The Johari Window was developed and named after Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham at the University of California in the 1950s. It is a four-paneled window that represents what is known by ourselves and what is known by others. Learning more about the Johari window will enable you to better understand your team members.
Each relationship has a unique Johari window. The four panels will increase or decrease in size depending on how much you disclose or hide with the other individual.
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| Open 1 |
These are things that both people know. For example, when you first meet someone, you know what you can observe: the person's gender, hair color, and tone of voice. |
| Blind 2 |
These are things about someone that you know, but that he or she does not know. For example, you may find someone's mannerisms to be annoying or their clothing style horrendous. |
| Hidden 3 |
In this quadrant are things that a person knows, but you do not know. For example, someone may have fear of heights, an unusual shoe size, or a strange favorite color. |
| Unknown 4 |
In this block are things that neither person knows. For example, this could be repressed abuse or unpleasant events that had an impact. |
The example of the Johari Window above makes it appear that all the quadrants are equal. That is generally not the case. In a situation where people have just met, the open area would be fairly small, and the other three areas would be large. Contrast this with the Johari Window of a close family member where the open area would be larger than the other three. The diagram may take any shape depending on the relationship and familiarity of the people involved.
One example of a Johari Window of a new team member:
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An example of a Johari Window of an established team member:
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Velda Arnaud,
Ph.D.
Executive Director
Lead, Educate, Serve Society
leadeducateserve@gmail.com
Last updated 10/4/14 (va)
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