The Johari Window Video

To build trusting relationships at work, you must be willing to share personal information with others. 

The Johari Window   is a tool that helps you do this. The name of the tool is taken from the names of its creators – Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham.

It's shown as a box with four separate areas. There are also two axes – ask and tell.

The upper left of the box is called the Open Area. This represents information you know about yourself, as well as the things others know about you.

For instance, you might have shared your employment history with your team.

The upper right of the box is called the Blind Area. This area represents information others might see in you, but you might not see yourself.

For instance, you might have low self-confidence   – others can see this, but you don't realize it.

The Hidden Area is in the lower left of the box. This is what you know about yourself, which others don't know.

This might include personal information that you want to keep from the people you work with. It can also include information that you should share if you want to build more trust   with people.

The bottom right of the box is the Unknown Area. This represents the information that no one, including yourself, knows about you.

If you want to build trust with people in your team, you should aim to enlarge the Open Area. To do this, you share appropriate personal information.

You also get feedback from others, so you learn new things about yourself. This builds trust in your relationships, and promotes open communication.

However, you need to avoid disclosing personal information that could damage people's respect for you. 

Now, read the article   that accompanies this video, and learn more about how you can use the Johari Window to build trust at work.