The Johari Window is currently one of the most popular coaching tools. It helps individuals better understand themselves and their relationships with others, aiming to increase self-awareness. Moreover, it is also effective in companies for assessing employees' professional predispositions and potential, as well as improving communication within and between teams. The Johari Window method was developed in the 1950s by two American researchers, Joe Luft and Harry Ingham. The "Johari" part of the concept's name comes from combining their first names – Jo(e) + Har(ry) + I(ngham).

The Johari Window – definition

The aim of the exercise is to map out one's personality traits on a square divided into four smaller parts, much like a wooden window frame divides a pane of glass. This is where the first part of the tool's name – window – comes from. All squares represent a group of traits of a given individual, categorised by the degree of their awareness of these traits. The main premise of the Johari Window is that each person is aware of a part of their personality, but they may be unaware of certain other traits, which might be noticed by those around them – or by no one at all.

What areas does the Johari Window concept consist of?

The Johari Window divides self-awareness of one's personality traits into four areas:

The Open Area – containing traits known to both the individual and others (e.g., family, friends, colleagues, or neighbours).
The Hidden Area – presenting traits known only to the individual.
The Blind Area – a collection of traits that others perceive in the individual, but the individual themselves does not see in themselves.
The Unknown Area – encompassing traits whose existence is unknown to both the individual and their environment.

The size of the individual squares, i.e., the areas of awareness, is dynamic and changes with the person's current emotional state, the situation they are in, or the influence of the people around them. We illustrate this dependency in the following characteristics of each Johari Window zone.

Characteristics of Johari Zones – what is the Open Area?

The Open Area is a collection of an individual's traits known equally well to themselves and to those around them. It represents a group of behaviours, expressed and experienced emotions, possessed skills, talents, habits, or motivations that they willingly share with others – openly inviting them to get to know them from "this side." It therefore represents an element of personality that does not evoke feelings of threat, shame, or insecurity in the individual.

The more a person opens up to others and the more readily they accept feedback about themselves, the larger the Open Area in the Johari Window becomes. The shifting of boundaries in favour of the Open Area also indicates positive results in improving one's communication skills. A large Open Area portrays an individual as someone who establishes better relationships with others, handles feedback concerning them, is honest, trusts the world, and is self-aware.

The Blind Area includes information about a person's personality traits that they receive from their environment, but of which they themselves are unaware. The expansion of this zone can unfortunately be problematic. An increase in the Blind Area indicates difficulties in accepting feedback, denial of one's own shortcomings, or having complexes that prevent one from acknowledging their strengths as signalled by others. All of this translates into a distorted self-image and limited communication skills.

The Blind Area can contain bad habits, so-called small quirks and compulsions, but also unnoticed talents or positive character elements, or good habits. These are examples of behaviours and traits such as instinctively checking multiple times if the door is locked, frequently interjecting a particular word, overuse of expletives, willingness to help, being caring, and having a very good singing voice.

Working to reduce the size of this area can bring very positive results. When you increase your openness to feedback received from others, not only will communication with friends, family, or your team at work significantly improve, but you will also gain an opportunity to develop previously unnoticed talents or positive traits. It is also the first step towards eliminating your shortcomings that might, for example, hinder your career progression.

Characteristics of Johari Zones – what is the Hidden Area?

The Hidden Area is the inverse of the Blind Area, meaning it is a collection of information about oneself that one is aware of but does not share with others. This is the most private part of every individual. It may contain, for example, secrets, embarrassing traits, thoughts or habits, unpleasant experiences, hidden dreams or fantasies, sexual preferences, specific interests, or controversial beliefs. In short: anything that, for some reason, the individual does not want to share with others.

The reasons for keeping these traits, behaviours, and experiences to oneself can vary greatly: fear of rejection, lack of trust in others, being raised with the belief that certain information should be kept private (e.g., according to the stereotype that "men shouldn't show sadness," "women shouldn't shun motherhood"), or fear of being perceived as weak. The transfer of "data" from the Hidden Area to the Open Area, if it happens at all, may be the result of exceptional trust in a specific person or a change in one's own attitude – for example, towards what causes embarrassment.

Characteristics of Johari Zones – what is the Unknown Area?

The Unknown Area is entirely shrouded in mystery. It includes those elements of a person's personality whose existence is unknown to both the individual and anyone else. In theory, this window on the Johari Window diagram will therefore be empty, but in practice, it can fill up as a result of self-discovery, for example, through participation in therapy. The Unknown Area conceals some potential, but also emotions, fears, or experiences that lie deep beneath the surface of consciousness, yet still have some impact on life. An example might be a repressed childhood trauma causing inexplicable nightmares, discovered after some time through conversations with a psychologist or by encountering an object or place associated with it.

The Unknown Area can therefore be called the subconscious zone.

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The Johari Window