The document discusses the four stages of learning any new skill: unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence, and unconscious competence. Developed by Noel Burch in the 1970s, it emphasizes that change and skill acquisition require time, persistence, practice, and belief in gradual progress. The content also highlights the difficulty of engaging skills that feel automatic yet require conscious effort to master.

1. •Behaviour is
automatic/feel as
nature. Can do
things without
thinking about
them
•Don’t know why,
and Don’t know
how to deal with it.
•Have a range of
strategies or skills,
but still have to
think/concentrate
when doing it.
•Aware of the
reason and how to,
but don’t have the
skill / competence
to do it yet.
Conscious
Incompetence
Conscious
Competence
Unconscious
competence
Unconscious
Incompetence
1
2 3
4
Initially described as “Four Stages for Learning Any New Skill”, the theory was developed at
the Gordon Training International by its employee Noel Burch in the 1970s - Wikipedia
Change happens over time and it is persistence, practice and the belief in taking one small
step at a time that wins the day. – Gladeana McMahon
Chart by Xiaoying Mo