Using the Johari Window by Ben Harper
In 1955, American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham were researching group dynamics as part of their work at the University of California Los Angeles. They noticed that group dynamics were impacted greatly by people’s ability to know themselves, and were keen to find a way of helping people to understand themselves differently. They noticed that individuals can be ‘experienced’ in different ways and proposed that each of us can be looked at through four different window panes. This model has come to be known as the ‘Johari window’, named so by taking the first part of both of the psychologists first names (Jo and Harry)
The Johari window looks like this:
They suggest that our relationship with ourselves and others can be greatly improved by increasing our open/free area by…
o Opening up our hidden area,
o Decreasing our blind area
o Discovering more about our unknown area
This process involves inviting feedback from others, which you may or may not feel ready for!
The thing is, growing in self awareness is an important aspect of our wellbeing. Only when we know ourselves more fully, can we better manage ourselves. Likewise, allowing ourselves to be more known by others, increases the quality of our relationships.
This is not about oversharing on facebook, this is about being authentic and real with those we do life with in a way that creates deeper connection between both parties.
One simple and positive way to approach this exercise is to take a look at the words below (or on the PDF to download at the bottom) and consider which ones you consider to be true for you.
What to do now…
Either using this webpage or downloading and using the PDF below:
Consider the “descriptors” below - are they things only you see e.g accepting or are they things others experience you to be like e.g. confident.
Consider which of the four window panes the words belong in. Then ask some of your close friends and family to look at the same list and pick out words they think describe you. Were these things you saw in yourself? Maybe these things have been in the blind area until now?
Consider is there any aspect of your character that you wish others saw? These are things that are currently in your hidden area. How can you start to show this to people more?
Come back to this exercise again and reflect further after some time.
We hope this helps your process of self reflection. Let us know how it goes.
