The Johari Window.

The Johari Window.
Our sense of ourselves is very much influenced by our involvement in communication with others. The four squares in the window show different aspects of the self.
Open self. * Information about your behaviour, life story, attitude, feelings, emotion, knowledge and experience that you willingly make available for others to see.
Blind self. * Aspects of yourself which are known to others, but no to you. * These could be positive or negative.
Hidden self. * Contains aspects that you know of yourself but keep hidden. * You reveal more of yourself to those you know and like.
Unknown self. * The areas of yourself that are unknown to you or others. * This unconscious area includes the talents, strengths and weaknesses that are uncovered by new experiences.
All of our relationships whether with individuals or with groups have the capacity to change the shape of the window. The two communicative processes responsible for these changes are: * Feedback * Self-disclosure
Feedback:
* Involves others telling us what they perceive in our blind self. * We always want positive feedback * Fishing for compliments e.g. ‘I must look awful in this old top’
Disclosure
* As you get to know someone you being to entrust them with information from your hidden self.
Over disclosure * Telling someone more that they need or want to know about yourself.
The Johari Window is useful in helping us to focus on the behavioural codes in relation to boundaries. It can be applied to your own roles and skills as a communicator in any number of