Johari window refers to a technique that is used to help people in better understanding of themselves and others. It represents a feedback model used in self-help groups and corporate environment to improve individual and team performance.
In the Johari window method, participants are given a list of 56 adjectives with the task to choose five or six they feel best describe their personality. Colleagues are asked to do the same for the participant.
The answers are then mapped onto a grid of four different boxes. Once the grid is mapped, both the participant and the other contributors are given the opportunity to inform each other of the adjectives that only they selected.
The 3 main goals of Johari window are:
The blind area in a Johari Window represents the things that one does not know about oneself but that other know about them. It is the ‘feedback’ that others give that really tell us who we are and what we are to others. This eventually helps us learn more about others and thus we can grow and develop.
Johari window is a useful method in that it helps us learn about ourselves, discover our potential both from our personal point of view and from others in the form of feedback. It is all about making ourselves aware of our own interpersonal skills. This is especially useful in a team or work setting since it gives an insight into how we work in a team with the skills that we have and what other skills can be gained to perform better.
Both these methods speak volumes about our interpersonal skills and our awareness about them. They help us confront our weaknesses, our strengths, our goals, our behavior and so much more.
These also give the employer an understanding of which employee is best suited for a particular job and how they can build teams that will deliver the best work.
There are 4 broad grids in a Johari window and they stand for the following: