COUNSELLING PRACTITIONER

B E G I N N E R TO A DVA N C E D

THE JOHARI
WINDOW
 THE JOHARI WINDOW
The name, Johari Window can often sound like some overly complicated psychological
process, but please rest assured that it isn’t. Back in 1955, you might be surprised to learn
that Joseph Luft and Harrington (Harry) Ingham created the name ‘Johari’ for their model
by merely combining their first names.

The Johari Window was first used in 1955 and has since become a popular and widely used
model for understanding and training in a variety of self-awareness centred activities such as
personal development, communications, interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, team
development and even inter-group relationships.

The Johari Window model provides us with a useful format for representing our personal
experience of life (and our degree of self-awareness) from four alternative perspectives.
This model can serve us as an excellent self-reflection tool for comparing the perception
we have of ourselves to the impression that other people might have of us - within itself,
this can become a guide map for making personal developmental improvements.

KNOWN TO SELF NOT KNOWN TO SELF

KNOWN TO
OPEN/FREE AREA BLIND AREA
OTHERS

NOT KNOWN
HIDDEN AREA UNKNOWN AREA
TO OTHERS

THE FOUR JOHARI QUADRANTS

Quadrant 1. The ‘Open/Free’ Area Johari quadrant is also referred to as the ‘area of free
activity’. The ‘Open/Free’ Area is to do with those parts of ourselves that we are already
aware of (and that other people are also aware of). Examples of this may include our
various bad habits, good habits, personality traits, communication styles, professional
competences or even our attitude.

When it comes to developing ourselves, a healthy goal we might subscribe to could be

the development or expansion of the ‘Open/Free’ Area. When people are committed to
developing themselves in this area, they are committed to living life in a transparent
authentic and congruent way. This is viewed as a healthy approach we can take towards
life, as the more of ourselves we show to other people, the more other people will be able
to relate and trust us. Expansion of the ‘Open/Free’ Area allows to minimises the
distortions that others make of us by providing opportunities for open dialogue on topics
that are necessary.
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The scale of a person’s ‘Open/Free’ area is the ever-evolving outcome of healthy working
relationships (in a personal, social or a professional context). People with established
trust-based relationships will have a larger ‘Open/Free’ area, and those who are unsure of
those they keep company with will have smaller ones.

Our ‘Open/Free’ region can only be expanded as we venture into and explore our ‘Blind’
and ‘hidden’ regions. This means that we enlarge the scale of our ‘Open/Free’ quadrant, we
naturally become more aware of our blind spots and what’s hidden. In life, we don’t know
what we don’t know, and when we start to become more aware of those parts of ourselves
that we were previously unaware of, we become automatically empowered to take a higher
degree of responsibility for ourselves and grow where necessary.

It’s important to note that not everything we make available for others to see in the ‘Open/
Free’ area equals all that there is to see. Our ‘Open/Free area’ is simply the ‘face value’ that
we allow other people to experience in us. When it comes to being understood by other
people, unfortunately, many people formulate assumptions about who we are based on
what they see in our ‘Open/Free’ area.

It is from this perspective that we each stand at risk of being hypocritical, in the sense
that we often judge other people by what we see in their ‘Open/Free’ area, while we
judge ourselves based on what our motives and intentions are (which often live in our
‘Blind Area’).

Quadrant 2. The ‘Blind Area’ often holds the keys that unlock and understand the reasons
why we say and do the things we say and do. When our strengths and areas for development
become made aware of in this quadrant, we become better able to make wise decisions
about how to modify our behaviours, attitudes towards people or things and seek the most
appropriate support\resources that promote our ongoing personal growth.

The blind spots identified in our ‘Blind Area’ can range from our technical competences (or
incompetencies) to our attitudinal strengths and weaknesses. The more we become aware
of the weaknesses that exist in our ‘Blind Area’, the more we become empowered to grow
and develop. It goes without saying that we can only improve those areas of in our life that
we’re aware are in need of improvement.

Ignoring what we discover about ourselves in our ‘Blind Area’ leads us into a state of ignorance,
possible denial and can cost us dearly in any number of ways.

As discussed above, when more significant realisations of truth are embraced from within
our ‘Blind’ quadrant, this automatically expands our Open/Free area, and in turn, our ability
to conduct ourselves transparently and authentically. Often, it can be useful for us to
consider how others might ever be able to like or accept us when they aren’t fully aware of
who we are. We can only show people who we are once we are aware of what resides in
our blind quadrant.
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Quadrant 3. The ‘Hidden Area’ within our Johari window is where we keep all of the intricate
details about ourselves that we don’t want other people to gain access to. Examples of this
could be secrets from our past, unpure motives, selfish impulses or bad habits that we’re
ashamed of, or, the role we’ve played in failing a past relationship.

Sometimes, what lurks in our hidden area, isn’t just hidden but has in fact been unintentionally
long forgotten. The ‘Hidden Area’ is like the subconscious part of the mind, where we might
not always immediately remember segments of our past; however, we can remember when
we focus our attention. Once we remember we can re-evaluate and take ownership of if
necessary. Just to be clear here, the hidden area is always known to ourselves, but not to
those others in our lives.

The reasons we keep some of our intimate personal details hidden can range from being
ashamed of ourselves to pride, arrogance, self-preservation, or low trust within a relationship
to do so in confidence. In either of these situations, exposing details of ourselves that would
typically reside in this ‘Hidden Area’ could have a broad range of positive or negative
consequences.

Quadrant 4. The ‘Unknown Area’ quadrant is where our highest potential for change and
transformation resides. Human beings are complicated creatures, and there is always much
that lies under the surface that neither ourselves or others might ever become aware of. As
we go through life, life events can occur where automatic feelings, thoughts, or insights are
gained that were never previously considered.

These are all instances where the ‘Unknown Area’ quadrant reveals clues to the more
profound and intricate parts of what makes us tick. When these insights and realisation
emerge (which they always inevitably do), draw them into your Johari Window and reflect
on their potential meanings.

JOHARI WINDOW EXERCISE

Print out the three copies of the following Johari Window Worksheet. Give a copy to three
people that you trust to give you honest and supportive feedback. With each of those people,
fill out one of the sheets and make sure you both mutually agree on the ‘Open/Free’ Area
items to begin with before asking for their thoughts on your ‘Blind Area’.

Then, if you’re prepared to be honest, share with those people elements that reside within the
‘Hidden Area’ quadrant of your Johari Window. For the Unknown Area, ask them to share some
thoughts or insights on untapped potential you might have that has not yet fully emerged.

When all the three sessions are complete, combine your findings to form one ‘Master Johari
Window’, and list three steps you can take that will address any issues that were raised for
you during this exercise (that will likely be associated with your ‘Blind Area’. Once your action
steps are decided, arrange to reconnect with the people who gave you feedback and share
your action plan with them.
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Ensure to make any necessary adjustments based on your level of agreement with their
comments. To ensure that the feedback givers see the value of their participation in your
‘Johari Window’ feedback experience, ask them for input on what they see some potential
action steps being for you.

Once you’ve taken yourself through this process, you’ll become more than qualified to
guide your future clients through the exact same model.
 THE JOHARI WINDOW

KNOWN TO SELF NOT KNOWN TO SELF

OPEN/FREE AREA BLIND AREA

KNOWN
TO OTHERS

HIDDEN AREA UNKNOWN AREA

NOT KNOWN
TO OTHERS