Conscious Competence Learning Model
The conscious competence learning model is a four-stage description of how people acquire a skill: unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence and unconscious competence. The conscious competence model was popularized by Noel Burch of Gordon Training International, although earlier versions date from 1969. It explains the learning dip during change.
Quick facts
- Originator
- Popularized by Noel Burch at Gordon Training International; earlier versions date from 1969
- Year / source
- 1969, Martin Broadwell's four levels of teaching; later Gordon Training International's "Learning Stages" model (undated)
- Type
- Stages (linear)
- Focus
- Individual skill learning
- Elements
- Unconscious incompetence · Conscious incompetence · Conscious competence · Unconscious competence
- Best for
- Planning training and support around the dip in confidence and performance
- Exam relevance
- APMG CM Foundation, People & Change (PC0208); Practitioner (PC0306)
Model at a glance
- Unconscious incompetence — unaware of what they cannot do
- Conscious incompetence — aware of the gap; confidence and performance dip
- Conscious competence — can perform, with effort and attention
- Unconscious competence — perform without thinking; the skill is a habit
What are the four stages of the conscious competence model?
The model describes learning as movement through four stages, always in the same order:
- Unconscious incompetence. People do not know how to do something, and do not realize they lack the skill. They may not see why it matters.
- Conscious incompetence. People become aware of the gap. This is often uncomfortable: they now know what they cannot do.
- Conscious competence. People can perform the skill, but only with concentration, effort and, often, a checklist.
- Unconscious competence. The skill has become a habit. People perform it without thinking, and can often do something else at the same time.
The stages combine two variables: awareness (conscious or unconscious) and skill (competent or incompetent). The order runs from unaware and unskilled, through aware, to skilled and finally automatic.
The conscious competence model therefore treats discomfort in the second stage as a normal step in learning, not a sign of failure.
Where did the conscious competence model come from?
The attribution is murky. Gordon Training International states that a former employee, Noel Burch, developed its "Learning Stages" model, worded as unconsciously unskilled through unconsciously skilled; GTI dates it only as "over 50 years ago".
Similar four-level descriptions appear in other sources. A 1969 article by Martin Broadwell described four levels of teaching using comparable terms, and a 1973 Canadian life-skills coaching manual by Curtiss and Warren set out the same four stages. The model is sometimes attributed to Abraham Maslow, but it has not been traced to his published work.
The conscious competence model is therefore best described as popularized by Noel Burch and Gordon Training International, with earlier versions dating from 1969 and no single original source.
What is the learning dip and why does it matter in change?
Moving from unconscious to conscious incompetence lowers confidence. People who were experts in the old way suddenly feel like beginners. At the same time, early use of a new system or process is slower and more error-prone than the familiar routine. Performance and confidence often fall before they rise. This fall is commonly called the learning dip.
At Larchfield Logistics, warehouse supervisors moving to a new stock system take longer to close each shift in the first weeks. Leaders who did not expect this could read the slowdown as resistance or as proof that the system does not work.
The learning dip is a normal part of learning. Planning for it means realistic targets during the transition, extra support on the floor, and clear messages that a temporary drop is expected.
The conscious competence model therefore helps change managers stop the learning dip from being mistaken for failure or resistance.
How can a change manager use the conscious competence model?
Each stage calls for different support.
| Stage | What people need | Example actions |
|---|---|---|
| Unconscious incompetence | To see the gap and why it matters | Demonstrations, a self-assessment, a short trial task |
| Conscious incompetence | Encouragement and safe practice | Coaching, practice environments, "it is normal to struggle" |
| Conscious competence | Repetition and job aids | Checklists, quick-reference guides, time to practice |
| Unconscious competence | Reinforcement and a new role | Ask them to coach others; check that shortcuts stay safe |
Two cautions apply. People at the fourth stage can find it hard to teach the skill, because they no longer notice the steps. And habits formed at that stage can drift from the standard without anyone noticing.
The conscious competence model is therefore most useful for matching the type of support to where each group is in its learning.
What are the limitations of the conscious competence model?
The model is a practitioner heuristic. It appears in several early training texts rather than one original publication, and has had little empirical testing, so it describes a common experience rather than a proven sequence.
Learning is rarely as tidy as four steps. People can move back to conscious competence when the context changes, and different skills within the same change can be at different stages at the same time.
The model also says little about emotions or motivation. It does not explain why some people never leave the first stage, which is where models of resistance, mindset and learning anxiety are needed.
The conscious competence model is therefore a simple planning lens, best combined with models of motivation and emotional response to change.
Conscious competence model vs. the change curve: what is the difference?
| Conscious competence model | Change curve | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Popularized by Noel Burch, Gordon Training International; earlier versions from 1969 | Adapted from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's model of grief |
| What it describes | Stages of acquiring a skill | Emotional reactions and morale or performance over time |
| Structure | Four stages combining awareness and skill | A curve of emotional states |
| Cause of the dip | Becoming aware of what one cannot yet do | Shock, loss and resistance after the change |
| Main use | Plan training and support around the learning dip | Anticipate emotional reactions and support people through them |
Both show a dip in performance, but the conscious competence model explains it as a stage of learning, while the change curve explains it as an emotional response.
Exam focus
At Foundation level (PC0208) expect recall of the four stages in the correct order and comprehension of the learning dip: confidence and performance often fall when people become aware of what they cannot yet do, and change plans should allow for it. A common trap reverses the second and third stages or starts the sequence with conscious incompetence. Another reads the dip as resistance. PC0306 is assessed at Practitioner level.
Practise this syllabus area →FAQ
What are the four stages of competence in order?
The four stages are unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence and unconscious competence. Learners start unaware of what they cannot do, become aware of the gap, can perform with effort and attention, and finally perform without thinking.
Who created the conscious competence model?
The model was popularized by Noel Burch of Gordon Training International, where it is called the Learning Stages model. Earlier versions exist: Martin Broadwell described four similar levels of teaching in 1969. It is sometimes attributed to Maslow, but it has not been traced to his work. Its exact origin is uncertain.
What is the learning dip?
The learning dip is the fall in confidence and performance that often happens when people start learning a new way of working. Becoming aware of what they cannot yet do, and working more slowly at first, is uncomfortable but normal. Change plans should allow time and support for it.
Which stage of the conscious competence model is the hardest?
Conscious incompetence is usually the most uncomfortable, because people now see what they cannot do and their confidence drops. It is also where many give up or return to the old way. Coaching, safe practice and realistic targets help people move through it.
Is there a fifth stage of conscious competence?
Some writers add a fifth stage, often called reflective or conscious competence of unconscious competence, in which an expert can explain and teach a skill they perform automatically. It is a later addition, not part of the original four-stage model.
Sources
- Adams, L. (n.d.; online by 2011). Learning a new skill is easier said than done. Gordon Training International (states that the Learning Stages model was developed by Noel Burch).
- Broadwell, M. M. (1969, February 20). Teaching for learning (XVI). The Gospel Guardian, 20(41), 1–3a.
- Curtiss, P. R. & Warren, P. W. (1973). The Dynamics of Life Skills Coaching. Training Research and Development Station, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (ERIC ED087852).
- APMG International — Change Management certification (syllabus topic PC0208)
- Last reviewed