Johari Window model

January 20, 2023

What is the Johari Window model about?

This model was created in 1955 by American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, and it is named after the combination of the two psychologists’ first names. This model is based on the concept that trust is gained through revealing information about yourself to others and receiving new, intriguing insights about your personality.

It is a tool/technique to:  

• gain an understanding of themselves by providing them with a visual representation of themselves
• promoting mutual understanding among group members –> foster teamwork
• understand how others perceive them –> raise self-awareness
• strengthening the interpersonal relationship

This model consists of four quadrants:

• Open area: represents the information that you know about yourself as well as what others are aware of. E.g., behaviour, skills, attitudes, etc

• Blind area: represents characteristics/behaviours that you aren’t aware of but are aware of by others

• Hidden area: represents things you know but hide from others. E.g., private emotions

• Unknown area: information that is unknown to you and by others

Analysis:

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Three analysis done by two close friends and a classmate.

Is this an accurate presentation of yourself?

To a certain extent, I agree that the list provided by my close friends and classmate accurately describes me because my close friend knew me longer and spent more time interacting with me. While my classmate knew me for a short period of time, and there are many different sides of me that I haven’t shown to them, hence, more adjectives fall under the hidden area. Generally, it takes time for people to open up to each other and reveal personal information. My interactions with individuals rely solely on the circumstances and context, and I might behave differently depending on the relationship I share with the individual and that person’s personality.

The adjectives used by new acquaintance are probably merely based on their first impressions. For instance, a classmate I knew for a day described me as “quiet,” but that’s not entirely accurate because I tend to be more reserved around strangers and more animated and talkative around close friends. I also occasionally do “stupid things” to make my friends laugh, like how one of my close friends describes me as “silly”. 

Am I surprised?

Definitely! I was surprised that traits like being empathetic were not mentioned by either of my close friends because I am a great listener.  Additionally, I am really glad that all of them think I am a calm person, which I do agree with at the current stage of my life.

Hahaha, I am still taking baby steps in being a wiser hooman 😊

How this result will be useful for self-awareness and communication in a team?

I believe self-awareness is important for both personal fulfillment and effective leadership and teamwork, As someone becomes more self-aware in real time, the more capable they are of remaining logical and coping with undesirable thoughts and emotions. This model helps me to explore the traits that make me unique and allows me to receive immediate feedback from close friends or acquaintances, so I can use it to better understand my own strengths and weaknesses. The more I understand my true self and how others perceive me, the more capable I am of shaping a life that helps me achieve my goals.

A team may consist of several members, and with each individual possessing a unique personality, miscommunication is very likely to take place in a group assignment with a wide diversity of individuals. This may occur, particularly if the team members do not know each other well. In reality, a number of studies indicate that poor team communication is responsible for the majority of failed projects. Feedback is an important part of the relationship between a leader and teammates; increased feedback relationships within the team will lead to the amplification of the public area and, as a result, a reduction in the blind area. Once the public area is larger, there will be clearer and more effective communication between the team members (Albuquerque et al. 2021). Therefore, it minimizes the likelihood of miscommunication and distrust among members.

Reference

• The Johari window model and self-development (2022) Professional Leadership Institute. Available at: https://professionalleadershipinstitute.com/resources/the-johari-window-model-and-self-development/ (Accessed: January 20, 2023).

• Albuquerque, A. et al. (2021) “Analyzing the profile of the manager from the perspective of the employees: A case study,” Brazilian Journal of Operations & Production Management, 19(1), pp. 1–16. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14488/bjopm.2021.032.