03 Discussion - Self-Awareness communication homework Our self-awareness is depi
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Question
03 Discussion - Self-Awareness
communication homework
Our self-awareness is depicted through the model of the four interactive selves, or the Johari Window. The four "selves" are Open, Blind, Hidden, and Unknown.
Describe to classmates two different roles that you play. Two might be employee and parent. Then explain which of the "four selves" from the Johari Window that you tend to display more in each role. Why is this? Example: Your hidden self is much more prominent at work as an employee; your open self comes out with your children. (Explain why.)
Please make your initial post by midweek, and respond to at least one other student's post by the end of the week
Student post:
The main roles that I have in my life are employee and mother. The two roles have been very important to me over the years. I think they are both important in life. My role as a mother I am very open with my children. We have a very close family and talk about just about everything. Growing up in my family we didn’t not discuss a lot of close things so I decided when I had children it was going to be different. In return my children have always come to me with good because I was very open with them from the beginning. My role as an employee Is mostly a hidden self. I am nowhere near as open at work as I am at home. There was a time in my life that I was at a job for thirteen years so in that job I became a little more open because after so many years you do become friends with people. In any other jobs that I have had I am pretty much hidden, I only do my job and carry on conversation as needed and do not discuss my personal life at all. Sometimes it is a benefit for everyone to be that way at work because too much talking about your personal life at work among other employees can cause issues.
Explanation / Answer
Johari Window :
A model for self-awareness, personal development, group development and understanding relationship
A simple and useful tool for understanding and training selfawareness, personal development, improving communications, interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, team development and intergroup relationships.
Especially relevant due to emphasis on, and influence of, 'soft' skills, behaviour, empathy, cooperation, inter-group development and interpersonal development
The model Also referred to as a 'disclosure/feedback model of self awareness', and an 'information processing tool' Represents information - feelings, experience, views, attitudes, skills, intentions, motivation, etc - within or about a person - in relation to their team, from four perspectives Can also be used to represent the same information for a team in relation to other teams.
Terminology Refers to 'self' and 'others‘
‘Self' - oneself, i.e., the person subject to the Johari Window analysis
'Others' - other people in the team
The four Johari Window perspectives Called 'regions' or 'areas' or 'quadrants'. Each contains and represents the information - feelings, motivation, etc - in terms of whether the information is known or unknown by the person, and whether the information is known or unknown by others in the team The four regions, areas, quadrants, or perspectives are as follows, showing the quadrant numbers and commonly used names
Johari window four regions :
Open area, open self, free area, free self, or 'the arena‘: what is known by the person about him/herself and is also known by others - 2. Blind area, blind self, or 'blindspot‘: what is unknown by the person about him/herself but which others know 3. Hidden area, hidden self, avoided area, avoided self or 'façade’: what the person knows about him/herself that others do not know 4. Unknown area or unknown self: what is unknown by the person about him/herself and is also unknown 'by others'
The Johari Window 'panes'
Show each quadrant the same size Can be changed in size to reflect the relevant proportions of each type of 'knowledge' of/about a particular person in a given team situation In new teams the open free space for any team member is small because shared awareness is relatively small As the team member becomes better established and known, so the size of the team member's open free area quadrant increases
‘Blind self' or 'blind area' or 'blindspot‘: what is known about a person by others in the group, but is unknown by the person him/herself Could also be referred to as ignorance about oneself, or issues in which one is deluded Not an effective or productive space for individuals or groups Also include issues that others are deliberately withholding from a person The aim is to reduce this area by seeking or soliciting feedback from others and thereby to increase the open area, i.e., to increase self-awareness Team members and managers take responsibility for reducing the blind area - in turn increasing the open area - by giving sensitive feedback and encouraging disclosure Managers promote a climate of non-judgemental feedback, and group response to individual disclosure, and reduce fear
Which understands itself – i.e., each member having a strong mutual understanding with the team - is far more effective than a team which does not understand each other – i.e., whose members have large hidden, blind, and/or unknown areas Members - and leaders - should strive to increase their open free areas, and to reduce their blind, hidden and unknown areas Seeking feedback about the blind area will reduce the blind area, and will increase the open free area Discovery through sensitive communications, active listening and experience, will reduce the unknown area, transferring in part to the blind, hidden areas, depending on who knows what, or better still if known by the person and others, to the open free area
‘Hidden self' or 'hidden area' or 'avoided self/area' or 'facade' What is known to ourselves but kept hidden from, and therefore unknown, to others Represents information, feelings, etc, anything that a person knows about him/self, but which is not revealed or is kept hidden from others Also include sensitivities, fears, hidden agendas, manipulative intentions, secrets - anything that a person knows but does not reveal Relevant hidden information and feelings, etc, should be moved into the open area through the process of 'self-disclosure' and 'exposure process' Organizational culture and working atmosphere have a major influence on team members' preparedness to disclose their hidden selves The extent to which an individual discloses personal feelings and information, and the issues which are disclosed, and to whom, must always be at the individual's own discretion
‘Unknown self‘, 'area of unknown activity‘, 'unknown area' Information, feelings, latent abilities, aptitudes, experiences etc, that are unknown to the person him/herself and unknown to others in the group Can be prompted through self-discovery or observation by others, or through collective or mutual discovery Counselling can also uncover unknown issues Again as with disclosure and soliciting feedback, the process of self discovery is a sensitive one Uncovering 'hidden talents' - that is unknown aptitudes and skills, not to be confused with developing the Johari 'hidden area' - is another aspect of developing the unknown area, and is not so sensitive as unknown feelings Managers and leaders can create an environment that encourages selfdiscovery, and to promote the processes of self discovery, constructive observation and feedback among team members The unknown area could also include repressed or subconscious feelings rooted in formative events and traumatic past experiences, which can stay unknown for a lifetime
The open free region is large because others know a lot about the person that the person also knows Through disclosure and receiving feedback the open area has expanded and at the same time reduced the sizes of the hidden, blind and unknown areas
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