Level One—The Unconscious Incompetent

At this first level, the trainee is ineffective and unaware. I also refer to this level as the “blissfully ignorant stage.” Often on the first day of training, a lot of trainees actually start at this level. The good news is that if you are at this stage right now, you would not even know about it. For example, all of us have known someone who got on everyone's nerves in the office and had absolutely no idea those around him or her felt this way.

One of the problems with individuals at this first level is that these people generally do not seek training as a solution. Why would you want to learn to do something you feel you already know how to do well? Presenters who see individuals at this stage have to be careful that they begin to move these people slowly to the next stage. It is difficult to accept suggestions about something you currently feel good about.

Some jobs have built-in safeguards that keep people from staying in this stage too long. In selling, you can convince yourself how well you are doing for only so long. When the commission checks are cut, reality often sets in. Presenters can operate at the Unconscious Incompetent stage also. A presenter at this first stage usually is difficult to work with. One reason I say this is the nature of a presenter's work. It is not a position where individuals who are unsure of themselves survive long. Also, presenters at this level have absolutely no idea there is even the hint of a problem. All I can say is thank goodness for evaluation forms!

Level Two—The Conscious Incompetent

At this level, things begin to get a little more interesting. The trainee is still ineffective; however, he or she is now aware of these deficiencies. If you have ever attended a training course, listened to the presenter, and thought to yourself, “Hey, I do that! I didn't know that was wrong,” you were passing from the Unconscious Incompetent level to the Conscious Incompetent level.

If there is a problem with individuals at this level, it might be that sometimes there is resistance to moving on. Some people even revel in being consciously incompetent. Have you ever known individuals who seem to take pride in informing you that they do not do a particular task very well? There is no mention of wanting to improve, just the fact that they do not do this task particularly well. Many times, these individuals have preached about their ineffectiveness for so long and the impossibility of ever fixing it, their myth becomes a reality. They proudly remain consciously incompetent forever.

Fortunately, that problem is much more the exception to the rule than the norm. Training is typically created with the Conscious Incompetent in mind. Once individuals come in touch with their own deficiencies, they are much more receptive to the idea of training.

Many presenters whom I work with when I teach a Train-the-Trainer course start out with me at this stage. This is because we do not live in a perfect world, and the majority of new presenters are forced to conduct seminars before they have ever been taught anything about how to teach. It is often a case of product or curriculum knowledge without any training skills. This is another one of many reasons why I refer to the realities of training as being an under-fire position. After presenters take their lumps a few times in front of an audience, they are usually very much in touch with some of their incompetent areas. Practice, preparation, and confidence instilled by the presenter who is working with these individuals usually help a great deal to move them to the next level. If a participant is open to change, this level should not be visited for long.

Level Three—The Conscious Competent

Level Three indicates that an individual is both effective and aware of exactly what it is that is making him or her effective. There are a couple of different schools of thought as to whether this is the optimum level of performance. Remember, not only are you effective, you are keenly aware of everything you are doing to make you effective. Sounds about perfect…almost.

There is one issue that must be discussed when dealing with the Conscious Competent. Just how conscious do you really want to be when you are performing a given task? Think back on the last time you attended training and learned a new skill. When you left that training, you were the picture of conscious competency. You did not make a move without checking that manual or going through a given checklist. You were probably able to methodically produce what you were taught, step by step. No steps missed by you, no, sir. You were a machine! That, unfortunately, is where the weakness is on this level. One of the frustrations often experienced by new trainees is that while they feel good about the process they have just learned, they want to know when they will be able to implement it without using their notes or sounding like an encyclopedia. I have often felt that this level should be renamed the Mechanical Competent.

There is certainly nothing wrong with attempting to be effective and aware of what makes you that way. This is the Conscious Competent. When just starting out, or learning new curriculum, most presenters prefer to teach a couple of seminars before being observed. The reason for this is that by practicing and rehearsing, they are often attempting to push through Level Three and move to the next level.

Level Four—The Unconscious Competent

At this fourth and final level, people are effective but no longer aware of certain things they are doing right. They are quite simply producing the expected results without having to think about what they are doing to achieve these results. The mechanical part of what they have learned to do has given way to a more natural, relaxed ability.

The Unconscious Competent level does not necessarily mean we have achieved utopia. Some trainees actually arrive at training with many Unconscious Competent abilities. Have you ever attended a seminar and thought to yourself as the presenter was going over a new concept, “Hey, I do that. I didn't know you were supposed to. I must be pretty good!” This happens to be another basic reason for training, particularly in areas that involve subjective training.

Many trainees will show up ready to learn how to learn a new trade because they showed certain abilities as they were growing up. Someone probably patted them on the back and said, “You ought to be a ____ [fill in the blank], you are so good at ____ [fill in the blank].” When you hear this enough times, it does a couple of things. First, it instills a confidence that assists you in doing whatever the task is, and, second, these comments are probably a tip-off that you are showing some instinctive abilities in that area. Sometimes these trainees are referred to as “naturals.” In sports, they are the natural athletes.

Natural Unconscious Competents would seem to have it made if it were not for one problem. Without ever being consciously aware of what it is they are doing correctly, they fall prey to second-guessing themselves when things do not go well. It is rare to find anyone whose position does not leave them susceptible to a slump of some kind. In selling, sales may drop off from time to time. In training, maybe a few extra-negative evaluations are received. We are all subject to ups and downs within our given occupations. A natural Unconscious Competent who has no idea what is causing the slump he or she is experiencing is often left second-guessing everything he or she is doing and ends up attempting to fix the wrong problems. It is certainly understandable to witness a panic when faced with poor performance he or she cannot explain. This is one of the reasons that even trainees who are performing at an optimum level should receive training up through conscious competency to teach them what it is they are doing right. Perhaps now, not only will they be better prepared in the event of a downturn in performance, but they will be better in touch with what it is they are doing right and maximize this strength. This may also be why historically, in the world of sports, natural athletes make poor coaches. To me, it is not much of a mystery at all.

Take the career of a natural baseball player as an example. Since he was a boy, he had a natural ability to play baseball. Some say that hitting a Major League baseball is one of the most difficult tasks to master, but to him, it was a piece of cake. The sport came easily to him from Little League on up. Ask him about the science of hitting a baseball, and he will tell you, “Swing and it will go.” That is an unconscious competent. Years later, this baseball player retires and decides to take a crack at coaching.

A slumping hitter looks through the batting cage out at the new coach and asks, “Any tips, Coach?”

“Yeah,” the coach replies. “Swing and it will go!”

Not much of a lesson. It is not surprising who typically make the finest coaches. It is usually the player who had a mediocre career at best. Oh, this player quite often played in the big leagues…for a week or two. Usually most of his or her career was spent struggling to make it. These players were not blessed with natural ability. Any success they experienced was due to kicking, biting, clawing, and bleeding to bring out every ounce of talent they possessed. They trained themselves to be Conscious Competents.

Ask this second new coach how to hit a baseball and he will tell you, “Get your bat back, keep your eye on the ball, and shift your weight,” among other things. He has made a science out of hitting a baseball from struggling with his own limitations. Typically, being more in touch with his own abilities allows him to be better able to communicate these ideas to others. While there are exceptions to this rule, one point is clear: Learning what it is you do well and do not do well can only improve the natural abilities you possess.

The Four Levels of Behavior in Action

Now let's look at another example that will illustrate all four levels in action. The game of golf immediately comes to mind. After breaking my hand in two places a couple of years ago playing basketball, I decided to take up a safer, less physical sport, the game of golf. I chose golf for one other reason. After watching various golf tournaments on television, I was convinced that the game would be easy and fun. Now, that is what I call an Unconscious Incompetent. I had absolutely no idea how misguided I was. A friend of mine suggested I might want to take a few lessons, or at least hit a bucket of balls on a driving range, but I would have none of it. Until I stepped out on the golf course, I was totally unaware just how ineffective I was going to be.

I approached the first tee calmly and ready for action. There was a crowd of golfers building behind us as we waited our turn. Little did I know this would be the last time I approached the first tee without butterflies in my stomach. I believe it was the third time that I swung and missed the teed-up ball that I began to move to Level Two, the Conscious Incompetent. It became quite clear to me that I was not the natural I had thought I was going to be. All of a sudden, lessons did not sound like such a bad idea.

After what seemed like the three days it took me to finish that first humiliating round of golf, I signed up for a series of lessons. I was given the 500 or so necessary tips required to play the game at a beginner's level, and began to practice. As with most other people who are moving toward conscious competency, I began to experience the excitement of some improvement. I was ready to take my show on the road and try my golf game out on a real course again. This time I would show the waiting gallery! When it was my turn, I began to methodically go through the lessons I had learned. I fell into my hypnotic golf trance and began to mumble my instructions:

1. Left arm straight. Eyes on the ball. Keep your head still.
2. Let the club do the work. Slow back swing.
3. Turn your hands over.
4. Point your left shoulder toward the target. Turn like you're turning in a barrel.

It was right about here that I heard someone in the gallery shout, “Oh my goodness, he just took lessons!” A groan escaped from many of those around that golfer. It sounded as if a few of the groans came from my own foursome as I continued. I am not sure if this second round actually moved any faster than my first, but I did show improvement. Unfortunately, because I was so mechanical and slow, it was not the most enjoyable experience I ever had. I, like most new golfers, had settled into Level Three, the Conscious Competent. It was nice becoming a student of the game and learning what I was doing right and wrong. The only problem was that I was driving all those around me crazy. I was determined to stick with it, however, so I kept playing.

Gradually, the more I played, the smoother my swing became, and my game began to speed up. I remembered my golf pro telling me that if I kept at it, I would achieve what he called “muscle memory.” I call it Level Four, the Unconscious Competent. At this level, I finally could swing a club fairly effectively and not have to repeat my massive collection of directions. Achieving unconscious competency is a goal most trainees have when they are learning a new skill or process. To achieve this level requires patience by the trainee and encouragement by the presenter.

The Next Level

Much has been written about the four levels of behavior, and all the discussions lead us to believe that the process stops at Level Four, Unconscious Competent. No argument from me that Level Four is our ultimate goal; however, I do disagree that the process stops here. It is unrealistic to assume we simply stop at Level Four and remain there. I would instead refer to these levels of behavior as more of a cycle. What would you guess the next level would be for most of us after Level Four? You are right if you said Level One, Unconscious Incompetent.

If there is a problem with unconscious competency, it is that you are susceptible to complacency. Remember, you are now performing effectively, and you do not even have to think about what you are doing to achieve these results. Think back and recall the first customer you ever worked with. You were probably the model of conscious competency. As a matter of fact, after you recovered from the shock of actually making a sale, you most likely brushed back a tear and in a choked-up voice assured the customer you would be there to make sure all that you promised would happen. Make no mistake about it either, you were there! After a few more of these experiences, you settled nicely into your unconscious competency role of providing good, solid service.

Now let's move forward about 50 customers. Did you give them the same level of service you gave the first person? I doubt it. You actually slipped into Level One, Unconscious Incompetent. After a couple of signals (or complaints), you became Consciously Incompetent, took steps to fix this problem, brushing through Conscious Competent, and resumed your role as an Unconscious Competent. These behaviors are in no way stagnant as the cycle repeats itself over and over again in everything you do.

Summary

Four simple stages that we all go through at our own rate of speed. I've always liked to go over these stages with the audiences I work with because it provides a subtle reminder that no matter at what level audience members might be, the program they are about to go through will be relevant to them…and that goes for you, the reader, as well! From new hire to grizzled vet, this model puts everything in perspective.