When to use it
Use it when starting a new skill or when coaching someone who feels frustrated.
How to apply it
- Identify the skill and honestly name your current stage.
- If unaware of gaps, seek feedback or a skills assessment to find them.
- If aware but struggling, practise with structured guidance and accept slow progress.
- If competent with effort, increase repetition until it becomes automatic.
- If automatic, teach it to someone else to check you have not developed bad habits.
Tip: The 'conscious incompetence' stage feels like going backwards; it is actually progress.