How is Competence Developed?

In today’s busy world everyone wants to become an instant success; not realizing that success isn’t an instant coffee, ready in 2 mins 🙂 During my training sessions many participants have been asking me the very same question ‘How to become competent at workplace?’

So to understand how one can become competent, I would like to share a model with you. This model was developed at Gordon Training International by its employee Noel Burch in the 1970s.  It talks about 4 steps in which one becomes competent:

1. Unconscious Incompetence
   
2. Conscious Incompetence
   
3. Conscious Competence
   
4. Unconscious Competence
   

So how does it work? Let’s try to understand this with the help of a simple example, instantly 🙂

Let’s assume that Mr Sam is a sales professional who is good at his work, so how did he become good at it? The process of becoming competent begins with incompetence, remember that!

Unconscious Incompetence -Stage 1:
When Sam started his career in sales, he thought he knew everything about it, since he had studied sales in college. However, his belief didn’t last long and soon reality struck him. He was not achieving his targets and didn’t know the reason either. He still believed that he is the best, and knows everything about sales but something was not working (Unaware of his incompetence).

Conscious Incompetence – Stage 2:
He discusses this problem with one of his gurus, who helps him understand the root cause of the problem, his incompetence in sales. This was a shock to Sam because for the first time he realized how little he knew about sales. His morale went down and he started thinking if he even has what it takes to be in sales?

Conscious Competence -Stage 3:
Sam’s guru guides him throughout the process and asks him to work upon certain areas (some of which Sam doesn’t even like) . Sam starts striving on his areas of improvement and with the passage of time his performance starts improving, he starts meeting his sales targets, customers are happy with his services, company is making profit, his confidence is sky-high and now he knows that he has what it takes to be in sales.

Unconscious Competence -Stage 4:
Time flies and with it Sam’s knowledge of sales further increases and now he is considered as one of the most acknowledged sales gurus himself. The person who once had doubts about his own skills is now the champ of the trade. He now guides other sales professionals on how to become best at sales, and when someone asks him how does he do it, he simply says ‘It’s common sense, I believe’ 🙂

Sam has reached a point where he is competent at what he does, without even consciously striving for it. This is the stage where he is unconsciously competent.

What happens in each stage?

It’s important to remember what happens in each stage of this process and one must not stop the process until it is complete:

Stage-1: You would believe that you know everything, and don’t need any guidance or help. DON’T believe that you know everything. Socrates once said “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”

Stage-2: Once you realize the fact that you lack competence, chances are that your morale will go down drastically, you might even feel depressed, however that is normal. DON’T stop the process here and think about improving yourself, even if it requires taking baby steps towards your goal.

Stage -3: Now you are striving to achieve your goal and your morale is also high. Keep on improving yourself, and DON’T assume/believe that you know everything; else you will again reach stage-1

Stage -4:
Once you become Unconsciously Competent, make sure you keep your eyes and mind open, for this very stage may turn into Unconscious Incompetence, if you stop sharpening your saw.