Comments to: crs@uvm.eduReviewed as of 4/20/98
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EXERCISE 3
Windows on Self
The Jo-Hari Window is a technique that allows people to understand
themselves better, and to learn more about themselves from feedback
given by other people and from the types of information
communicated to others.
It is a four-section "window" that helps the person map out
different aspects of the self in the following categories:
Things I know Things I don't know
____________________________________________________
| | |
| 1 | 2 |
| | |
Things | | |
others know | ARENA | BLIND SPOT |
| | |
| | |
|_________________________|________________________|
| | |
| 3 | 4 |
| | |
Things | | |
others | FACADE | UNKNOWN |
don't know | | |
| | |
|_________________________|________________________|
The first area is the arena. These are the things both you and
other people know about you. These things are public information
and are also obvious to you. With a lot of feedback from others
and a lot of sharing with others, the arena would be large in
proportion to other areas.
The second area is the blind spot. These are things that others
know about you, but things of which you may not be aware. The
blind spot can be reduced by asking people for more feedback.
The third area is the facade. These are things that you know about
yourself, but that others don't know about you. The facade can be
reduced by telling people more about yourself.
The fourth area is the unknown. Neither you nor others are aware
of them. Some of the things in an unknown can be reached by more
feedback or more disclosure among people; group interaction often
brings up old memories and experiences that were "forgotten."
However, there will always be some unknown and secret area of
ourselves.
Create an intuitive map of your own Jo-Hari window. Think about
yourself and ask yourself if you have a large arena or facade.
Give some general proportions to your own window, and consider what
it indicates about the public and private aspects of your life.
If you have a large unknown, this offers you the least potential
for self awareness, since you are not accustomed to much
interaction about yourself with others. Similarly, a large arena
offers great potential for self awareness based on open sharing and
receiving feedback that has happened in the past.
You should realize that this window is not a static concept. The
general proportions of your windows will change with time,
depending upon your actions. As you share more information with
people, both the facade and the unknown decrease. As you receive
more feedback from people, the blind spot and the unknown decrease.
Some people characterize these areas as attitudes that will show up
when a group is interacting:
Arena--Open and attentive (gives and takes feedback)
Blind spot--Bull in china shop (gives, but does not take feedback)
Facade--Interviewer (takes, but does not give feedback)
Unknown--Turtle (does not give or take feedback)
Discuss these types of group personalities, and the degree to which
you yourself are capable of each one.
The goal of soliciting feedback and self-disclosure is to move the
proportions of your map so that the arena is larger--to make you
more self-aware. The arena type of self-awareness is useful to the
individual alone, but is also perceived by groups of people as an
open and above-board attitude, and arena type behavior is rarely
misinterpreted.
> Further notes on the exercise:
This exercise grows out of the work Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham,
who created the Jo-Hari window for their work with group process.
Use the concept as a springboard for discussing the degree to which
we are willing to know and learn things about ourselves from
others. Distinguish between the willingness to learn from giving
feedback, and the willingness to learn from soliciting feedback.
Feedback should be discussed and defined. Stress the importance of
the intention behind feedback (sharing information for a learning
process), and how it is not done with either malice or flattery.
Feedback is to be given as directly, honestly, and as concretely as
possible. Furthermore, feedback is not final and absolute. One
person's experience is not a judgment for all time. Further
feedback should be solicited about something bothersome or
surprising.
> Time: 10 minutes review concepts and make a map; 10 minutes for
group discussion
Comments to: crs@uvm.edu
Reviewed as of 4/20/98