Johari window

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An empty Johari window, with the "Rooms" arranged clockwise, starting with Room 1 at the top left

A Johari window is a cognitive psychological tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955 in the United States, used to help people better understand their interpersonal communication and relationships. It is used primarily in self-help groups and corporate settings as a heuristic exercise.

When performing the exercise, the subject is given a list of 55 adjectives and picks five or six that they feel describe their own personality. Peers of the subject are then given the same list, and each pick five or six adjectives that describe the subject. These adjectives are then mapped onto a grid.

Charles Handy calls this concept the Johari House with four rooms. Room 1 is the part of ourselves that we see and others see. Room 2 is the aspect that others see but we are not aware of. Room 3 is the most mysterious room in that the unconscious or subconscious bit of us is seen by neither ourselves nor others. Room 4 is our private space, which we know but keep from others.

[edit] Quadrants

Adjectives that are selected by both the participant and his or her peers are placed into the Arena quadrant. This quadrant represents traits of the participant of which both they and their peers are aware.

Adjectives selected only by the participant, but not by any of their peers, are placed into the Façade quadrant, representing information about the participant of which their peers are unaware. It is then up to the participant whether or not to disclose this information.

Adjectives that are not selected by the participant but only by their peers are placed into the Blind Spot quadrant. These represent information of which the participant is not aware, but others are, and they can decide whether and how to inform the individual about these "blind spots".

Adjectives which were not selected by either the participant or their peers remain in the Unknown quadrant, representing the participant's behaviors or motives which were not recognized by anyone participating. This may be because they do not apply, or because there is collective ignorance of the existence of said trait.

Johari adjectives: A Johari Window consists of the following 55 adjectives used as possible descriptions of the participant. In alphabetical order they are:

[edit] Nohari variant

A Nohari window is the inversion of the Johari window, and is a collection of negative personality traits instead of positive.^[1]

[edit] Motivational equivalent

The concept of meta-emotions categorized by basic emotions offers the possibility of a meta-emotional window as a motivational counterpart to the meta-cognitive Johari window.

[edit] Appropriation of name

• Since December 2001, singer/songwriter Andrew E. Ullman has performed under the pseudonym Johari, and cites the Johari Window as one of his primary methods of inspiration.

• In September 2008, New York indie band Carlon released an LP titled Johari Window on Rope-a-Dope Records.

[edit] External links

• Open Windows, Online tools for teamanalysis and group development, based on Johari Window. (In Swedish.)
• The Johari Game, "Know Me" a business-focused board game
• Noogenesis article on the Johari Window Examples of window-altering actions; game theory aspects.
• Online Johari Window tool, by Kevan Davis
• Online Nohari Window tool, also by Kevan Davis
• http://www.rabid.oneuk.com/pertest/ CIHL Test based on the Johari Window adjective grid

[edit] References

• The original written publication appears to be: Luft, J. and Ingham, H. (1955) "The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awareness", Proceedings of the western training laboratory in group development. Los Angeles: UCLA
• Einfuhrung in die Gruppendynamik, Joseph Luft, Klett 1972
• The Johari Window and the Dark Side of Organisations, Steward Hase, Alan Davies, Bob Dick, Southern Cross University 1999
• 21 Ideas for Managers, Charles Handy, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass 2000

1. ^ Davis, Kevan, http://kevan.org/joharifaq.html, retrieved on 2009-04-07