An important element of Partnering Intelligence is the ability to express one’s needs. In this section I present two tools that can help you increase your skill in this area: the JoHari Window and the Self-Disclosure Checklist. Both tools are easy to use and will give you insight into your ability to self-disclose.
The JoHari Window demonstrates the limits of our self-understanding. The developers of this concept, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, each contributed part of his first name to the model— thus the name JoHari. Understanding how others see you and listening to what they have to say about you can confirm—or change—how you view yourself.
Each of us has an Arena—an open area where we already share and learn from each other. You may know a lot about your partner because you work in the same office or live in the same house. The more you share, the closer you become. The most productive relationships occur when the arena is large and there’s a balance between receiving feedback and self-disclosing. The arena should be large because it encompasses a large amount of information that is common to both of you. This will increase your opportunity to create synergy.
