Discover how you can use the Johari Window Model to Build Self Awareness and Amplify Your Success
People’s actions often depend on what they believe is true about themselves and their environment.
In other words, the actions you take either in the direction of your dreams, or not, are directly impacted by your self image.
What you think about yourself either supports or takes away from your ability to make the decisions and take the actions aligned with the results you’re hoping to achieve.
As a way of discovering how your self perception may be impacting your goals, I often recommend a tool called the Johari Window model. In this post, I’m going to teach you how to use the Johari Window to accomplish more and amplify your success!
The Johari Window model was developed by American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955.
Originally, it was created as a tool to assess and improve communication, but the Johari model has since been applied to a variety of areas in which awareness is key, including personal development.
This useful tool can be used to improve group dynamics, interpersonal relationships, and effective communication… and help you accomplish more!
I’m going to teach you how to use the Johari Window model to improve your self awareness and ultimately empower you to greater success.
Think of the Johari Window as your personal window of opportunity!
Understanding the Johari Window Model
To help you visualize the Johari Window quadrants, Imagine a window divided into four panes.
Each pane holds a different set of relevant information about yourself that reflects or reveals your level of self awareness.
The four panes of the Johari Window are:
- Open (things known to self and others)
- Hidden (things known to self)
- Blind (things unknown to self but known by others)
- Unknown (things yet to be known by self or others)
1. Open Quadrant
The Open Quadrant represents things about yourself that are known by both you and the people around you. These might include character traits, skills, goals, feelings, or information.
For personal development and self awareness, imagine you were standing outside of yourself, what would be apparent to you and everyone around you about yourself?
Does a certain skill or natural ability stand out? What character traits are obvious? What feelings and beliefs can be seen and observed? What do you know to be true about yourself that others also tell you? What things are true and known that can help you move in the direction of your dreams?
2. Hidden Quadrant
I also like to call the Hidden Quadrant the “Private Quadrant”, because hidden can sometimes come with an inaccurate negative association. The Private Quadrant represents things about yourself that are known to you, but not known to others. These can include character traits, goals, feelings, or fears, or even dreams.
Understand that it is normal to keep certain truths and private information from others, and the size of your open area or hidden area may change depending on who you’re around and how safe that relationship feels to you. The value comes when you ask yourself: Are the things in my Hidden Quadrant serving me by staying hidden, or are there things that I would benefit from if they were moved to my Open Quadrant?
For example:
- Do you have a dream for your life that you haven’t told anyone about? Would bringing that dream into the open encourage you to pursue it more fully?
- Is there a situation in your life bringing up emotions that you could be more open and honest about?
- Do you have talents, good ideas, or opportunities that you haven’t developed that could make a difference in your life if you were to acknowledge them more openly?
3. The Blind Quadrant
The Blind Quadrant represents things you don’t know about yourself, but that others do know about you. A blind area might include negative traits, habits, patterns, or ways others perceive you that are different from how you see yourself.
In order to gather information for your Blind Quadrant, choose people in your life that you trust and who know you well. You may also choose people from a particular environment, for example, if you want to be more successful at work, you may choose other team members or colleagues. On the other hand, you might choose friends or family members if you aren’t choosing to focus on a specific area of your life.
The most important thing is to challenge yourself to be curious about the feedback and information offered for your Blind Quadrant, rather than defensive. It’s common for other people to see and experience us differently than we see and experience ourselves.
One of the greatest values of the Johari Window exercise is being able to see the differences and similarities between how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us!
4. The Unknown Quadrant
The Unknown Quadrant represents things that are unknown by both you and others. This unknown area could include a variety of things, but I have found that a great way to classify unknown factors is through the lens of untapped, hidden potential.
Your undiscovered self is full of infinite potential and opportunities you may have never even considered possible!
The key is this: The further we expand our other quadrants, the more we are able to tap into the unknown potential we all have.
How to conduct a Johari Window assessment
- Create your own self awareness worksheet by drawing four Johari Window quadrants in a notebook or journal.
- Use the list of adjectives below (these were developed specifically for the Johari Window theory) to fill in the Open Quadrant and the Hidden Quadrant yourself. Feel free to add your own elements as well!
- Ask 3-5 other people you know and trust to select 5 words from the list of adjectives they believe best describe you. If you’d like, you can also invite them to add their own feedback or additional elements into their responses as well
- Transfer their responses to the Blind Quadrant on your Johari Window drawing, paying attention to patterns and repeated feedback
- Compare the data in the three quadrants (Open, Hidden, and Blind) and notice what you’re noticing. What did you already know or expect? What surprises you? Where do you notice patterns?
- Commit yourself to continuous improvement and growth using the suggestions below:
How can you expand your open self to discover more of your unknown, untapped potential?
- Intentionally develop a greater understanding of yourself: Explore your Hidden Quadrant with curiosity and non judgment, understanding that simply learning about yourself creates better self-awareness
- Practice self-acceptance: Prioritize open communication, emotional intelligence, and authenticity by moving truths you discover about yourself from the Hidden Quadrant to the Open Quadrant
- Shrink your blind self: As you build self-acceptance, practice curiosity about how others perceive you and consider any feedback an opportunity to explore and improve a potential blind spot
- Build a better understanding of your whole self: It may take a little time, but the more completely you understand who you are, what you love, where you want to go, and the potential obstacles that may be hindering you, the more you’ll begin to see elements of your unknown self and your limitless potential
The Johari Window Model Adjectives
Application of the Johari Window
After you’ve completed your own Johari Window assessment, take time to reflect on your experience.
How difficult or easy did you find the exercise?
What surprised you? What expectations did you already have that were confirmed?
Where do you see opportunities for growth? Where can you expand your other quadrants or practice self acceptance?
How can this insight and opportunities help you pursue your goals in the most effective way? How can they help you become a better person?
What Now? Take your self discovery to the next level!
The Johari window model is a useful technique to help you practice building self awareness and self acceptance to tap into your greater potential.
But this level of awareness is only that- an understanding of what is.
As you begin to identify your personal opportunities for growth and discover your hidden potential, you’ll want to use it to actually accomplish more!
Having a clear, ignited vision of what you would love is what ultimately empowers you to apply this information. By doing so, you’ll be able to confidently choose the steps required to get you from where you are to where you want to be… and see real results!
You can create your unique vision- the catalyst to the life-changing action you can take- in my free Creating an Ignited Vision ebook.
Apply your new personal insight, create a crystal clear vision of your dreams, and determine the best next steps for you! Click here.
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