In today’s workplace, competence is key to personal and professional growth. BUT it’s not all one-dimensional. Let’s break it down, shall we?

1. Unconscious Incompetence
   You don’t know what you don’t know.
   For eg: Starting a new job and being unaware of specific skills or knowledge gaps.
   Key to Growth: Seek feedback, be open to learning, and recognize areas for development.
2. Conscious Incompetence
   You know what you don’t know.
   For instance, realizing you need to improve your presentation skills after a challenging meeting.
   Key to Growth: Embrace training opportunities, practice, and be patient with your progress.
3. Conscious Competence
   You know what you know and can apply it with effort.
   For eg., successfully completing a project using newly learned software, but needing to concentrate on each step.
   Key to Growth: Consistent practice, seek feedback, and aim to perform tasks with greater ease.
4. Unconscious Competence
   Skills become second nature, performed effortlessly.
   For instance, an experienced driver who navigates traffic without conscious thought. Or a surgeon, going through a surgical procedure making the perfect incision without thinking about it.
   Key to Growth: Mentor others, continue to refine your skills, and stay updated with industry trends.

Each stage is a stepping stone towards mastery. Recognizing where you stand can help you focus on the right strategies to advance your competence.

Important to note here is the fact that the climbing through these stages will always be sequential. You can’t go directly from stage 1 to stage 3. You have to graduate to stage two and then climb from there.

How are you working on moving from one stage to the next in your career? Share your journey and tips in the comments below!