#345: Read, View, and Do on "The Johari Window"

Introduction

Today's "People Skills" newsletter uses a new topic format that we are trying out for you that we call "Read, View, and Do". This is a mix of three kinds of learning resource:

1. "Read" for reading a text explanation of the topic
2. "View" for watching a video on the topic
3. "Do" for carrying out an exercise on the topic.

This format means you get an all-round understanding of the topic through reading by yourself, watching the video, and doing an exercise on the topic.

Today, we're going to use the "Read, View, and Do" format to help you understand and use "The Johari Window".

01. Intro to "The Johari Window"

The Johari Window is a model for explaining the different ways people approach self-awareness and feedback. It was designed by two Californian psychologists, Jo Luft and Harry Ingham (hence Jo-Hari).

The basic model is a square composed of four windows. Each window represents parts of our true selves, according to whether they are open or closed to us and to others.

The four windows are:

1. the public arena (open to us and open to others)
2. the blind spot (closed to us and open to others)
3. the facade or mask (open to us and closed to others)
4. the unknown (closed to us and closed to others)

Here is the model:

Every relationship we have can also be described by a separate Johari Window.

02. The Open Pane

The Open Pane on the Johari Window is that part of ourselves that we knowingly reveal to others. It consists of all those known facts about ourselves, such as our personal life histories, and also how we openly feel about ourselves and others. People with large Open Panes are likely to be relaxed and outgoing with nothing to fear from what others say to them. They are learners of life.

In any relationship where your Open Pane is large, you are likely to be honest with others, revealing not just your strengths but also your weaknesses. Most successful relationships progress by a gradual opening up of the Open Pane on both sides.

The counselling process itself can be viewed as a process of opening up the client's Open Pane with the person being willing to discuss their problems openly and honestly.

03. The Blind Pane

The Blind Pane on the Johari Window consists of all the things about ourselves that others see but we don't. For example, in a relationship with another person, you might think you are charming and pleasant but they may be put off by what they see as falseness and artificiality.

In a counselling situation, people with large Blind Panes often resist feedback for fear that it will damage their own carefully-constructed self-image. The wonderful person they thought they were has feet of clay! Such people often use defensive tactics such as irrational thinking, excessive talking and half-listening to protect their blind spots.

Counselling someone with a large Blind Pane is likely to lead at some point to a confronting or challenging situation when the counsellor may have to point out exactly how the person comes across to others.

04. The Mask

The Mask, or Facade, Pane on the Johari Window consists of all those things that you know about yourself but which you keep hidden from others. These consist of thoughts, feelings and needs that you fear revealing because of the effect they may have on your relationship with others.

A mask is, of course, essential in all social relationships. We do not tell others everything we think or feel particularly where this might be hurtful or damaging to people we care about. In honest and trusting relationships, however, we are able to let down the mask and increase the Open Pane.

In counselling, people with a large Mask Pane may pretend to be someone different from who they really are. They may stay quiet, doing more listening than talking, more watching than doing.

05. The Unknown Pane

The Unknown Pane on the Johari Window is made up of everything unknown to us and also unknown to others.

People who have a low level of interpersonal contact are often portrayed as having large Unknown Panes. They make themselves immune to what others say about them, being unaffected by anything others say. They make difficult if not impossible counselling subjects, although they may need it most. They are likely to find personal change difficult because of their lack of self-awareness.

The Unknown Pane can never disappear completely in any relationship we have. This is because, no matter how open we are to others, the Unknown Pane contains all our untapped resources and potential which currently lie dormant. A new relationship with someone can be portrayed as being a predominantly Unknown window.

06. Video: "The Johari Window Model" presented by Alex Lyons

07. Exercise: Creating Your Own Johari Window

There are several different ways you can practise using the Johari Window on yourself and others. Although it can be a fun exercise, it can also help people get useful feedback from colleagues about themselves. The aim of any Johari Window team exercise is to build the biggest Open window you can as this is the key to better teamwork and personal enjoyment in the team.

So, with this in mind, here are the steps in the standard "Johari Window" exercise:

01. Bring together a mixed group of around 5 to 6 people who know one another reasonably well and are happy to discuss their strengths and weaknesses.

02. Hand out to everyone a worksheet with a list of 57 adjectives/qualities such as the one here.

03. Ask everyone to write down on a spare piece of paper the 5 adjectives/qualities from the list that they think best describes them. They should be as objective and honest as possible.

04. Now, ask everyone to do the same for everyone else in the group.

05. Working as a group, get everyone to take turns in reading out their personal list of 5 adjectives/qualities.

06. Using Jean as an example, if anyone in the group has listed the same adjective/quality as Jean has on her list, Jean should put this adjective/quality in her Open pane.

07. If an adjective/quality appears on Jean's list, but not on anyone else's list, Jean should place this adjective/quality in her Mask pane.

08. If an adjective/quality appears on anyone in the group’s list, but not on Jean’s, Jean should place this adjective/quality in her Blind pane.

09. Any adjective/quality that doesn't appear on either Jean's list or the group's list goes in the Unknown pane.

Jean now has a completed Johari window showing which qualities are openly known about Jean, which are hidden by her from others, which she isn't aware of but others see, and which she and others have no idea about.

The group can now share their Johari windows and discuss each person's profiles.

08. Examples of Completed Johari Windows

Here is an example of how a completed Johari Window could look using the adjectives from the above list:

...and another one using descriptors for a person's job

...and another from Barbara Evers of a Johari Window for the fictional character Harry Potter.

In reviewing the exercise, remind the team not to be judgmental about what qualities a person has or doesn't have. There are no right or wrong answers. The purpose of this exercise is not to provide a score but to help people uncover the areas that are not visible to them.

What Next?

If you have found this article useful, you now have a great resource to add to your e-learning store.

And, with this as your starting point, you can now take things further.

With over 22,000 learning resources on our 6 websites, with 2 sites offering free downloads, you can now take charge of your own learning and create your own learning pathways to success.

Simply commit yourself to a daily snippet of learning and then practise it, reflect upon it, apply it, and review it, and in no time at all, you will have mastered the skill with confidence.

Thanks for reading this edition of the "People Skills" newsletter and good luck with your ongoing learning.

Oh, and one last thing.

In the spirit of making the world a freer, happier and more enlightened place...

...please pass this newsletter on.

Thankyou!

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