Johari window

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Johari window is a metaphorical 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.

Contents 1 Quadrants 2 Nohari variant 3 Johari adjectives 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Quadrants

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 that trait.

[edit] Nohari variant

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

[edit] Johari adjectives

A Johari Window consists of 55 adjectives used to describe the participant, in alphabetical order:

able accepting adaptable bold brave calm caring cheerful clever complex confident

dependable dignified energetic extroverted friendly giving happy helpful idealistic independent ingenious

intelligent introverted kind knowledgeable logical loving mature modest nervous observant organised

patient powerful proud quiet reflective relaxed religious responsive searching self-assertive self-conscious

sensible sentimental shy silly spontaneous sympathetic tense trustworthy warm wise witty

[edit] External links

• Many examples of window-altering actions; touches lightly upon game theory in relation to the window
• Graphical illustrations of change in the window
• Online Johari Window tool, by Kevan Davis
• Online Nohari Window tool, also by Kevan Davis
• The Johari Game, a business-focussed board game
• http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/ca/workshop/comm/slides.pdf

[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, Souther Cross University 1999