Unconsciously incompetent

Many experienced diversity and inclusion practitioners say that, in learning to be inclusive, people need to go from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence to conscious competence to unconscious competence (Howell, 1982 Tung, 1993). This process parallels similar models used regarding results and method of achievement, challenge and support, tasks and relationships, information known to self and known to others, and so on. From a practical standpoint, this means practitioners must... 

Turning a risky habit (when the person is unconsciously incompetent) into safe self-directed behavior. 

An instructional intervention is typically an activator or antecedent event used to get new behavior started or to move behavior from the automatic (habit) stage to the self-directed stage. Or it is used to improve behavior already in the self-directed stage. The aim is to get the performer s attention and instruct him or her to transition from unconscious incompetence to conscious competence. You assume that the person wants to improve, so external motivation is not needed—only external and extrinsic direction. 

Figure 5.1 reviews this intervention information by depicting relationships between four competency states (unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence, and unconscious competence) and four intervention approaches (instructional intervention, motivational intervention, supportive intervention, and self-management). When people are tmaware of the safe work practice (i.e., they are unconsciously incompetent), they need repeated instructional intervention until they understand what to do. Then, as depicted at the far left of Figure 5.1, the critical question is whether they perform the desired behavior. If they do, the question of behavioral fluency is relevant. A fluent response becomes a habit or part of a regular routine, and thus the individual is unconsciously competent. 

Unconscious Incompetence "bad habits" Conscious Incompetence "learning"... 

I am "imconsciously competent" about some safe driving practices, particularly safety-belt and turn-signal use, but these behaviors were not always habitual. With safety-belt use, I can recall going through each of the stages in Figure 8.11. When lap belts first appeared in vehicles, I barely noticed them. I even remained "unconsciously incompetent"... 

But what about those times when the individual really does not know how to do the prescribed safe behavior The person is "unconsciously incompetent." This situation might call for training which is a relatively expensive approach to corrective action. Mager and Pipe (1997) claim that most of the time a behavioral discrepancy is not caused by a genuine lack of skill. Usually people can perform the safe behavior if the conditions and the consequences are right. So training should really be the least used approach for corrective action. 

Was the behavior intentional All human error is unintentional. We mean well but have cognitive failures or "brain cramps." Psychologists call these "slips" or "lapses" (Norman, 1988) and they are typically owing to limitations of attention, memory, or information processing. As covered in Chapter 4, these types of errors increase with experience on the job. Skilled people often put their actions on "automatic mode" and perhaps add other behaviors to the situation. How many of us fiddle with a cassette tape or juggle a cellular phone while driving You can see how an error can easily occur. This "unconscious incompetence" needs to be corrected but certainly not with punishment. 

People need to understand that anyone can be at risk without even realizing it, as in "unconscious incompetence," and performance can only improve with behavior-specific feedback. Once this fact is established, corrective feedback that is appropriately given will be appreciated, regardless of who is giving the feedback. Work status is not a factor. 

At what stage of habit formation are you when you get in the back seat of someone else s vehicle, like a taxi cab It is possible to be "unconsciously competent" in some situations but be "consciously competent" or "consciously incompetent" in another situation for the same behavior. For example, wearing safety glasses, ear plugs, and steel-toed shoes might be a safe habit on the job, but which of these safe behaviors are followed when mowing the lawn in your backyard ... 

Figure 9.9 Awareness (conscious vs. unconscious) and safety-related behavior (competence vs. incompetence) determine which of four types of interventions is relevant.

---