By looking at Johari Window, it is easy to see that you should aim to expand the open area. The more you know about yourself and the more others know about you, the better.

For example, consider a team member who is well established. This team member has a large ‘open’ area since people know him well. He will have a smaller ‘unknown’, ‘hidden’ and ‘blind spot’ areas.

Now consider a member who has just joined the team. She may have a large hidden area. She is not known to the group. She may also have a large unknown area as she may not know what she can be good at. This is typical of younger members who are still exploring the realm of possibilities.

Johari window shows you which areas to expand on and in which direction. For example, if you discover that you have a large blind spot, then you can reduce this by solicitation and feedback from others and see yourself from their point of view. They might think you are good at something, while you are not thinking of it the same way as them. By expanding your knowledge about yourself, you can expand your ‘open’ area so that you and others know more about you. This will improve your communication with them since now they understand you better.