined. But as time passed and she was assigned tasks that also required communication with others, it was found that she was very talkative and opened up very quickly.

As discussed in the definition, the team started a feedback mechanism where each member shared and received feedback about performance, behavior, etc. This helped her know about her openness and talkativeness. She started controlling her behavior, sharing only information that was required. As a result, the blindspot, hidden, and unknown areas decreased, thereby increasing the open area.

Also, during the 360-degree performance evaluation, she came to know much more about herself that was previously unknown. Her manager found her a creative thinker and able to lead teams. Therefore, this was tested practically, and she was given an important project to handle. The results came out to be very interesting. She was found to handle the team tasks very effectively as well as the client was delighted with the project output.

Overall, she has understood her qualities and areas for improvement. On the whole, the Johari window is a very effective method to reinforce relationships with team members and other employees.

Frequently Asked Questions About Johari Window

What is the purpose of the Johari Window?

By providing and receiving regular feedback, the model is intended to enhance self-awareness and strengthen connections among group members. It entails expanding the open space while reducing the size of the other three. This can be done by revealing previously undisclosed knowledge and details about a person, hence reinforcing faith.

How is Johari Window useful for organizations?

Individuals, teams, and organizations can all benefit from this model. This includes the following:

• Improved team members’ relationships.
• Improved communication.
• Reinforced trust.
• Increased self-awareness.
• Personal and team progress.

How is Johari Window beneficial to HR?

Human resources can use this concept in three ways.

Receiving feedback:

Implementing a feedback process can help HR in investigating an employee's issues. This enables them to address the problems before it's too late. Thus, they can boost retention methods, which is an integral part of this strategy.

Finding untapped potential:

Hidden talents or skills can be recognized and enhanced with continual open and honest communication between HR and employees.

Ensure open and honest communication:

HR can convey critical messages to employees in a much more efficient manner. This will assist them in concentrating in the right direction.

What are the disadvantages of the Johari Window?

While this strategy can be helpful in many respects, it also has certain drawbacks.

• Sometimes, disclosing incredibly sensitive data, such as personal passwords, fears, etc., may be uncomfortable, which is completely fine.
• Some people may share more information with a third party than is necessary.
• People can be judgmental and utilize facts in the wrong way at times.
• Individuals may become more offended as a result.