THEJOHARIWINDOW

Our capacity to function effectively in life is determined by our knowledge of ourselves and our ability to understand others. Selfknowledge helps us to prepare better for events and achieve the outcomes that we want. Knowledge and understandingofothershelpsustodevelopsatisfyingrelationshipsandsucceedinour careers. TheJohariWindowisasimpletoolformakingsenseofwhoweare.Developedby JosephLuftandHarryIngram(thusthenameJohariWindow),thismodel ishighly usefulinunderstandingourselvesandpeoplearoundus. Luft and Ingham were researching human personality at the University of Californiainthe1950'swhentheydevisedtheirJohariWindow.Ratherthanmeasuring personality,theWindowoffersawayoflookingathowpersonalityisexpressed. LuftandInghamobservedthatthereareaspectsofourpersonalitythatwe'reopen about,andotherelementsthatwekeeptoourselves.Atthesametime,therearethings thatothersseeinusthatwe'renotawareof.Finally,thereareaspectsofourpersonality thatareunknowntoothersaswellastoourselves.Thesedifferentdimensionsofour personalitycanberepresentedintheformoffourwindows:

OPENSELF
(Knowntoothers andself)

BLINDSELF
(Knowntoothers butnottoself)

HIDDENSELF
(Knowntoselfbut notknowntoothers)

UNKNOWNSELF
(Notknownto othersorself)

Figure1.1:TheJohariWindow (1) OpenSelf:Theopenselfreferstothoseaspectsofourlifethatisknowntooneself aswellastoothers.Forexample,apersonsgender,height,approximateweight andsoon.

It includes not only factual information, but also information on a persons feelings,motives,behaviors,wants,needsanddesiresoranyotherinformationthat apersonintentionallyconveystopeople. This is our basic public personality. The public area contains things that are openly known and talked about and which may be seen as strengths or weaknesses.Thisistheselfthatwechoosetosharewithothers. Whenwefirstmeetanewperson,thesizeofthiswindowisnotverylarge,since therehasbeenlittletimetoexchangeinformation.Astheprocessofgettingtoknow oneanothercontinues,thesizeofthiswindowincreases. (2) HiddenSelf:Thispartofthewindowisalsoknownastheprivateareaorfacade.It containsaspectsofourselfthatweknowaboutbutarekepthiddenfromothers . The hidden pane of the window is a collection of those things that we keep to ourselves. For example, our secret desires, the girl or boy whom you love, somethingbadthatonehasdone. These are those parts of ourselves that we choose not to share with others because we consider them private. Our hidden self cannot be known to others unlesswediscloseit. (3) BlindSelf:Theblindselfrepresentsthingsthatothersknowaboutus,butweare unawareof.Itincludesthingsthatothershaveobservedinusbutwedon'tknow about.Theycouldbepositiveornegativebehaviors,andtheyaffectthewaythat othersacttowardsus.Forexample,amanagermayberudeinthewayhetalksto hissubordinateswithoutbeingawareaboutit. Theblindareaincludesthingsaboutourselveswhichwedonotknowbutothers cansee,italsoincludesthingsthatweimaginetobetrueforourselvesforavariety ofreasonsbutthatothersdonotseeatall. Thispartofthewindowisoccasionallycalledthe'badbreath'window.Others knowthisaboutit,butwedon'tknowaboutit. (4) UnknownSelf: Theunknownareacontainsthingsthatnobodyknowsaboutus including ourselves.It includes those aspects of our personality that are hidden from others as well from ourselves. For example, when we are placed in new situationsweoftenlearnnewinformationthatwaspreviouslynotknowntoselfor others.Thismaybebecausewe'veneverexposedthoseareasofourpersonality,or becausethey'reburieddeepintheunconscious. Theunknownselfshowsthatwearemorerichandcomplexthanthatwhichwe andothersknow.Howeverfromtimetotimesomethinghappensisfelt,read, heard, dreamed and something from our unconscious is revealed. Then we knowwhatwehaveneverknownbefore.

SELFDISCLOSUREANDFEEDBACK
TheboundariesofthedifferentwindowsintheJohariwindowareflexible.Thatis onecanenlargeorreducethesizeofaparticularwindow. TherearetwoprocessesthataffecttheshapeoftheJohariwindow,theyare: (1) SelfDisclosure: Itistheextenttowhichapersoniswillingtoshareinformation about himself/herself with others. Selfdisclosure is not simply providing informationtoanotherperson.Instead,selfdisclosureissharinginformationwith

othersthattheywouldnotnormallyknowordiscover.Selfdisclosureinvolvesrisk andvulnerabilityonthepartofthepersonsharingtheinformation. Bysharinginformation,webecomemoreintimatewithotherpeopleandour interpersonalrelationshipisstrengthened. (2) Feedback:Itistheextenttowhichothersarewillingtosharewiththeperson.Italso includestheextenttowhichapersoniswillingtolistentoothers. Thewillingnessofotherstogivefeedbackdependsonapersonsreceptivityto feedback.Ifthepersonreactsinangerorbybeingargumentativethenotherswill feellessreluctanttoofferfeedback. Dependinguponthelevelofselfdisclosureapersoniswillingtomakeandthe feedbackheiswillingtoreceive,apersonmaybeplacedinoneofthefollowingfour categories:

OpenArea

Blind Area

HiddenArea

Unkno wnArea

Figure1.2:TheOpenReceptivePerson (1) TheOpenReceptivePerson: Theopenreceptiveperson hasalargepublicarea, reflectingsomeonewhoisopenabouthimself/herselfandreceptivetofeedback from others. (See figure 1.2) This is the person who has a clear selfimage and enoughconfidenceinwhohe/sheistobevisibletoothers. This is the area in which we should generally operate to be effective in interpersonalrelationships.Themoreweoperateintheopenarea,themorewe understandeachother. Blind Area

OpenArea

HiddenArea

Unkno wn Area

Figure1.3:TheInterviewer (2) TheInterviewer:Theinterviewerhasalargehiddenarea,reflectingsomeonewho keepsinformationtohimself/herself.Thiskindofapersonisalwaysaskingfor informationbutgivingverylittleinformationinreturn.Peoplearoundthiskindofa personfeeldefensiveandresentful.Theyreacttohimwithirritationanddistrust. Theyarealsoknownaspumpers.(Seefigure1.3). Sharingmoreinformationaboutoneselfisthewaytodecreasethehiddenarea andincreasetheopenarea. Open Area

Blind Area

Hidden Unknown Area Area Figure1.4:TheBullinaChinaShop (3) TheBullinaChinashop:Thiskindofapersonisalsoknownasablabbermouth. Suchapersonhasalargeblindarea,reflectingsomeonewhotalksalotbutdoesnot listen.Thispersonispreoccupiedwithhimself/herselfanddoesnotknowwhento keepquiet.(Seefigure1.4) Suchpersonstendtobeinsensitivetotheimpactoftheirbehavioronothers. Theyrespondtofeedbackwithangerandargumentsandhenceothersarereluctant togivethemfeedback. Open Area Blind Area

Hidden Area UnknownArea

Figure1.5:TheTurtle (4) TheTurtle:Thiskindofapersonisalsoknownasthehermit.Suchapersonhasa large unknown area, reflecting lack of selfknowledge and understanding. The turtles behavior tends to be unpredictable. People around them tend to feel insecureandconfusedaboutexpectations.(Seefigure1.5)

We can reduce the unknown area by sharing information and receiving feedback.Thebestwaytoreduceitistoencounternewanddifferentsituations.

BENEFITSANDRISKSOFDISCLOSURE
Selfdisclosureperformsseveralfunctions.Whilesomedisclosureisuseful,itcan alsobedamagingtoarelationship. Thebenefitsofdisclosureare: (1) Selfdisclosureisonewaytolearnabouthowanotherpersonthinksandfeels.Once a person engages in selfdisclosure, it is implied that the other person will also disclosepersonalinformation.Thisisknownasthenormofreciprocity. (2) Mutual disclosure deepens trust in the relationships and helps both people understand each other better. One comes to feel better about oneself and ones relationshipwhenotherpersonsacceptwhatonetellsthem. Therisksassociatedwithdisclosureare: (1) Oneriskisthattheotherpersonwillnotrespondfavorablytotheinformation.Self disclosuredoesnotautomaticallyleadtofavorableimpressions. (2) Anotherriskisthattheotherpersonswillgainpowerintherelationshipbecauseof theinformationtheypossess. (3) Toomuchselfdisclosureorselfdisclosurethatcomestooearlyinarelationshipcan damagetherelationship.

GUIDELINESFOREFFECTIVEFEEDBACK
Thefollowingguidelineswillmakegivingandreceivingfeedbackmoreeffective. Whilegivingfeedbacktoanotherperson: (1) Alwaysfocusonthebehaviorandnotontheperson. (2) Bespecific.Telltheindividualpreciselywhatisrightorwronginhisbehavior. Donottalkingeneral. (3) Asfaraspossiblegivefeedbackimmediatelyafterthebehavior. (4) Givefeedbackonlyiftheotherpersonwantsandisaskingforit. (5) Givethefeedbackandleaveitatthat.Itisfortheotherpersontodecidewhat hewantstodowithit. Whilereceivingfeedback: (1) Listenattentively. (2) Donotgetangryorupsetwhenyoureceivenegativefeedback.Ifyoudothen peoplewillhesitatetogivefeedbackinthefuture. (3) Allowthepersontocompletewhatheissaying.Donotinterruptprematurely, itshowsthatyouaregettingdefensive, (4) Thankthepersonforprovidingthefeedback.