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Like most advisors, you already have a relationship with an accountant – an excellent COI. But is the relationship as active as it could be? Probably not. If you're like most advisors, you probably assume your COI instinctively knows when to refer business to you. This is not always the case. You may also assume that you are their exclusive referral source. Also, not always the case.
In speaking with advisors recently, I've had several requests about conducting a meeting when a client brings an accountant or other professional to "help" with certain decisions. I almost always introduce the Johari Window.
Introducing the Johari Window
Named after its inventors, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, in 1955, the Johari Window describes the relationships of known and unknown information between two people. The four-paned "window" as shown below, divides personal awareness into four types: open, unknown, blind, and hidden. The Johari Window is primarily used to maximize the outcome of a meeting, a negotiation, a relationship, or other interpersonal scenarios.
Open (quadrant 1)
The open quadrant represents information. mutually known between yourself and the COI.
Blind (quadrant 2)
The blind quadrant represents the information you do not know, but the COI does. It would be best if you discovered what this is.
Hidden (quadrant 3)
This quadrant represents the information you know that the COI doesn't. Sometimes, it's essential to disclose this information slowly, if at all.
Unknown (quadrant 4)
The unknown quadrant represents mutually unknown information. This area of the Johari window naturally gets smaller as the relationship between you and the COI progresses.
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