I can't remember when I was first introduced to the "Four stages of competence" model. Maybe in university? Or my first job, as part of some performance feedback?
At any rate, I've been reflecting on whether there is anything after the top of the pyramid: unconscious competence. Once you reach that stage with any skill, the idea is that you can perform the skill at will and it can be performed while doing something else.
Sounds pretty great.
But just because it can, does that mean it is? Every time? And does that mean that someone who has such skill is able to teach it to others?
I think of the skills that I have that have become so embedded in how I work and in what I do that I don't even think about them. But then, when I'm asked to help coach someone or provide some advice for their own development, I really have to think – basically drop down a level to 'conscious competence' – so that I have some thoughts organised in a way that is useful to someone else.
Doing so can lead to another level, or to a complementary level, that I'd call "Consistent Competence". In this stage, while you don't have to think about the skill when you're performing it yourself because you are unconsciously competent at it, you have the wherewithal and awareness of the skill and how you got there to be able to consistently perform it every time. And, importantly, the ability to teach and coach others.
To get to this level, I think either friends, colleagues, coaches or AI can help by acting as a curious observer. I have found that prompting a person or a tool to ask me questions about how I do what I do, why I do it that way, and what the connection is between my thoughts and my actions can help me unlock my own methods.
From there, I can both look for my own opportunities to consistently deploy that skill, as well as help others understand my process in a way that might be useful. Maybe.
I'm going to do some more exploring of this idea and the methods of observation to see if it helps with my mentoring and coaching of others. Consistently.