Just as you can choose what you do with a gift, so it is with feedback.
If someone gives you something you love, you keep it. You cherish and use the gift, and it reminds you of them every time you use it. If you receive a gift you don’t like, you could return it. Those gift receipts often provided with a gift are very handy. Another choice for a gift you don’t like or won’t use is re-gifting. That might sound ungrateful, but it provides a sustainable option, as the gift does not go to waste. And finally, if you really don’t want the gift, you could just ignore it. Pop it in the cupboard, never to see the light of day, until you move house, or decide it’s time to use it, regift it or just discard it.
Listening to everyone’s feedback is like believing every bit of social media you read, hear or see. Some is useful, some is not, and some is just fake news. We calibrate what we read and collate information from various news sources. We decipher what to trust and know that if the news comes from multiple credible sources, it’s more likely to be valid.
The Johari Window
Johari was a thing — long before Brangelina. (Google it!)
The Johari Window is a model used to understand and improve communication and self-awareness. It was developed by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in 1955, who combined their first names to create the term ‘Johari’.i The model consists of a four-quadrant window representing different aspects of an individual’s personality and information.
Open area (Arena): This quadrant represents the information known to the individual and others. It includes behaviours, attitudes, feelings, skills and knowledge that are openly shared and understood by all parties involved. It represents the area of mutual understanding and effective communication.
Blind area (Blindspot): This quadrant represents information that others are aware of, but the individual is not. It includes blindspots, unconscious behaviours, or traits that others may observe but the individual may not recognise. Feedback from others is crucial in reducing the blind area and increasing self-awareness.
Hidden area (I): This quadrant represents information the individual is aware of but chooses not to disclose to others. It includes private thoughts, fears, insecurities and personal experiences that the person keeps hidden. This information is known only to the individual and is not shared openly.
Unknown area (Unknown): This quadrant represents information or potential capabilities unknown to the individual and others. It includes unconscious or undiscovered aspects of the person’s personality, hidden talents, or unexplored potential. Through personal growth, self-discovery, and feedback from others, individuals can expand their known area and decrease the unknown area.
The goal of the Johari Window is to increase the open area, where there is mutual understanding and effective communication between individuals. This can be achieved through self-disclosure, receiving and providing feedback, and developing trust and openness in relationships. By expanding the open area and reducing the blind, hidden and unknown areas, individuals can enhance their self-awareness, improve relationships, and foster effective communication and collaboration.
I have recommended this tool to thousands of leaders, and I commend it to you. If you want to increase your self-awareness or encourage someone else to increase theirs, apply the principles of the Johari Window. This model increases self-awareness and trust between the feedback provider and recipient. It deepens the connection in the relationship and ensures that feedback continues to be exchanged.
Upcoming Events
Deliberate Leader Masterclass
👉🏻You Can’t Say That! – Create a Feedback Culture in Your Team
Event Details:
📆 Monday, 30 September 2024
🕛 12:00 – 1:00 pm AEST
📍 Zoom
REGISTER 👉🏻 HERE 👈🏻
World of Work Lunch (For HR Leaders)
Event Details:
📆 October 24, 2024
🕛 12 pm to 2:30 pm AEDT
📍 BOTTEGA Restaurant, 74 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC, Australia 3000
💲 $150
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