Imagine that you are forced to give a speech in front of an audience of unknown individuals...
Worse yet, they have been told to judge you...
Even worse yet, you are going to get a grade for your speech.
And ↑THAT↑ is the predicament that many of my students at San Jose State University and Cabrillo College faced because Public Speaking, the course I taught for 20 years, was a pre-requisite for graduating. They had to take it.
(Insert genuine empathy for anyone who's endured this!)
One of my primary goals, other than to help them find their voice, was to help them exhale and relax, truly! My syllabus or email correspondence always said, "This will be better than you think!"
By the end of the semester, I heard that many of my students agreed that it was. 😊
On day one, after the inevitably awkward introductions and mandatory review of assignments, I told them about the Conscious Competence Ladder that was developed by Gordon Training International waaaayyyy back in the 70s, before most of them were born.
The ladder considers two factors of skill building: awareness (consciousness) and skill level (competence). And even though I get tongue-tied every time I talk about it out loud, it's still relevant today for anyone learning a new skill, whether it be public speaking, golfing, networking, or anything else in which you can improve.
Today I'll stick with the skill of public speaking. Suppose you give presentations often at work and want to get better at speaking in front of your team.
Let's start with Level 1: Unconscious Incompetence:
In this stage, we are unaware (unconscious) of where we are inept (incompetent). For example, you think you did a fairly good job on your prezi but when you casually ask for some feedback, your colleague tells you that you said "um" a lot. Like, 63 times a lot.
DANG!
Welcome to Level 2: Conscious Incompetence:
In your next presentation in front of the team you say um often, but thanks to your colleague's call-out, you are aware of your mistakes. You are conscious of your incompetence. You might not want to say "um" but it's so habitual that it just comes out whenever you pause or search for the next word. During the speech you might even blurt out, "I said UM!"
Hang on, it gets better.
Next is Level 3: Conscious Competence:
In this stage you've practiced your speech several times and have really tried to eliminate or at least reduce the ums since you know they detract from your message. You can feel the um creeping right to the tip of your tongue BUT you do not let it pass through your lips. You are very aware that you are not saying um. You are consciously competent.
*Progress!*
Finally, there's Level 4: Unconscious Competence:
Congratulations! With practice, feedback and commitment, you rarely utter um anymore! As a matter of fact, you don't even think about it. It's just how you speak, um-free. Look at you go!
(And then that colleague calls you out on your over-crowded PowerPoint slides... and BAM! you're back to Level 2 for a whole different skill...)
We don't typically hear about a skill and simply embody it — it takes practice! And we are not always linear in our progression. While we aim for Level 4, sometimes we hover in level 3, sometimes slipping back to level 2.
The take away: Be patient with yourself (and others) when learning new skills. It's a process. Level one requires feedback for development. Someone needs to let you know where you could grow. Ask others how you might improve in the skill you desire.
Level 2 needs information. In this stage you are aware and you need to know how to improve. Consult with experts, research and mentors.
Moving to level 3 demands effort. You practice, practice and practice until you get it right. It's not quite natural yet, but it will be! Be patient with yourself and remind yourself of the goal.
Finally, Level 4, unconscious competence, is when you have mastered the skill. This merits celebration. Yay you! I knew you could do it!
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