The Johari Window Workshop

Johari Window Workshop

Read time: 4 minutes

The Johari Window is a model that helps individuals understand their relationships with themselves and others.

Developed by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in 1955, it is commonly used in self-awareness, personal development, communication, and group dynamics.

The model consists of a four-quadrant grid, representing different aspects of the self as perceived by oneself and others:

A Johari Window chart with four quadrants: Open Area (known to self/others), Blind Area (unknown to self/known to others), Hidden Area (known to self/unknown to others), and Unknown Area (unknown to all).

The Johari Window helps improve communication by encouraging feedback and self-disclosure.

As individuals become more open, the Open Area expands, reducing the Blind and Hidden Areas, leading to better understanding and stronger relationships.

Running a workshop using the Johari Window is an effective way to help participants enhance their self-awareness, communication skills, and trust within a group.

Here's a simple 3-step workshop you can run in under 2 hours.

Let’s get into it…

Workshop Title: "Exploring Self-Awareness and Communication through the Johari Window"

Workshop Objective

To enhance self-awareness, improve communication, and build trust within the team by encouraging participants to engage in self-disclosure and provide constructive feedback, ultimately fostering a more open, empathetic, and collaborative team environment.

Agenda

Duration: 2 hours, including breaks

Step 1: Introduction and Explanation of the Johari Window (30 minutes)

Objective: Familiarise participants with the Johari Window model and its relevance to self-awareness and communication.

  • Begin by introducing the four quadrants of the Johari Window (Open, Blind, Hidden, and Unknown) using a visual aid (e.g., whiteboard or slides).
  • Discuss the importance of each quadrant and how it relates to personal growth and relationships.
  • Highlight how expanding the "Open Area" can improve trust, communication, and team collaboration.

Activity: Group Discussion

  • Ask participants to reflect on how the Johari Window applies to their lives and interactions.
  • Encourage them to share their thoughts on the potential benefits of self-disclosure and receiving feedback.

Step 2: Self-Disclosure and Feedback Exercise (45 minutes)

Objective: Encourage participants to expand their "Open Area" by practising self-disclosure and giving/receiving feedback in a supportive environment.

Activity: Paired Sharing

  • Pair participants with adjectives commonly used in Johari Window exercises (e.g., friendly, empathetic, confident, patient, etc.).
  • Each participant will select five adjectives that describe themselves (their self-perception).
  • Next, their partner will select five adjectives they believe describe their partner.
  • Afterwards, participants will compare and discuss their selected adjectives, focusing on:

    → What adjectives were common between self-perception and feedback from others (Open Area)?

    → What adjectives were in the "Blind Spot" (unknown to self but known to others)?
  • Encourage pairs to reflect on any surprises or insights from the feedback. Make notes in preparation for the discussion.

Debrief:

  • After the paired discussions, bring the group together to share general reflections and what they learned.
  • Discuss how expanding the "Open Area" through self-disclosure and feedback strengthens relationships.

Step 3: Group Reflection and Action Plan (30 minutes)

Objective: Encourage participants to apply insights gained during the workshop to their personal and professional lives.

Activity: Group Reflection

  • Lead a discussion on the importance of continued self-awareness, openness, and feedback in communication and relationships.
  • Ask participants to reflect on:

    → What they learned about themselves during the workshop.

    → How can they reduce their "Hidden" or "Blind" areas in their day-to-day life or workplace?

Action Plan:

  • Have participants create an action plan for expanding their "Open Area" beyond the workshop.
  • They can set goals for:

    → Seeking more feedback from colleagues or friends.

    → Sharing more of themselves in appropriate contexts.

    → Engaging in activities that help uncover their "Unknown Area" (e.g., new challenges, self-reflection, etc.).

Workshop Closing

  • Summarise the key takeaways of the Johari Window model.
  • Encourage participants to remember the insights from the workshop when interacting with others in their personal and professional environments.

Conclusion & Summary

This simple 3-step workshop:

  • Introduces participants to the Johari Window.
  • Engages them in self-awareness and feedback exercises.
  • Helps them develop strategies for improving communication and personal growth.

Reducing the Blind and Hidden Areas

This Johari Window workshop helps individuals become aware of aspects of themselves that others see, but they may not recognize (their "Blind Area").

This can lead to valuable personal growth as team members work on those areas to improve both individually and as a team.

Encouraging self-disclosure also reduces the "Hidden Area," which can prevent conflicts arising from unspoken issues.

When team members are more open about their thoughts, feelings, and motives, misunderstandings and hidden agendas that could otherwise hinder team progress are reduced.

If you want the unbranded slides, value cards, questionnaire and action plan template for this workshop, you can get them in my Tools & Activities Library.

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About the Author

Nick Martin helps leaders & consultants improve team results with resources, advice & coaching through WorkshopBank.com

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