Johari Window Exercise for Team Building

Introduction

The Johari Window is a tool that can be used to help individuals and teams understand themselves and each other better. It is a four-quadrant matrix that represents the different types of information that we know about ourselves and that others know about us.

Quadrant 1: Known to me and known to others

This quadrant contains information that is known to both you and others. This may include your name, job title, hobbies, and interests.

Quadrant 2: Known to others but not to me

This quadrant contains information that is known to others but not to you. This may include your blind spots, such as how you come across in meetings or how your behavior affects others.

Quadrant 3: Known to me but not to others

This quadrant contains information that is known to you but not to others. This may include your personal thoughts and feelings, your skills and talents, and your weaknesses.

Quadrant 4: Unknown to me and unknown to others

This quadrant contains information that is unknown to both you and others. This may include your hidden potential or unconscious biases.

Exercise

The following Johari Window exercise is a great way to build trust and understanding within a team. It can also help to identify areas where team members can learn from each other and grow.

1. Set up

• Find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted.
• Provide each team member with a copy of the Johari Window matrix (see below).
• Ask each team member to take a few minutes to complete the matrix individually.

2. Sharing

• Once everyone has completed the matrix, ask each team member to share their quadrants with the group.
• Encourage team members to be honest and open, but also to respect each other’s privacy.
• If a team member is not comfortable sharing something, they do not have to.

3. Discussion

• After everyone has shared, lead a discussion about the following questions:
  • What are some of the things that you learned about yourself from this exercise?
  • What are some of the things that you learned about your teammates?
  • How can this information help us to work better together as a team?

Tips

• Remind team members that this is a safe space to share information.
• Encourage team members to be honest and open, but also to respect each other’s privacy.
• If a team member is not comfortable sharing something, they do not have to.
• Focus on the positive aspects of the exercise. For example, you could talk about how the exercise helped you to learn more about your teammates’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Discuss how the information from the exercise can be used to improve teamwork and collaboration.

Conclusion

The Johari Window is a powerful tool that can be used to improve self-awareness, communication, and trust within a team. By conducting regular Johari Window exercises, teams can build stronger relationships and achieve better results.

Here is an example of a Johari Window matrix:

| Known to me | Known to others | |—|—|—| | My name | My job title | | My hobbies | How I come across in meetings | | My skills and talents | How my behavior affects others | | My weaknesses | My hidden potential | | My personal thoughts and feelings | |

Questions to discuss

• What are some of the things that you learned about yourself from this exercise?
• What are some of the things that you learned about your teammates?
• How can this information help us to work better together as a team?

Example discussion

Team member 1: I learned that my teammates see me as a good listener and that I am always willing to help others. However, I also learned that I can be shy in meetings and that I sometimes don’t share my ideas enough.

Team member 2: I learned that I am more assertive than I thought I was. I also learned that my teammates value my creativity and my ability to come up with new ideas. However, I also learned that I can sometimes be too critical of myself and that I need to be more confident in my abilities.

Team member 3: I learned that my teammates see me as a reliable and trustworthy person. I also learned that I am good at organizing and planning. However, I also learned that I can sometimes be too perfectionistic and that I need to be more willing to delegate tasks.

Facilitator: Thank you all for sharing. I think it’s great that we are able to be so open and honest with each other. I think this exercise has helped us to learn more about each other’s strengths and weaknesses.