Methods of Training
We all have the ability to learn. Somewhat with different levels of understanding, storing and applying the knowledge that has been acquired. Traditionally, we have been following a process of teaching in which everything is taught to you in theory, while you are expected to perform based on those. But, as the time changes, today’s generation is adopting some entirely new ways of teaching-learning processes.
Gone are the days of long lectures and theory sessions. The best way to design a training module would be to first understand how we acquire knowledge. Scientifically done researches have shown that there are four stages of anyone’s awareness about any particular knowledge or skill.
- Unconscious Incompetent
- Conscious Incompetent
- Conscious Competent
- Unconscious Competent
Theses stages of awareness exist in all of us differently for diverse skill sets. You may be finding yourself in an unconscious competence of a skill, while for another in the unconscious incompetence level.
You may come across many such situations during the career of being a manager. The most basic need of training is to develop the skills of the trainees and push them to higher levels of their awareness. But, before beginning, you must analyze the methods that can be adopted for training and also when and how to apply them.
Unconscious Incompetent
This stage is the primary stage when you can call a person ignorant. One doesn’t know that a particular skill exists and is not in possession of that skill at all.
Take for example: “5 - 6 = -1” this statement is a false for a primary school student. Because they are not taught about it. Hence they cannot even perform these type of mathematical questions.
Conscious Incompetent
This stage is a notch higher from the last stage. One is not ignorant of any particular skill but, still, doesn’t possess it. However, since the person knows the usefulness of that skill, he may seek for options to learn it and improve himself.
Conscious incompetent people know that acquiring one skill can help them overcome many hurdles and give them career growth. However, they still won’t try to acquire it as they are happy in their current roles. Procrastination and laziness are the prime reasons behind being consciously incompetent.
Conscious Competent
When a person is not ignorant of any particular skill and also possess it, this stage is termed as being consciously competent. A person in this stage needs to understand the usefulness of the skill and must practice it to have mastered it fully.
Conscious competent people have a skill, but are happy to remain at amateur levels at it. They have to be motivated to teach them the value of their skillsets and taught to nurture their skills to bring profits for them and to the organization.
Unconscious Competent
This stage often exists in each one of us for some particular skills. One has this skill and has been using it since a long time, but doesn’t recognize this to be a useful skill. Once told, they can easily master this skill and use it when required. It needs a good teacher to take out what lies within you.
Unconscious competent people need to be given a real-world picture of the areas in which their skills have developed and where they are expected to perform. Once they realize that their skills can be used in a lucrative manner, they will start practicing it with regularity.
