How to Help Your People Become Unconsciously Competent
We all want our people to do good, competent work. We also want them to work quickly, without having to think extensively each time about what it is that they’re doing. In other words, we want them to develop to a level of unconscious competence.
Researchers have identified four stages that people progress through as they develop their skills in various areas. Initially (stage 1,) individuals are unaware of how little they know about their knowledge or skill deficits. They are unconscious of the scope of their incompetence and are consequently unlikely to take meaningful action to increase their capacity.
As they begin to recognize their incompetence (stage 2,) they consciously acquire a skill, then intentionally use it (stage 3.) Eventually (stage 4,) the skill can be utilized without it being consciously considered. The individual at this point is said to have then acquired unconscious competence.
Let’s look at each of the four stages more carefully.
Unconscious incompetence – In this first stage, the individual does not understand or know how to do something. Nor do they necessarily recognize the deficit; they may deny the usefulness of the skill altogether. To grow from this first stage, the individual must recognize their own incompetence, and the value of the new skill. The length of time an individual spends in this stage depends on the strength of the stimulus to learn and change the current reality.
Conscious incompetence – Now that the individual recognizes the deficit, as well as the value of learning a new skill in addressing the deficit, we can say that he/she has moved to stage 2, even though no additional understanding or knowledge has been achieved. Through much effort, and with inevitable mistakes along the way, learning begins to occur which will propel the individual to the next stage.
Conscious competence – By now, the individual has developed basic competency in the new knowledge or skill. However, demonstrating such awareness and capacity requires purposeful concentration. It may need to be broken down into steps for the new skill to be effectively executed.
Unconscious competence – Finally, the individual has had so much practice with a skill that it has become “second nature.” It can be performed quickly and easily, without much thought. As a result, the skill can be performed while executing another task. The individual may be able to teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned.
A common example of these four stages is learning to drive a vehicle. At first (stage 1 – unconscious incompetence,) the aspiring driver does not even realize how much he doesn’t know. He just thinks that driving is a simple, straightforward task. After coming to the realization that driving requires learning and skills development (stage 2 – conscious incompetence,) he begins to take lessons and learn more about the driving process.
After some study and practice (stage 3 – conscious competence,) the driver has developed the requisite skills. Still, he is mechanical in his approach and may need to use a checklist (real or mental) to ensure that no steps were missed. Finally (stage 4 – unconscious competence,) the driver is so skilled that he can engage in “multi-tasking,” such as conversing comfortably with others. His posture, demeanor, and tone of voice all speak to a more relaxed driver.
This same process applies to the workplace. When people are asked to utilize new tools or processes, assume that many will go through the 4-stage process before becoming comfortable and proficient. Give them the tools that they need and create an environment that allows them to move through the stages without feeling fundamentally deficient. Leaders greatly influence company and team culture. Those who build in the expectation that learning is an ongoing and critical element of staying current (if not ahead) at work and also supply their people with the necessary tools to grow, will keep the focus on moving people to new stages of growth and productivity.