HEALTH 6

JOHARI WINDOW STANDARD REPRESENTATION

A model for self-awareness, personal development, group development
SELF
and understanding relationship
KNOWN UNKNOWN
HISTORY OF JOHARI WINDOW KNOWN

 In 1955, two American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry 1. OPEN 2. BLIND
Ingham developed a model called Johari Window AREA AREA
 They called it 'Johari' after combining their first names, Joe and
Harry OTHERS UNKNOWN

 Especially relevant due to emphasis on, and influence of, 'soft' 3. HIDDEN 4. UNKNOWN
skills, behavior, empathy, cooperation, inter-group
development and interpersonal development
AREA AREA
 A simple and useful tool for understanding and training self-
awareness, personal development, improving
communications, interpersonal relationships, group
dynamics, team development and inter- group relationships


JOHARI WINDOW FOUR REGIONS JOHARI QUADRANT AREA
1. Open area, open self, free area, free self, or 'the arena‘: what is
known by the person about him/herself and is also known by
others - 1. ‘Open self/area‘, 'free area‘, 'public area', 'arena‘
2. Blind area, blind self, or 'blindspot‘: what is unknown by the
person about him/herself but which others know 
3. Hidden area, hidden self, avoided area, avoided self or 'façade’:
what the person knows about him/herself that others do not 
know
4. Unknown area or unknown self: what is unknown by the person 
about him/herself and is also unknown by others
 Also known as the 'area of free activity‘
JOHARI WINDOW- BASED ON A FOUR-SQUARE GRID  Information about the person - behaviour, attitude,
feelings, emotion, knowledge, experience, skills,
-Like a window with four 'panes views, etc - known by the person ('the self') and
known by the team ('others').
 
 The aim in any team is 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 team is at its most productive
too
 The open free area, or 'the arena‘ - the space
where good communications and cooperation
occur, free from distractions, mistrust, confusion,
conflict and misunderstanding
2. ‘Blind self' or 'blind area' or 'blindspot‘: what is known about a
person by others in the group, but is unknown bythe person 4. Unknown self‘, 'area of unknown activity‘, 'unknown area'
him/herself



 Information, feelings, latent abilities, aptitudes, experiences etc,
 Could also be referred to as ignorance about oneself, orissues
in which one is deluded that are unknown to the person him/herself and unknown to
 Not an effective or productive space for individuals or groups others in the group
 Also include issues that others are deliberately  Can be prompted through self-discovery or observation by
withholding from a person others, orthrough collective or mutual discovery
 The aim is to reduce this area by seeking or soliciting feedback  Counselling can also uncover unknown issues
from others and thereby to increase the open area, i.e., to  Again as with disclosure and soliciting feedback, the
increase self-awareness process of selfdiscovery is a sensitive one
 Team members and managers take responsibility for  Uncovering 'hidden talents' - that is unknown aptitudes
reducing the blind area - in turn increasing the open area - and skills, not tobe confused with developing the
by giving sensitive feedback and encouraging disclosure Johari 'hidden area' - is another aspect of developing
 Managers promote a climate of non-judgemental feedback,and the unknown area, and is not so sensitive as unknown
group response to individual disclosure, and reduce fear feelings
  Managers and leaders can create an
3. ‘Hidden self' or 'hidden area' or 'avoided self/area' or 'facade': What is environment that encouragesself- discovery, and
to promote the processes of self discovery,
known to ourselves but kept hidden from, and therefore unknown, to others constructive observation and feedback among
team members
 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

 Represents information, feelings, etc, anything that a USES OF JOHARI WINDOW

person knows about him/self, but which is not revealed or
is kepthidden from others
 Also include sensitivities, fears, hidden agendas, • By taking into consideration the 3rd quadrant or the hidden area,
manipulative intentions, secrets - anything that a we can try to understand the personal aspirations and motivations
person knows but does not reveal
 Relevant hidden information and feelings, etc, should be or priorities of a team member which the leader is unaware of. Such
moved into the open area through the process of 'self- hidden aspirations cause inadequate contribution or misdirected
disclosure' and 'exposure process'
 Organizational culture and working atmosphere efforts of that member.
have a major influence on team members'
preparedness to disclose their hidden selves • The feedback provided to someone brings information which is in
 The extent to which an individual discloses personal the 2nd quadrant or blind area to open area which helps in
feelings and information, and the issues which are
disclosed, and to whom, must always be at the individual's improvement and learning.
own discretion