Leaders at all levels are respected for their competence, commitment and contribution. Understandably, all these are dynamic characteristics. Leadership is not a one-shot affair: you don’t set a goal, get there and declare you have crossed the finish line. On the contrary, these are moving goals and the finish line, therefore, keeps moving as well. As business challenges change and expand, our need to work on competence, commitment and contribution must keep pace as well.
Our career plateaus when we refuse to recognise the dynamic nature of the three ingredients of progress and success. Professionals must recognise that there are two types of career plateaus.
Position Plateau: Since organisations are pyramidal in nature, at some point there will be a slow down in one’s upward movement in the hierarchy. This is called position plateauing.
Contribution Plateau: On the other hand, there is an equally important second dimension to it known as the contribution plateauing. This can happen at anytime during one’s career whether or not growth opportunities continue to exist in the organisation.
This column focuses on competence chain, the first of the three pillars of success. Knowing about this can help overcome the problem of contribution plateau. Whether it is learning to ride a bicycle or to swim, the competence value chain comes into play. It looks like the following:
In our learning journey, many times we may not be aware of what competence (knowledge, skills or habits) we lack. This is despite the clearly laid down job descriptions. More than knowledge and skill, we often run into behavioural challenges — what behaviours are needed or what needs changing in order for us to be successful. This is where we suffer from the unconscious incompetence.
Unconscious incompetence
This can be overcome by seeking constant feedback from colleagues and bosses. Most recently, 360 degree feedback has helped many leaders to become aware of glaring gaps that they were unaware of. We do not perceive what others may perceive. A simple example could be our poor listening skills. We are surprised when we learn from feedback that we are not good listeners.
Conscious incompetence
When we recognise and come to terms with what is needed and what we lack, we are moving to the next stage of the competence chain: conscious incompetence.
At this stage, we have the possibility of using our awareness to take decisive actions. Some actions may be easy and we can handle this without help from others. However, some competencies or behaviour changes may require expert help, says an executive coach. But the key is realising that change is needed and deciding to make that change happen.
Conscious competence
Once we have chosen to act and start our learning or un-learning (if it is a behaviour change or correction), we need to practice the change to make it lasting and stable. It cannot be a typical New Year resolution that begins with enthusiasm and fades away within a few days. It settles down as competence only when the new skill or behaviour is sustained. When the newly acquired behaviour or skill becomes a strength, it represents the third stage: conscious competence. Over time, as we consistently practice this skill or behaviour in all situations, it tends to become a second nature or habit.
Unconscious competence
When learning to drive, the fourth stage of maturity is seen in terms of reflex actions that help the driver do a good job of driving. This stage is rightly described as unconscious competence.
Moving from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence is time-consuming and takes is a lot of hard work. Unconscious competence is all about practising until we cannot get the skill or behaviour wrong and that is why it is both time-consuming and precious.
In my leadership workshops, I often clarify what a good practice means. Great athletes and sportspersons understand this well. Simply stated: practice not until you get it right, but until you cannot get it wrong! And, there is a world of difference between the two.
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