Draw a cross on a page and you have the four boxes.
The four squares
- Open. What you and others both knowTraits, strengths and quirks, in any order. Organised, direct, terrible at small talk. It’s the easiest square to start on.
- Blind Spot. What others see that you don’tWrite the names of one or two people you trust enough to ask, and the date you’ll ask them.
- Hidden. What you know and others don’tNobody else sees this list. Mark the things you keep back for a good reason, and the ones that cost you something to keep back.
- Unknown. What neither of you knows yetWrite two or three things you’ve wondered about and never tried. How you’d get on running a team, say, or living in another country.
How to ask about your blind spot
Ask somebody who has watched you work. Pick one setting and one behaviour, so the question is easy to answer.
"Any feedback for me?" is hard to answer.
"What do I do in meetings that I probably don’t notice I’m doing?" gets you an answer.
Tell them they can say the awkward thing.
Who to ask
A friend from work or an old colleague would both do. A manager is harder to ask, because your next review sits behind their answer.
When two people tell you the same thing separately, move it into the Open square.
What to do with the Unknown square
Pick one thing off your list to try this month, like a class or a weekend somewhere new.
Questions people ask
What are the four quadrants of the Johari Window?
Open, Blind Spot, Hidden and Unknown.
Is there a Johari Window template?
Our workspace has one you can fill in on screen, with the Blind Spot set up as the names and dates of who you’ll ask. It saves in your browser.
Who invented the Johari Window?
Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, in 1955. The name joins their two first names.