“It was years ago that I was shown Johari’s Window, and it has always stuck with me. It’s so simple yet incredibly powerful, encouraging each of us to be open and honest with those around us, whilst also inviting their feedback. Ripstone creates the safe space in which this is possible.” – Gary King
Gary King, Ripstone Brand Champion, talks us through one of his go-to mental health models.
Johari’s Window is a tool for personal development and interpersonal communication that was developed by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in the 1950s – Joe and Harry’s Window!
Their two by two grid is based on the idea that there are things about ourselves that we know and things that we do not know, and things that others know about us that we are not aware of. The Johari Window helps us become more self-aware and congruent, opening up our hidden potential and empowering us to be our authentic selves.
Open Area
Standing on one side of the quadrant we see things about ourselves that are also seen by others.
Blind Spot
There are also things about ourselves, behaviours, habits and ways of being, that we are unaware of that are, however, obvious to those around us.
Hidden Area
Likewise, there are things that are personal and private to us, that others don’t see.
Unknown Area
Finally, there are aspects about us that are unknown both to ourselves and those around us. This includes forgotten memories, information, feelings, capabilities and talents.
Unlocking Your Potential
When we are comfortable and able to share more of our thoughts and feelings with others, we push back the hidden area and open up the unknown.
This is also true when we ask for and welcome feedback from others. When we expand our open sense of self, we are better able to learn, grow and feel comfortable with who we are. In doing so, we further reveal our hidden resources; unlocking our potential.
Using Johari’s Window can help you better understand your relationships both with yourself and with others. Gary and the team at Ripstone have been using it to make our interpersonal relationships easier and improve our day-to-day decision-making. Working on your self-awareness and how others perceive you can also help you to overcome other mental health struggles, such as imposter syndrome; a condition particularly prevalent in creative industries such as games.
Each week in May we’ll be sharing a new mental health model from the Ripstone team. Look out for them on the website and all Ripstone socials.