The Superhighway to Effectiveness
Okay, so last time I wrote about the 4 Levels of Competence. Here is a quick reminder:
- Unconscious Incompetence (You stink and don’t know it)
- Conscious Incompetence (You stink and you know you stink)
- Conscious Competence (You are pretty good, but you have to think about it)
- Unconscious Competence (You are really good, and it is automatic - a habit)
So, this week I want to talk about how to progress through these levels in order to maximize your effectiveness.
I want you to imagine that you are driving down the road in a high-powered Ferrari Testarosa. You are traveling 100 mph on a 6-lane Superhighway. It is long and straight; really built for speed. As you look far off into the distance you come to the sudden realization that you are not headed where you want to go. In fact, you realize that you are not driving at all. You 
look over to see who is in the driver’s seat only to discover that your “brain” is at the wheel. You have just moved from Unconscious Incompetence to Conscious Incompetence.
When I say your “brain” I mean that part of your brain that is responsible for processing your reactions to external stimuli. You ”your higher self, your values, mission, and vision for what matters most to you” that’s the part of you that is in the passenger’s seat. You see, your brain is primarily concerned with how quickly it can process the particular stimulus it is presented with. To do that it uses something called Neural Pathways. These pathways in the brain are created by repetitive use. The more use they receive, the more of a Neural Superhighway they become, meaning stimuli can be processed and action (or rather reaction) can happen almost instantaneously. The only problem is that the pathway your brain uses may not lead to the response that your higher self might prefer and the ultimate outcome you desire.
For example, I have an uncle who every time someone comes even remotely close to cutting him of on the road he automatically responds by letting the other driver know how passionately he feels about it, generally using colorful sign language punctuated with the generous use of his horn. Surely it is not the most effective response, but it is the response his brain is conditioned to give because of the frequent use of that particular Neural Pathway, or in this particular case, Neural Superhighway.
So, what to do about it. Once again, imagine you are in the Ferrari. For now, the brain is still driving. You look out to the right side of the highway and see a beautiful place far off in the distance that you would like to get to. Then you notice that in between the highway and the place where you want to be there is a field of incredibly tall grass with no road or pathway of any kind through it. Yet, you know you want to get there. So, you decide to propose a change of course to your brain. Of course, your brain immediately fixates on the fact that there is no pathway at all, let alone a marvelous Superhighway like the one you are currently on, and says to you, “This is exactly why I am driving and you are not. Can’t you see how fast we are going. So what if it is not where you want to go. That is a minor detail compared to how fast we can travel on this Superhighway.”
It is difficult to argue this logic with your deeply scripted brain, primarily because your brain does not make these decisions based on logic. As we said before, to the brain, speed of response is all that matters. For you there is only one thing left to do. You must grab your brain by its metaphorical collar and yank it out of the driver’s seat. You must assume control, pull the Ferrari over, drag your brain out of the car and arduously press forward through the field of tall grass, forcing your way through, dragging your brain kicking and screaming behind you until you reach your desired destination. You will be happy you did. This is Conscious Competence, getting to where you want to go even though it is not easy, nor automatic. Your brain, though it will know it is a good place you have arrived at, will focus on the difficulty of the journey. If you don’t travel that same course again soon the grass that was briefly bent as you made your way through will show no trace of your journey shortly after.
You must travel your new course again, and again, and by so doing the grass becomes matted down, then slightly worn away into a small path, then a byway, then a highway, and before you know it you will have a new Neural Superhighway leading you to a more effective response and course of action. In fact, you could even put your brain back in the driver’s seat and it will prefer that new Superhighway you have created since the old one has now fallen into disrepair from lack of attention and use. This is the highest level of competence where you become Unconsciously Competent.
So, get in the driver’s seat and forge a new Superhighway… a Superhighway to Effectiveness!
To your Success!
Kip Kint
Success Coach & President
Mission Ignition, Inc.