Competencies
Competencies
There are four types of competencies - also described as stages of learning.
1. Unconscious incompetency - you don’t know what you don’t know
2. Conscious incompetency - you are aware that you don’t know and can recognize you have a lot to learn.
3. Conscious competency - you are aware and you know how to do it and the level of effort that is needed to remain good at it. If needed, you know what questions to ask
4. Unconscious competency - you are aware and it is rote, second nature. You know what to do, how to do it, and you can do it in your sleep. *this is the highest form of competence*
These stages of competence is what defines us as professionals and recognizing each stage is key to growing as an individual and a leader. Let’s break each one into better examples.
Unconscious incompetence - this is not derogatory, just a simple fact. You really do not know what you do not know. There are functions and actions taking place outside your worldview that you have never been exposed to, and if you were exposed to you it would be a significant mental and physical paradigm shift. Like the first time you are introduced to a new psychology topic - and you are a math major. Or you are introduced to the actual reason, purpose and practice of empathy. Maybe you are looking to learn how to produce your own music, thinking, ahh, this will be easy.
Conscious competence - the light bulb has turned on, albeit dimly. You are aware that it really is hard to do, but now you have an idea what sort of questions you need to ask. You are learning how to ask the right questions. You are using those questions to build a mental structure to determine what it takes to learn about the task and how to be good at something. This is a tough thing to accept. You are now aware that you are dumb. You also now have to accept the fact that you are dumb. HOWEVER, you now have an understanding of where you are in the world and what level of effort is needed to become an expert. Sure, I know what Photoshop is and what it is for but I surely didn’t realize that there were so many functions and commands you could use to create such stunning images.
Conscious competence - you are capable and can do the work needed to be reasonably successful in your actions. Not quite an expert, but you are certainly functional in your role and skills to be good at your job. You can begin to show others how to do the work, and you are also seeking out the experts on how to do it. This is where programs like Seth Godin’s altMBA become necessary. These help you become conscious and competent in a compressed schedule with lots of effort because you have surrounded yourself with experts and you are open and willing to receive feedback and how to make changes in your future self.
Unconscious competence - You can do it in your sleep. Have you ever found yourself at work and realized you were completely unaware of the steps that it took you to get there? You were unconsciously moving about your morning, showering, dressing, eating breakfast and driving to work while your mind was absorbing the previous day’s challenges, or working on future challenges that only you could see? You have mastered the skills that took you through those actions. You are now capable of doing actions that someone in the first stage of competence sees as magical. It now takes you little mental effort to perform actions that everyone else struggles with.
These stages of competence is what defines us as professionals and recognizing each stage is key to growing as an individual and a leader. Let’s break each one into better examples.
Unconscious incompetence - this is not derogatory, just a simple fact. You really do not know what you do not know. There are functions and actions taking place outside your worldview that you have never been exposed to, and if you were exposed to you it would be a significant mental and physical paradigm shift. Like the first time you are introduced to a new psychology topic - and you are a math major. Or you are introduced to the actual reason, purpose and practice of empathy. Maybe you are looking to learn how to produce your own music, thinking, ahh, this will be easy.
Conscious competence - the light bulb has turned on, albeit dimly. You are aware that it really is hard to do, but now you have an idea what sort of questions you need to ask. You are learning how to ask the right questions. You are using those questions to build a mental structure to determine what it takes to learn about the task and how to be good at something. This is a tough thing to accept. You are now aware that you are dumb. You also now have to accept the fact that you are dumb. HOWEVER, you now have an understanding of where you are in the world and what level of effort is needed to become an expert. Sure, I know what Photoshop is and what it is for but I surely didn’t realize that there were so many functions and commands you could use to create such stunning images.
Conscious competence - you are capable and can do the work needed to be reasonably successful in your actions. Not quite an expert, but you are certainly functional in your role and skills to be good at your job. You can begin to show others how to do the work, and you are also seeking out the experts on how to do it. This is where programs like Seth Godin’s altMBA become necessary. These help you become conscious and competent in a compressed schedule with lots of effort because you have surrounded yourself with experts and you are open and willing to receive feedback and how to make changes in your future self.
Unconscious competence - You can do it in your sleep. Have you ever found yourself at work and realized you were completely unaware of the steps that it took you to get there? You were unconsciously moving about your morning, showering, dressing, eating breakfast and driving to work while your mind was absorbing the previous day’s challenges, or working on future challenges that only you could see? You have mastered the skills that took you through those actions. You are now capable of doing actions that someone in the first stage of competence sees as magical. It now takes you little mental effort to perform actions that everyone else struggles with.
Comments
Post a Comment