There are various tools to aid people in understanding how they communicate and how their interpersonal communication affects other people and their very own relationships.

The Johari window is one such tool that was created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham way back in 1955. It originated from these two Americans who essentially helped people define who they are as a person. This was first used in  self-help groups as well as corporate settings as a heuristic assignment.

The exercise is done by providing the test subject a list of 55 adjectives wherein he or she will pick five or six from. These five or six words are chosen in the very beginning by the subject as a way of being able to describe his personality as he knows it. These adjectives are then consequently mapped onto a grid.

The adjectives that are selected by the subject and his peers are listed down in the "Arena" quadrant. This particular quadrant represents various traits of the participants of which both him and his peers are aware.

Those adjectives that were selected only by the participant but not by any of his peers are subsequently placed into the Façade quadrant which is the grid quadrant that represents information about the subject of which their peers are unaware. It will always be up to the participant whether or not to disclose this information.

Thos adjectives that are not selected by the subject but only by their peers are then placed in the "Blind Spot" quadrant. These adjectives are representative of the traits that the participant is not aware but others are. They will be able to make a decision among themselves whether to inform the subject about these areas or not. Should the subject's peers as well as how to inform the individual about these "blind spots."

Those adjectives which were not selected by either of the participants or their peers are relegated to the "Unknown" quadrant. This is the area that were not recognized by anyone at all maybe because they simply do not apply to the participant or because there is a collective ignorance of all parties of those particular traits.

A Johari window is a very good way to find out how a person relates to others and how others perceive that same person. It would be a very good tool to be able to find out what you need to improve on as a person and what positive things you need to keep on doing.