Real Life Learning Model Explained

The Real Life Learning Model illustrates how we process information and go through the practical learning process.  In summary, when we are exposed to a new idea, we start at a state of Unconscious Incompetence until we become aware of the new idea.  Once we know about the new idea, we move to a state of Conscious Incompetence.  With practice we move through Awkward Performance, producing Conscious Competence and more Practice which leads to Unconscious Competence and eventual Mastery.  We will look at each step in more detail, the behaviours associated with them and what this means to the Potential To Perform.

Step 1. Unconscious Incompetence and Dawning Awareness

• At this point we may not know there is another way of doing something and may not care.
• In a lot of situations, the current environment a person is living / working in, may limit their exposure to new ideas or alternate ways of doing things.
• In a business setting, the dawning awareness of a different way of doing something may come as a result of problem solving, contact with people of different backgrounds, etc.
• Depending on the circumstances under which the new idea is contacted, it may not be readily accepted for a number of unrelated reasons. (resistance to awareness)
• Resistance to this dawning awareness may be impacted by the perceived consequences of acknowledging not having the "right" answer already.
• Once the "light is turned on" to the new idea, there is no turning back. There may be resistance to accepting the idea or there may be an attempt to ignore it, but we cannot "unknow" something. (As the saying goes "You cannot unring a bell").  At this point, it is more a matter of deciding whether to act on the new awareness.

Potential to Perform:

At the point of unconscious incompetence, a person would be considered to be unable to perform and possibly insecure or unwilling to try.  As dawning awareness takes over, if the situation is approached right by the coach, the person would become more willing to take a look at the option although still unable to perform.

Step 2. Conscious Incompetence and Awkwardness:

• If awareness of the new alternative is accepted, the task becomes to answer the question "What now?". In other word, is there a reason for me to follow up on this discovery?  How do I follow up?  How much energy will it take if I decide to follow up?
• Personal insecurity may impact the willingness to step forward and embrace the new idea.  If there is a fear of being clumsy or awkward during the early stages of trying, there may be reluctance.
• Now that the person is aware of the new alternative, they can actively campaign for or against depending on their comfort zone.
• If there is no recognition of a return on investment to act, there will be a reluctance to expend energy on changing directions. If the return is not seen to outweigh the personal discomfort of trying the new way and maybe failing, resistance will win out.
• For some, the return on investment of learning to do something an alternative way is enough, even if the business benefits are limited.
• The level of awkwardness experienced by a person at this stage, will be impacted by their self assuredness, their current mastery of similar skills, their personality, the organizational support and their past experience in trying new things.

Potential to Perform:

At the point of conscious incompetence, a person would be considered to be still unable to perform but now understands what they need to do so they at least know what they are up against.  For some this will bring strong feelings of insecurity or fear and for others, it will give them the confidence that comes with knowing what they are up against.  First attempts will be awkward and may feel strange.  With support in the technical skill development and encouragement from the coach their confidence will start to grow.  Their ability to perform will increase as they continue to practice but they are still not considered to be competent.

3. Conscious Competence and Practice to Basic Performance:

• Moving from Conscious Incompetence to Conscious Competence requires practice, practice and more practice, to internalize the new behaviour and possibly overcome or unlearn previous techniques.  Whether the action is mostly physical or mental, it does not matter.
• Understanding of the theory of how and why to do the new action is now completed.
• The activity can be done, but a conscious effort needs to be made to ensure it is done right and to the minimum standard required.
• Consistency will still be an issue at this point.
• A level of complex understanding will not be there yet.  It still takes most of the persons attention to do it right, without worrying about the more subtle issues.
• Continuous and regular practice is a must at this stage to fully internalize the basics.  If "seasoning" is not allowed to take place at this point, a lot of the knowledge and skill gained will be lost and all the related energy expended will have been wasted.
• The person must be encouraged and challenged to continue with their improvement.  There is a fine balance here between pushing for maximum efficiency of learning and setting the goals to high and inducing failure.  It is the coaches job to set the pace and monitor progress to adjust the pace accordingly.
• At the later points of this stage, the ability will increase to be almost automatic and the understanding of how this fits with other related actions will start to emerge.  It is important for the coach to actively support this discovery if true mastery is to be obtained.

Potential to Perform:

At the point of conscious competence, a person would be considered to be able to perform to a minimum agreed level, but requiring much focus and thought to do it consistently. With this basic skill may come a renewed sense of insecurity as they are now expected to produce to the agreed levels on their own.  For some, this sense of insecurity does not last very long as they gain the confidence that comes from success. Encouragement and counselling from the coach will increase their confidence.  The coach needs to ensure opportunity for continued practice as well. Their ability to perform will continue to increase as they continue to practice and their level of consistency should increase as well.

4. Unconscious Competence and Mastery:

• Understanding and performance are second nature. Confidence is high.  Being left to achieve with supervision, is a reward in itself.
• Consistent results are produced without coaching.
• Some people may want to take the mastery to a new level.  Be careful that this higher level is truly needed by the organization.  If not, curb this tendency and refocus the energy in a required direction.
• Taking the mastery to excess may be required for true understanding to high levels to take place.  This is specific to the person and the action.
• The mastery of a skill will often give the learner a sense of confidence that brings with it, an openness to yet more new alternatives in other areas.  This building effect is the essence of continuous improvement thinking.  That is why it is important to make the whole experience, a positive exercise.
• For people to understand the relationship and interaction of multiple complex actions, mastery is required.  Without this understanding, higher level problem solving cannot be achieved successfully.

Potential to Perform:

At the point of unconscious competence, a person is considered able to perform to an average or above average level without supervision.  They no longer need to pay as close attention to that one thing. As mastery is approached, the sense of confidence and security in oneself to produce, becomes more pronounced.  For some, this sense of security allows them to relax and use their creative side more. They can see how this activity fits into the larger whole. Support from the coach in the form of formal recognition of their proven competence is often all the moral support necessary.  Their ability to see better ways of approaching the task or troubleshooting problems will become more pronounced.

Tips for the Coach:

This learning cycle is something we go through many times.  Sometimes it takes minutes to go from beginning to end (making a simple paper airplane) and sometimes it takes months (for some, becoming proficient at golf!).  It depends on the situation.  Here are a few things to keep in mind as a coach helping people to learn in the real world.

Acceptance of current limitations is usually the hardest barrier to overcome.  Limitations are usually more self imposed than anything.  It has been proven time and again, that given the opportunity, we can accomplish far more than we believe we can.  The coach should be conscious of this and set a positive example for the reluctant to follow.

Change is not a natural part of our human make up.  The irony of the learning cycle is that once we reach mastery of something, our tendency is to once again stay there because it feels comfortable.  To continue to improve, we must fight this urge and keep putting ourselves outside of our comfort zone.  The coach can help with this by reminding the learner of the positive results of trying something new.

Confidence breeds more confidence so the more success people have going through the cycle, the more open they will be to doing it again.  The saying that "knowledge is power" is most true when the knowledge is turned into tangible milestones in our life.  If we do not recognize both small and large "wins" in our life, we do ourselves an injustice.  Celebrating our successes is a way of building our confidence.  The coach has a responsibility to promote appropriate celebration and use positive re-enforcement to build higher performance.

Fear of the unknown is usually the biggest resistance we face.  Whether it is the dark or the demon in the closet, we have a tendency to fear what we do not know.  This can produce all sorts of "perceived" reasons not to accept a new idea.  When the unknown becomes synonymous with useless, many opportunities get past by. The coach must actively encourage and support people when they are facing these fears or they will not succeed as a coach.

It is easier to accept a new idea when it is related to something we are already familiar with. Relating a new idea to something familiar can be useful for the coach when dealing with a hesitant learner. It is not always possible, however, to come from a point of common reference, especially in breakthrough thinking situations.  In these cases, trust must be present to help overcome fear.  Trust in oneself, trust in the coach and trust in the value of trying something outside the comfort zone.

Mastery will never be reached without sufficient practice to convert the concept to practical performance.  Until there is sufficient practice, it is all just theory.  You may understand "how" and "why" but not be able to "do".  Without continued practice, some of the "doing" will be lost and mastery, in the practical sense, will diminish to theoretical competence. In the physical work situations, this is the time when many injuries occur.  The coach needs to understand the difference between knowing how to do something and being able to do it to the standards agreed.

The secret to success is in continuity. In the business setting, mastery as quickly and as efficiently as is practical, is usually desired.  To get this, the cycle for steps 2 through 4 should be followed without significant breaks.  It is an important role of the coach to ensure this happens by scheduling the learning process and educating others to the importance of following the schedule. 

The road from awareness to mastery can produce, in itself, important learnings that may not be related to the main subject of the moment.  In many cases, this offers an opportunity for the coach to encourage self reflection and a broader appreciation of life long learning. 

Glossary

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