The Johari Window

Two key ideas behind the tool:

 Individuals can build trust between
themselves by disclosing information
about themselves.
 They can learn about themselves and
come to terms with personal issues with
the help of feedback from others.
How does it work?
 Using the Johari model, each person is
represented by their own four-quadrant, or
four-pane, window. Each of these contains
and represents personal information -
feelings, motivation - about the person,
and shows whether the information is
known or not known by themselves or
other people.
The four quadrants are:
 Quadrant 1: Open Area
 Whatis known by the person about
him/herself and is also known by others.
 Quadrant 2: Blind Area, or "Blind Spot"
 What is unknown by the person about
him/herself but which others know.
 This can be simple information, or can involve
deep issues (for example, feelings of
inadequacy, incompetence, unworthiness,
rejection) which are difficult for individuals to
face directly, and yet can be seen by others.
 Quadrant 3: Hidden or Avoided Area
 What the person knows about him/herself that
others do not.
 Quadrant 4: Unknown Area
 Whatis unknown by the person about
him/herself and is also unknown by others.
Key Points:
 In most cases, the aim in groups should
be to develop the Open Area for every
person.
 Working in this area with others usually
allows for enhanced individual and team
effectiveness and productivity. The Open
Area is the ‘space’ where good
communications and cooperation occur,
free from confusion, conflict and
misunderstanding.
 Self-disclosure is the process by which
people expand the Open Area vertically.
Feedback is the process by which people
expand this area horizontally.
 By encouraging healthy self-disclosure
and sensitive feedback, you can build a
stronger and more effective team.
Core Theory of Success
 When you share about yourself or
self-disclose:

KNOWN TO ME UNKNOWN TO ME

KNOWN Blind (spot)

TO Public Bad Breath
OTHERS
Arena Salad Teeth
Open

UNKNOWN
TO Hidden Unknown
OTHERS
Avoided Unconscious
Private
 When you solicit or receive feedback:

KNOWN TO ME UNKNOWN TO ME

KNOWN Public Blind (spot)

TO
OTHERS Arena Bad Breath
Open Salad Teeth

UNKNOWN Hidden
TO Unknown
OTHERS Avoided
Unconscious
Private
 JOHARI Window: Interviewer

KNOWN TO ME UNKNOWN TO ME

Public Blind
Arena (spot)
KNOWN
TO Open Bad
OTHERS Breath
Salad
Teeth
Hidden Unknown
UNKNOWN
Avoided Unconsci
TO Private ous
OTHERS
 JOHARI Window: Bull-in-a-China Shop

KNOWN TO ME UNKNOWN TO ME

KNOWN
TO
OTHERS Public Blind (spot)
Arena Bad Breath
Open Salad Teeth

UNKNOWN
TO
OTHERS Hidden
Unknown
Avoided
Unconscious
Private
 JOHARI Window: Turtle

KNOWN TO ME UNKNOWN TO ME

Public Blind (spot)

KNOWN
Arena Bad Breath
TO Open Salad Teeth
OTHERS

Hidden
Unknown
UNKNOWN Avoided
TO
Unconscious
Private
OTHERS
ISTJ: The dutiful employee who shows up
half an hour early each morning and keeps
a detailed list of all the ways in which the
other employees aren’t following the official
workplace procedures to a T.
ESTP: The smooth-talking office
heartthrob, who can inexplicably sooth any
outraged client instantly.
ISTP: Either the official IT department or
the unofficial IT department. Best known by
other workers as the employee who has
won the fantasy football league for ten
consecutive years.
ESTJ: The employee who applied for their
boss’s position one week into working
there (and every consecutive week since).
ESFJ: The cheerful employee who
regularly brings in coffee and homemade
treats for everyone to share. Doubles as
the most reliable source for office gossip.
ISFJ: The incredibly sweet, hardworking
employee who deals with all work-place
conflicts by leaving passive-aggressive
post-it notes by the copy machine.
ISFP: The employee who quietly defies
any sort of micromanagement by adding
an unexpected creative flare to every
project they’re given.
ESFP: The employee who organizes
regular office get-togethers that almost
always involve karaoke and booze.
ENFP: The employee who spends half of
their day working furiously to complete
something they forgot about by its 12:00
deadline and the other half of the day
giving the other employees unwarranted
inspirational pep talks.
ENFJ: Either the official HR director or the
unofficial HR director. Spends the majority
of their time at work making sure everyone
else is feeling safe, happy and respected.
INFJ: The employee everyone tells their
grievances to, despite the fact that they
hate dealing with everyone’s grievances
and wishes they’d all just work it out with
each other.
INFP: The one who always shows up
fifteen minutes late, but nonetheless takes
their devotion to the company as seriously
as they take their own lives.
INTP: The employee who holes up in his or
her office all day mumbling vaguely about
leaving to pursue self-employment – but
never actually goes anywhere.
ENTP: The employee who comes up with a
(self-proclaimed) brilliant new way of doing
things every two to three days, which he or
she then tries to force the rest of the
reluctant office to get on board with.
INTJ: The employee who is constantly
submitting complaints to the HR
department about the inefficient nature of
shutting down the office early every second
Friday to attend the ESFP’s beloved “Office
Karaoke Night.”
ENTJ: The employee who is inexplicably
making four times more money than
everyone else who is working the exact
same job as them