Competence Hierarchy

• Can perform a skill reliably at will with focused attention.

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Aware of the existence and relevance of the skill.

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Need to concentrate and think in order to perform the skill

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Can perform the skill without assistance

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Cannot reliably perform the skill unless thinking about it - the skill is not yet 'second nature' or 'automatic'

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Should be able to demonstrate the skill to another, but is unlikely to be able to teach it well to another person

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Should ideally continue to practice the new skill

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Practice is the single most effective way to move from here to the next stage

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Aware of their deficiency in this area, ideally by attempting or trying to use the skill

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Realizes that by improving their skill or ability in this area, their effectiveness will improve

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence