Understanding your own behaviours and reactions in various situations is crucial for effectively managing and resolving conflicts.

American psychologists Joe Luft and Harry Ingham developed the Johari Windows concept as a way of looking at our self-awareness and our ability to ask for feedback from others.

Here is what the window looks like:

		Known to Others	Not Known to Others
Known to Oneself		Open	Hidden
Not Known to Oneself		Blind	Unknown

There are two primary methods for increasing awareness of how our behaviour affects ourselves and others. The first method involves tuning in to your own thoughts and emotions to understand your reactions and what triggers them.

Often, we tend to overlook our responses to our surroundings, but by making a conscious effort, we can become more aware of our feelings and reactions.

The second method is to seek feedback from others about how they perceive you and how they respond to your behaviour.

 

The concept of the “window” illustrates that there are aspects you know about yourself, as well as things you may not be aware of. Similarly, others may know certain things about you that you do or do not recognize, while there are also aspects they are unaware of. This concept suggests that it requires effort to conceal information from yourself and others; thus, the more information that is shared, the clearer and more effective the communication becomes.

Building relationships often involves expanding your “open” or “known to self and others” area while minimizing your “blind” and “hidden” areas. As you become more open to self-disclosure, you reduce your hidden area, providing others with more information to respond to, thereby decreasing your blind area. Encouraging others to share about themselves further reduces your blind area. As you diminish this blind area, your self-awareness grows, allowing you to be even more open with others.

Using the list of adjectives below, identify five to 10 words that you think best describe you.

Your list:

Able	Accepting	Adaptable	Bold
Brave	Calm	Caring	Cheerful
Clever	Complex	Confident	Dependable
Dignified	Empathetic	Energetic	Extroverted
Friendly	Giving	Happy	Helpful
Idealistic	Independent	Ingenious	Intelligent
Introverted	Kind	Knowledgeable	Logical
Loving	Mature	Modest	Nervous
Observant	Organized	Patient	Powerful
Proud	Quiet	Reflective	Relaxed
Religious	Responsive	Searching	Self-assertive
Self-conscious	Sensible	Sentimental	Shy
Silly	Spontaneous	Sympathetic	Tense
Trustworthy	Warm	Wise	Witty

If possible, have a co-worker identify five to 10 words that they think best describe you.

Co-worker’s list:

	Accepting	Adaptable	Bold
Brave	Calm	Caring	Cheerful
Clever	Complex	Confident	Dependable
Dignified	Empathetic	Energetic	Extroverted
Friendly	Giving	Happy	Helpful
Idealistic	Independent	Ingenious	Intelligent
Introverted	Kind	Knowledgeable	Logical
Loving	Mature	Modest	Nervous
Observant	Organized	Patient	Powerful
Proud	Quiet	Reflective	Relaxed
Religious	Responsive	Searching	Self-assertive
Self-conscious	Sensible	Sentimental	Shy
Silly	Spontaneous	Sympathetic	Tense
Trustworthy	Warm	Wise	Witty