The Johari Window Communication skills

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The Johari Window was developed by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1984 and is a very popular and easily understood model of communication. The Johari Window is essentially an information-processing model.

The model uses a four-part figure to reflect the interaction of two sources of information - self and others. The squared field, representing the "interpersonal space," is divided into four areas, each area representing different dynamics of knowledge about a person that have significance for the quality of relationships.

The Johari Window

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Johari’s Window

Arena Blind spot

Facade Unknown

Self Known Unknown

Others

Known

Others unknown

FEEDBACK

E X P O S U R E

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The Arena The Arena is the portion of the total interpersonal space devoted to mutual understanding and shared information. This is the known by the self/known by others facet of the relationship and refers to the behaviour, feelings and motivations that I know about myself and others know about me. The relative size of this space is thought to relate strongly to interpersonal productivity.

The Façade This is the portion of the total interpersonal space in which information is known by me

about myself but is not known by others (i.e. my private likes and dislikes, fears and aspirations).

The Blindspot This is the portion of the total interpersonal space in which information is known by

others but not realised or acknowledged by me. It is the behaviour that I display to others without being aware that I am displaying it.

The Unknown The Unknown is the portion of the total interpersonal space which represents the part of ourselves that we do not know about and is not known by others either. This part of the behaviour will contribute to our behaviour but neither others nor we normally see that part of us.

Johari’s Window

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Increasing Productivity and Interpersonal Effectiveness

•  The assumption is that productivity and interpersonal effectiveness are directly related to the amount of mutually held information. Therefore, the larger the arena, the more effective the communication and the more rewarding, effective, and productive the relationship can become.

•  The arena will grow in size as a person exposes information or knowledge about themselves to their colleagues and invites observations and feedback about themselves from their colleagues.

•  To the extent that you make others aware of relevant information, which you know about yourself and they do not, you enlarge the Arena in a downward direction reducing the Façade. The process employed is called ‘Exposure’. It entails the open and candid expression of feelings and factual knowledge.

•  For learning and communication to be most effective, the Arena needs to be stretched in two directions, the downward direction so reducing the Façade but also horizontally to the right reducing the Blindspot. Active solicitation of the feedback from others will extend the Arena to the right and reduce the Blindspot.

•  In order for communication to be productive each person in the relationship should ‘expose’ information about him or herself and solicit feedback from others. People should increase the size of their arenas simultaneously; otherwise relationships may feel out of balance.

•  Each person is primarily responsible for increasing the size of their arena and improving the interpersonal rewards, which can be derived from their relationships with others.

•  Reference: Luft, Joseph (1969). "Of Human Interaction," Palo Alto, CA:National Press.

Johari’s Window