Abstract
Other people notice things about you that you don't see, and you know things about yourself that you don't show. The Johari Window sorts traits into four panes: open, hidden, blind and unknown.
In the exercise Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham created in 1955, you pick a few adjectives from a fixed list to describe yourself, and a few people who know you pick from the same list. Words you both chose are open. Words only they chose are your blind spots, and words only you chose are the ones you keep hidden.
Method
- 01
Describe yourself
Pick five or six adjectives from the list that you think fit you best.
- 02
Ask a few people
Have colleagues or friends pick five or six words for you from the same list, without seeing yours.
- 03
Fill in the panes
Words you both picked are open. Words only they picked are blind. Words only you picked are hidden. The rest are unknown.
- 04
Talk about the blind pane
Ask the people who chose those words what they noticed. That's usually where the surprises are.
- 05
Decide what to share
Think about which hidden traits would be worth making visible, and let the open pane grow over time.
When to use it
- A new team wants to learn how each person comes across.
- You want outside views of yourself in a structured form.
- A coach or manager wants an easy way into a feedback conversation.
Common pitfalls
- Asking people who barely know you. Their picks mostly reflect first impressions.
- Arguing with the blind pane. Treat it as information about how you come across.
- Reading too much into one person's pick. Look for words several people chose.
- Running it in a group without trust. People pick safe words and you learn very little.
Origin and references
Attributed to Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham (1955).
- Luft, J., & Ingham, H. (1955). The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awareness. Proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development. UCLA.
- Luft, J. (1969). Of Human Interaction. National Press Books.