The Four Stages of Competence

[This post was edited for clarity and readability on 09/28/2025.]

Please indulge me as I start this post with a not-so-humble brag. Today, I received my Erickson Solution-Focused Coach Diploma! Since starting the my program 14 months ago, I completed 140 hours of training and over 100 hours of coaching, and successfully passed the final oral assessment. It’s been quite a journey and a nice illustration of the Four Stages of Competence learning model, my topic for today.

When learning a new skill or trying something for the first time, like riding a bike or purchasing your first home, it's helpful to understand your current stage in the learning process. This awareness helps you identify what to focus on. Feeling overwhelmed and needing to exert more effort initally is normal, but it won’t last forever. Recognizing this as a typical part of the journey can help prevent discouragement. Plus, who doesn’t love a model that fits into a 2x2 matrix?

The Four Stages of Competence model has been around since  at least 1969, documented as the “four levels of teaching” by Martin M. Broadwell, and describes the progression of psychological states that most learners go through while developing competence in a skill. 

Unconscious Incompetence

You don’t know what you don’t know

Many individuals begin at this initial stage, where they are unaware of their shortcomings and may not understand the importance of the skill. They make mistakes but might not know it. The hallmark of the Unconscious Incompetence stage is developing awareness.

This was me when I was selecting a coaching certification program from a spreadsheet of recommendations compiled by co-workers. I was eager to learn, and had some knowledge of what coaching was based on my experience as a mentor and a coachee, but I had no idea what skills and knowledge I would need to become a successful coach.

Conscious Incompetence

What have I gotten myself into?!

As your awareness grows, you begin to realize just how little you know and how much there is still to learn. During this stage, you might experience information overload and feel as if you're backtracking as you become more aware of your mistakes, but you also understand why the new skill is valuable. 

At the beginning of my training program, I dedicated several hours each weekend to doing the homework for each module. This involved watching lecture and coaching demonstration videos, taking quizzes, and sharing my thoughts on the discussion forum. Every week introduced numerous new concepts, making me wonder how I would ever manage to remember them while simultaneously listening to a coaching client and considering the next question to ask.

Conscious Competence

I can do it but it takes a lot of effort and concentration

With ongoing practice, things start to click and you develop some proficiency. Still, performing the skills takes a good deal of conscious effort.

In class, we practiced in triads consisting of a coach, a client, and an observer. I relied heavily on the course manual and handouts to guiding the client through the coaching framework we had learned, step-by-step. The long silences felt awkward, and I occasionally stumbled. In addition, I relied on list of coaching questions I had compiled in a spreadsheet to help me when I was stuck.

Unconscious Competence

Automatic and effortless

In this final phase, you've reached a high level of proficiency and the skill has become second nature. You no longer need to try so hard because it is now intuitive. You have a deep understanding of the skill and may even be capable of teaching it to others.

After hours and hours of practicing coaching with dozens of clients, I no longer leaned on my handouts and spreadsheets like a crutch. I learned how to make coaching sessions flow more naturally; I could relax and be fully present.

The next time you embark on learning a new skill, remember that there is a natural progression involved. If you feel frustrated or discouraged, consider your current learning stage. Remember that every expert started as a beginner, and early struggles are normal, so keep at it, embracing the learning curve. If you're teaching or assisting someone with learning, provide encouraging, simple feedback in the earlier stages, highlighting small successes to help them feel comfortable with the initial challenges and boost their confidence. As the learners advance, you can gradually introduce more complex concepts.