How does storytelling based on concept of Johari window helps in communicating at workplace

To enhance communication at workplace, encourage your team to share personal stories, as stories are the fastest way to know about the people you work with. Their stories tell a lot about their struggles, their dreams, their achievements and failures. The Johari window model helps to gain insights on the dreams and aspirations, the fears and frustrations and especially the Blind spots of the team.

How the relation between Storytelling, Communication and Johari window model is used at workplace?

All great leaders are great storytellers and to be a great storyteller one need to be an aggressive listener, and to be a great listener one needs to be a keen observer too! As a leader observe your team, notice them and encourage them to open up, share their personal stories as they are the window to know about your team in detail. This method in fact is also a great tool for providing constructive and specific feedback to the team.

The known area – This is the basic foundation, as a leader you know what your team expects and vice versa. Basically, you both know what are the expectations related to work, attitude and behavior based on an organization’s culture.

Hidden (Stories) – Information that is known to your team about themselves but not to you. As the team members open up and share personal stories, stories about their success or their failures. This is what you as a leader don’t know about your team but they know about themselves, their dreams, their fears and their challenges. And that is where being a great listener as a leader will help you. Stories are the fastest way to know about people around you, so encourage your team to share their stories. This is the area which will lead you towards gaining a visibility to know the blind spots of your team.

Blind spot – What all you observe in their stories will lead you towards their blind spots, as they open up, share their stories and connect emotionally, they address their fears and share their dreams and goals. The visibility and information you get here as a leader will support you build a bridge of trust and an open relationship. The person will be unaware till he discovers his hidden qualities and capabilities or through observation of others and, when you help your team to work on their blind spots that would be the magical moment and your contribution in their growth as a leader.

The Unknown – The Information which one is unaware and also others are not aware about them. Open communication is also an effective way to decrease the unknown area and thus to communicate effectively.

Published by Monika Tandon