How to Coach Yourself and Others Essential Knowledge For Coaching | Page 249

uses the product or service. This approach may well involve
disregarding the knowledge that has led to the practitioner's
current scale of competence, and possibly requires assumption
of a conscious incompetence state (though conscious
incompetence is not a flattering, or indeed, accurate label for
such an experienced and knowledgable practitoner) so that the
problem can be viewed without any pre-conceptions?..."
The above is an interesting question. The scenario raises the
possibility that learning a new method/skill (in response to
external innovation or demands for example) for an existing area
of conscious/reflective competence might suitably be regarded
as the start of a new Conscious Competence cycle. The last
4th/5th stage of the first cycle is for many people the early
stage(s) of a new cycle of learning in new methods. Conscious
Competence in an existing skill can easily equate to Unconscious
Incompetence in a new method now required to replace the
hitherto consciously competent capability. The Refective
Competence level (suggested fifth level - see Will Taylor's
diagram above) in the first cycle could equate to the Consciously
Incompetent level in the new cycle. Reflective learners possess
expert competence in the subject at a determined skill or
method, but not in different and new methods. So perhaps
representing the learning of new methods for existing expertise
(at say level 4 or 4) in terms of a repeating 4/5-part cycle is a
reasonable way to approach the 'response to external
innovation' scenario, or 'internal innovation' for the same
reasons.
The observations which follow are from M Singh (23 Feb 2009):
"...I have read the discussion especially with reference to the 5th
stage, and have tried to integrate J M Fisher's theory of the Process
of Transition to add extra emotional perspective. When someone
becomes conscious of incompetence, emotions of 'anxiety',
'happiness', 'fear' and or 'denial' may be experienced. Feelings of
'threat' (to previous learning), 'guilt' (at departing from previous
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