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Consciousness, According to Jim

Posted by Gayle Kesten Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008, 04:43 PM ET

I read with interest (and amusement) Jim Blasingame's latest Small Business Advocate Newsletter, in which he defines the four levels of "performance consciousness."

"This consciousness isn't about being awake," says Blasingame, who also runs a weekday talk show dedicated to small business. "It's about being aware of why you're successful or not."

Oooh, the coveted "s" word. Here are his four (slighty pared down) levels, straight from my e-mail:

1. Unconscious Incompetent. This person doesn't know ... that he doesn't know. Also called a DK2, which is short for "Don't know, squared." A DK2 is not only incapable, but actually clueless about his inability. It's important to note that everyone is a DK2 sometime. The challenge is to not live your life that way because DK2 is a terminal professional condition.

2. Unconscious Competent. This individual lurches uncontrollably toward success without knowing how or why. Sometimes we call an Unconscious Competent gifted, or lucky. Don't be too quick to envy this person because not knowing how you got where you are is one of the definitions of lost. And any resulting success is likely not repeatable.

3. Conscious Incompetent. This person is incapable and knows it. If you're looking for an employee to train, this is the one. No ego about what he thinks he knows and no resistance to your methods and practices. But be careful. Sometimes the Conscious Incompetent wallows in this condition as an excuse for non-performance.

4. Conscious Competent. This person gets the job done and knows why. She can identify what happened when she's successful but, more importantly, is fully aware of what happened when she fails.

The road to conscious competency means taking a long, hard look at yourself, Blasingame adds. "Practicing self-analysis, Conscious Competents discover the enduring benefits of being honest with themselves about their own performance."

What do you think? Just a bunch of mumbo jumbo? Or is there something to Blasingame's four levels of performance consciousness? Any DK2 stories to share? C'mon, we all know someone!

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