Essay: Self-Awareness And Johari Window - A Guide To Increase Self-Awareness.

What is the Johari Window?

Assignment Overview:

The purpose of this assignment is to increase your self-awareness and to learn more about yourself by examining and applying the Johari Window to your own life. You will also have the opportunity to explore your self-concept and develop a clearer understanding of “who you are” and how others perceive you. Increased self-awareness in these areas lends opportunities for growth and development.

The purpose of Part 1 is to increase your self-awareness and to learn more about yourself by increasing the size of the ‘open area’ and to decrease the size of your ‘hidden’ and ‘blind’ area of the Johari Window.

Read the section on the Johari Window in the textbook along with the resource provided in the above link. Conduct online research of a minimum of two articles about the Johari Window as you will need to have a good understanding of the Johari Window to complete Part 1.

1. Open area:

Think about the open area and list the things about yourself that you and others know about you. Describe yourself based on what you know about yourself and what others know about you.

What methods have you used to help increase your awareness of who you are in the past/ present? Explain. If you have not worked to increase your self-awareness, describe your reasons for not doing so. Identify what you “could” do to improve your self-awareness.

2. Hidden area:

Identify some things about yourself (e.g. values, beliefs, characteristics, behaviours, etc.) that are not known by others. Write these down. Please know that you are encouraged to only write things about yourself that you are comfortable in sharing.

What are your reasons for keeping this information in your hidden area? Do you feel any of this information would help to improve your relationships by sharing it and thus moving it into the ‘open area’? Explain.

3. Blind area:

Note: this section has two Parts so be sure to read instructions carefully.

First, identify several blind spots you have had in the past that others (e.g. friends, family members, strangers, colleagues, etc.) have helped you realize. What were these blind spots? How did these individuals help you realize your blind spots? How did you respond to this new information? What has been the value of your newfound awareness?

Now that you have shared some of your past blind spots, it is time for you to discover some of your current blind spots. In order to discover new information about yourself, you will need to contact at least 2 individuals (and up to 5) and engage in a 10-15 minute meaningful conversation with each (you might choose colleagues/ classmates, friends, family members, etc.). Be sure to choose people you are willing to feel vulnerable and open with, as this type of self-discovery will require a safe space where you feel comfortable sharing and receiving information about yourself. Taking this step toward improved self-awareness can often feel quite uncomfortable so it is important that the people you choose to involve are people you trust and feel will be open, honest, and respectful during your interaction (e.g. describe you as a friend, as a student, as a brother/ sister/ mother/ father, as a leader, etc.). They may also describe your personality, your values, how you treat others and interact with others, how you look, strengths they feel you have, weaknesses they feel you have, etc. The important thing to remember is that you are asking them to describe you from their perspective, so it is important for you to be receptive. They may provide their description verbally (e.g. face-to-face) or they may choose to write down this information for you (e.g. email).

Using the Johari Window to Increase Self-Awareness

This section addresses how our perceptions influence how we see ourselves which in many cases, can be distorted and inaccurate. It also addresses key elements of self-concept such as self-enhancement, self-verification, and self-evaluation. Know that you are encouraged to only write things about yourself that you are comfortable in sharing.

Note: this section has two Parts so be sure to read instructions carefully.

1. Create your personal self-concept inventory by addressing the following:

What moods or feelings best describe you (e.g. cheerful, happy, sad, grumpy, angry, irritable, depressed, etc.)? Are you happy with your emotional state or are there areas you would like to work on? Explain. 

How would you describe your physical condition and/ or appearance (e.g. healthy, fit, tall, attractive, etc.)? Are you happy with how you see yourself or are there aspects of yourself you would like to change? Explain. 

How would you describe your social characteristics (e.g. friendly, shy, talkative, aggressive, pushy, caring, thoughtful, supportive, selfish, tolerant, etc.)? Are there any areas you would like to change? Explain. 

What talents or skills do you possess or lack (e.g. artistic, musical, lousy cook, great at math, can tap dance, juggle, etc.)? Are there any skills you would like to obtain?

What beliefs do you hold strongly to (e.g. political beliefs, social views, religious beliefs, family beliefs, etc.)? Do you have any strong beliefs that you would like to let go of (e.g. beliefs you may have been taught, or that you have learned through your cultural setting, stereotypes, etc.)? 

What social roles are most important to you in life (e.g. being a mom, father, student, friend, employee, brother, sister, etc.)? Why are these roles so important to you? Are there any roles that you would like to add to your self-concept? 

2. Address the following:

Now that you have completed your personal self-concept inventory, do you feel your self-concept is accurate? Are there parts that you feel are distorted regarding how you view yourself? Do you feel other people in your life see you the same way that you see yourself? In other words, would they agree with your list (you may want to share your personal inventory with the people you chose for the “blind area” portion of the assignment and ask them for feedback, as this can be a powerful way to find out how you are seen by those around you)?

Reflect on the areas of your self-concept that you would like to change along with how you would make these changes. How might you go about beginning this transformation?

Read the section on social identity in the textbook. Identify groups (from your past and present), you identify with and relate to, and describe who you are based on your association with these groups. In other words, describe how these groups have influenced and helped shape who you are today (your social identity).

You are now going to write a brief profile of who you are by summarizing the information you have reflected on and gathered during this assignment about yourself in Parts 1 to 4. This section should include your values, beliefs, and characteristics that you have discovered about yourself/ a general description of yourself/ new insights/ etc. Also, indicate how this information might help you in developing a more accurate perception of yourself and others.

Based on your insights gained from this assignment, explain the importance of improving self-awareness and its connection to behaviour and organizational effectiveness. How do these concepts relate to, and influence one another?

What is the Johari Window?

Open areas reflect the perception of others regarding me. In this respect, I would like to highlight perception of my father and my cousin sister. These are the two people with whom I have had the maximum interaction among my family members. These two people have stayed by me in the times of my most dire necessities and whenever I have had bad patches in life. I would emphatically like to uphold the perception and philosophies about life that my father have shared with me. Herein, I would like to highlight that the open area of the Johari window reflects the perception of the people in close association with whom we share the major incidents ad everything about the ups and downs in life. These two people, I have indicated, are the people who are also mostly acquainted with the whereabouts of my professional world. The selection of these two people is also justified by another criteria of the Johari window model that states that I should not be in a position of mistrust, conflict or even confusion (Berglund and Heintz, 2014). This is essential for ensuring that the perception that these people share with me are genuine and are not intimidated by any negative vibes.

As per the perception of my father, I lack nervous constraint whenever I am suddenly exposed to any odd situation. One of my positivity according to my sister is that I have adept knowledge regarding all professional aspects and as an outcome I have the capability to face any situation comprehensively. However, she have point out by exemplifying situations that during any abrupt odd situation I come under immense nervous stress and as an outcome, I am always unable to go in to the depth of the situation and analyse what is needful and demanded of the crisis at hand. I would also like to highlight the perception of few of my close friends who have been in association with me since my schooling days and are currently my colleagues also. Berland (2017), opine that close friends have the capacity to provide the most neutral commentary. They opine that I have a subtle ambiguity in my characteristics. I have always since my childhood tried to face situations boldly and admittedly. However on arrival of any serious situation of confrontation, I have always showed a tendency of freaking out at the moments of dire necessities. In this context, my father opines gat I become highly emotional and surcharged to face situations and want to face every situation emotionally. As an obvious outcome, on most of the occasions I am not able to realise the underlying original issues that are inhibited and as an outcome of that stress, I am not able to formulate proper strategies for the resolution of the issues that needs to be addressed to be able to make proper resolution of the issues that are the chief causative agents of the problem.

Using the Johari Window to Increase Self-Awareness

I readily agree with them that I do face nervous struggle whenever I face any critical situation. Hence, I have resorted to various strategies for the mitigation of these issues. The first strategy is pertaining to meditation. In relation to this problem, I have also resorted to consultation with psychologists. Even Bradbury?Jones et al. (2014), supports that. However, I did not start the medications, since I considered that this is a minor and absolutely minimal problem that needs no different address.

I further joined the yoga class and I must assure that I have gained a lot of mental clarity after pertaining to these activities. However, I have not yet been able to come over the problems completely and many traits of nervous freaking still exists within me.

So far as the hidden areas are concerned, I would emphatically discourse that I have experienced a whole lot of internal strife whenever I am not able to find solution to any problem. I suppose that I have a conviction that whatever projects and/or assignments I undertake, I perform with utmost perfection. Beyond that I suppose that I should not be susceptible to criticism at all. That is why I had also started undermining the suggestions and advices of the peers since I supposed that I have a superior disposition than all of them. I often missed the deadlines of my projects because I always take care of the minutest details regarding the details of all assignments. I am also very concerned about the fact that I always resort to a unique and different approach than the stereotyped approach to any action. I never want that any of my peers identify flaws in any of my works and that is why I take tie to re-read all of my assignments. I also suppose that perhaps this is a kind of leadership and bossing quality that prevents me from accepting others’ interventions to my affairs. Flawlessness have been a high end component to my professional talent and this is what that have fetched me a lot of success in my works also. In fact, reflecting on the opinion of Durazo Manning and Wright (2015), I conclude that it is an essential component of my ego and alter ego that prevents me from accepting the opinion of others. In fact I have often experienced the fact that whenever I have to face counterargument from any of my peers, I feed disturbed psychologically and as an outcome, I have often been delayed in my future assignments and that have affected the quality of my work in the future cases.

Identifying Blind Spots

In fact, many people are not able to identify this peculiar trait within me because of my immense self-restraint. That is why I suppose many of the new comers also feel hesitant to indulge in to conversations with me. As an outcome my organisational scope also becomes limited on many instances. My sentimentalism through prevents me from working in unison with many of my peers who have an addictive tendency of interfering with working pattern and work methodology. In fact, influenced from the ideas of Ghimire et al. (2016), I have been able to come to the conclusion that I am somewhat outfitted to work under the parameters that have been set t me by the others. Lastly, one issue that I would like to uphold is that I have become increasingly introvert regarding my work and working nature because of the large amount of self-restrain to discuss the prevalent problems that I have in my work ethics.

Because of this typical genre I have often by cornered by some of the professional communities whom I deal with.

As an outcome of my bossy nature, I also have a tendency of becoming judgemental about the work methodologies of others associated with me, whether that is my personal periphery or my professional realm. Another important fact is that my decision making skill is also high. This gives me confidence and along with this, compiled by my boss and dictatorial nature, I also do a lot of interventions and interferences about the work of the others.

My father have also pointed out the fact that I had grown high commutative about the small and big affairs at home and always liked to express my personal likings as well as disliking and personal opinion regarding others. That is why, I have also taken up many important decision in my childhood without the consent of my parents or any others in my family. My close relatives as well as friends infer that I have always disliked accepting opinions from others (irrespective or seniors or junior). The same opinion is expressed by my friends’ circle also. My friends have time and again, identified that I am also very much short tempered and dominating. As per Haddon and Burnard (2016), this have a high impact on decision making. On most occasions I have neglected or disqualified the accumulative decisions taken by my friends’ group. They have also identified that I have the necessary skills and disposition for leadership and this makes me somewhat distinguished from others also. However, another opinion of my close friends is worth mentioning here. Although I agree to this partially, nevertheless, I do not think that I should undermine this conception and it is also worth reflecting here. They opine that I have an acute tendency of grouping up with the bossy and dictatorial people out here. As an outcome, my discriminatory disposition have been the cause of discomfort of others.

Discovering Current Blind Spots

I suppose that owing to the above discussed factors, I have grown socially outlawed to some extent. This is why I prefer to keep my bossy nature. So far I am able to dominate over others, I feel that I able to communicate over all layers of people. As per Hamzah et al. (2016), this mentality makes people socially inactive.

In this section I would like to discuss the self-development plan. During the course of the development of the plan, I have sought advice from the best of people whom I suppose to be having the credibility to judge me clearly and neutrally. These two people have observed me growing and developing my personal attributes. In this context, the first personal would obviously be my father. The next person who have been very closely associated with my nature and attributes is my childhood friend, who have shared a lot of intimate space with me and know the best of me like my parents and siblings. My father have always been distinctive and specific about his opinion regarding me. He states that I have had this authoritative nature since childhood and the kind of upbringing that I have received is responsible for that to a great extent. I have spent a great deal of early childhood time alone and absolutely with myself. During this time, I have become increasingly dominant and introvert as well. Later, this incapacity to discourse my feelings in childhood gave birth to this bossy nature within me.

My friend have also stated in the same line that I have had a dominant trait of performing everything clinically. At the time of my school life, I had the tendency to conceal my flaws from my friends as well as my parents. Besides, I always wanted my friends to listed to my verdicts and also believe whatever I said without any counter question. As per Ifeagwazi and Ugwueze (2017), this is a major signal of bossism. Rather than focusing on developing on my strengths, I always emphasised on concealing my shortcomings from all of my friends.

Self Concept Inventory 

I would best classify myself as in possessing a depressed mood most of the times. I am only relaxed when I am able to accomplish my tasks with perfection. As discussed earlier, I never take major initiative to solve the issues that come across me. Rather, I am more concerned with concealing my own flaws. As an outcome, I feel that I have grown this habit of performing every task in a detailed way. I have a lean posture with steady shoulders with sharp looks. My social attributes would let me best classify myself as thoughtful. I am always concerned about the future consequences of expressing myself socially as I am always in fear that I could lose my inherent natural gravity if I give way to excess socialisations.

Conducting Personal Self-Concept Inventory

I am also a drummer and a flute player. Besides, I also have a passion for photography. Other aspects regarding me involves my lean belief regarding religious aspects and that I always prefer to stay aloof and take my own decisions.

Influenced from the ideas of Krishnan, Pahl and Bailey (2017), I have arrived to the conclusion that the social roles of being an active blogger and a caring child makes me mostly feel honoured.

I generally do not accept criticism from others. However, I generally try to follow the suggestions and philosophies that my father hares with me. Other than that, I often reflect opinions from my cousin sister with whom I have spent some of the best moments of my life. Lastly, opinion of few of my colleagues who have been my friends since childhood matters me the most. Obviously, in this context, as influenced by Lakeman (2018), the role of previous mentor is worth mentioning. She shared an equally dominating nature and as an outcome, we were never compatible in our perceptions. I was entrusted with many job roles which I found unjustified.

My obvious focus was on perfecting myself because of which I resorted to high level of socialising contrary to my lack of appetite in socialising. I have often been cornered by a major segment of my colleagues and peers in other sectors and this have left a significant impression on me. Nevertheless, I spout declare boldly the support and care that I have received from my father, mother and my cousins. Anyway, I would like to convey my regards to all the people who have either been supportive or dominant over me. Everybody have contributed to make me understand my strengths as well as weaknesses. As an outcome, I have also gained the strength to accept negative criticism, which troubled me a lot previously. At my current position I am able to withstand large amount of criticism and negative vibes from people. However, the best art is that I have been able to reside my obsession with dominating every individual to some extent.

I can describe my individual disposition as ambitious and dictatorial. I understand and perceive the interaction with every individual (strangers) to the extent they are not entering the personal domain of work methodologies. It is evident that I have gained high level of success in life. However, the best part is that I have gained much deeper in sight regarding the negative traits that have hindered my growth. I have grown my maturity that helps me to see at things more rationally and accept critical comments from friends and peers more naturally and superfluously. Particularly, I have gained knowledge of the fact that my retardation to acceptance of others’ opinions and judgements have hindered my growth so far. The application of the Johari Window for the self-analysis in the scope of the report have helped me to gain a deeper in sight regarding the primary areas of my personal attributes that I need to change for the betterment.

Social Identity

My key realisation in the course of the report have been that the most essential prospect that helps in the improvement of people is self-awareness. My self-awareness regarding the negative formalities in my character have helped me to realise how to perceive and deal with the opinion of others. It has also helped me to gain in-sight regarding who are in favour of me and neutrally supports me for my personal development and who are the people who associated with me for their own interests. My strengths parallel to my limitations have also been evident to me. Hence, I can hereby assure that I have gained the disposition to be able to help others to overcome the similar problems that I have faced.

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