A tool for enhancing your effectiveness

Musings 1 Minute

What if there was a tool that could reveal your hidden strengths, help you crush your blind spots, and make you a better person and professional.

Enter the Johari Window (developed by Joseph Luft & Harry Ingham), a simple 4 part framework answers two questions:

  1. What do you know about yourself?
  2. What do others know about you?

It’s divided into four quadrants:

  1. Open Area  – Things both you and others know about you. (your comfort zone)
  2. Hidden Area – Things you know, but others don’t. (your secret sauce)
  3. Blind Spot – Things others know, but you don’t. (awkward but fixable)
  4. Unknown Area – Things neither you nor others know yet. (your hidden potential)

How Can You Use It?

1. Expand Your Open Area

The more you share about yourself and receive feedback from others, the larger this area grows. This leads to authentic connections and trust in the workplace.

Example: If you’re great at public speaking but don’t bring it up, your team might miss out on assigning you roles where you can shine.

2. Shrink Your Blind Spot

Seeking feedback is key here. Ask your coworkers for insights on how you can improve. You might discover something you never realized!

Example: Maybe you interrupt others in conversations. By becoming aware of this, you can work on better listening skills.

3. Minimize Your Hidden Area

This is about opening up and showing your authentic self. Letting others in on your thoughts, struggles, or aspirations can help build stronger professional relationships.

Example: Sharing your interest in learning a new skill like poetry or creative writing, could lead to unexpected mentorship opportunities from colleagues.

4. Explore the Unknown Area

This is the space for growth and self-discovery. Try new experiences, take risks, and challenge yourself in areas you’re unsure about. You never know what hidden talents might emerge!

Are you ready to explore?

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Published by Padma Rajeswari

At the outset, I would like to thank you for stopping by my Blog. I believe that there is nothing right or wrong in this world. What’s right in this moment and context may be wrong in another moment and context. This belief has inspired me to name my blog ‘Perspectives’. Perspectives is a platform for me to share my experiences, thoughts and perspectives on various subjects. You may have a different point of view. I look forward to hearing them, these are the triggers for rich and deep conversations. On personal front, I live in Mumbai, India. I love to read; Somerset Maugham and Nevil Shute are my favorite authors. My favorite books are The Razor’s Edge, Mrs. Craddock, Chequer Board and Gone with the Wind. I am thankful to my father who inculcated the habit of reading in me early on. I am also passionate about traveling, I have been to most parts of India and to several countries across the globe. On professional front, I work in Human Resources function. Over two and half decades, I have worked across multiple industries and cultures. I focus on Leadership Development, Talent Management, Visioning and Culture, Large-scale change, Employee Listening & Engagement, Employee Well-being, Inclusive work culture, HR effectiveness, Behavior and Mind-set shifts through sustained interventions I currently lead Organization Effectiveness Function for Aditya Birla Group, a $44.3 billion conglomerate with 120000 employees across 35 countries. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading my blog. I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions. Thank you!

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