I like to keep my skills in business management and development up.  It is one of the things that help me keep my business going and hopefully growing.    For 20 years I have been riding the entrepreneur rollercoaster and I have to say that the tools available today for business owners are much better than they were in the early 90’s.  Back then you had the SBA, chamber of commerce,  and if your bank was progressive they hosted a few classes.   Today there are many entrepreneurial groups popping up; from business associations, networking groups adding depth to their meetings, women in business associations, etc.   

My most recent membership has gone to the Entrepreneurs Organization Accelerator Program where I get quarterly training from other entrepreneurs who have created and maintain successful businesses.  Even my first couple of meeting has benefitted me and my staff at Coventry.   One of the things that has stayed with me is the first quick exercise the presenter took us through; “What is your Blind Spot?”

Just the title itself spoke to me.  I thought to myself “I am a spiritual healer, teacher, product maker; I should have evolved past having a blind spot.”  That’s when reality stepped in and smacked the back of my head and said, “Right here is your blind spot so start listening!”    

The Johari Window is a model for developing self awareness, interpersonal relationships, group dynamics and team development.   The 4 squares that make up the larger square are “windows” into our world.

1 -  The top left is our Open window, it’s what we know about each other.  It is what we allow each other to see about ourselves and it contains the masks or hats we have to don for our different roles in life.

2 – The top right is our Blind Window – that is what other people know about us that we don’t.  Yes, there are people who know you better than you do.  The reactions you deny having to the beauty you can’t see. 

3 – The bottom left is our Hidden Window.   This is what we hide from the world or what the world doesn’t know about us.   The world doesn’t know our back story, or what our fears are or even what we are proud of. 

4 – The bottom right is the Unknown Potential Window. These are the aspects of self that are unknown to the person or the group and you may not know you have this potential until another window bleeds over to this one, making it now known to you.

There are many courses on the Johari Window; they talk about how to gain access to one window or another you need to either talk or listen.  What intrigued me the most was the Blind Window – what do people know about me that I don’t?    Ask anyone – “what’s your blind spot?” -  they won’t know, because if they did, they wouldn’t be blind spots!

The key to accessing your blind spots it to listen.  Listen to what people are saying to you; listen to what you are saying. Listen to the complements and be open to hearing the criticism.  This is where you learn about you and your business and how other people see and value you.   When you can see into these blind spots then you can see into the unknown potential you have.   When you open to the bad and the good that others see in you it can be measured against what you keep hidden from the word and voila, you are unlocking more unknown potential and exceeding your original estimation of your greatness.

This all adds up to: It’s time to reach further outside you current perspective and learn more about how to work within both your financial and spiritual worlds.  The business and the spiritual world are coming closer and closer together giving us these great tools to begin balancing our complex lives and letting out businesses feel us; body and soul.

Keep learning and keep pushing past your comfort zone – you may just surprise yourself. 

Jacki Smith

President, CEO and Enchantress

Coventry Creations

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