For a staff member who is Consciously Incompetent, we would him or her that employee what to do with a high level of detail, tell them how to do it with a medium level of detail, and check in on their progress frequently.

For a staff member who is Consciously Competent, we would tell him or her what to do with a medium level of detail, tell them how to do it with a low level of detail, if at all, and check in on their progress at scheduled milestones.

For a staff member who is Unconsciously Competent, we would tell him or her what to do with a low level of detail, not tell them how to do it at all, and check in on their progress only if and when they requested us to do so.

When you apply this simple model for assessing which of the four stages of skill learning a team member is operating in, you can choose the most effective level of engagement to optimize their learning and performance. This helps them maximize their professional development and enables you to be a more effective leader.