I'm not normally a fan of my bi-monthly visit to the barbers - it's always seemed to me to be one of those services where you have to pay to come out with less than what you went in with. However, whilst visiting my local barbers the other day, it occurred to me that it presents a great example of the skill development process.

Midway through the obligatory conversational exchanges, the barber declared that they were so used to doing my style of haircut that they don't really have to concentrate that much. After I got over the initial panic of this revelation (and dismay upon discovering that what I had always considered my 'individual' hairstyle was actually completely uniform and generic in nature), two things dawned on me:

1. I hope that they are at stage 4 of the skill development process!
2. I'm half way through my haircut, so I had better sit still and not ask any questions...

The Skills Development Process

For those of you not familiar with the skill development process here it is:

The stages are: 

1. Unconscious incompetence - The individual doesn't really know what hairdressing is, and certainly shouldn't be trusted with a pair of scissors. Not that this stops some people from attacking their families' fringes with supreme confidence, but that's another story. 
2. Conscious incompetence - The individual knows that hairdressing is something that can be done and are aware that they have no idea about how to do it. A brand new hairdresser will be at this stage pretty quickly. Some people dislike the awareness of their incompetence so much that they decide not to bother and retreat to the comfort of unconscious incompetence.
3. Conscious competence - This stage is one that is typified by a newly-trained hairdresser. The individual is learning how to cut hair and so, with concentration, can successfully achieve a good cut.
4. Unconscious competence - An experienced hairdresser is at this stage. They can cut hair naturally (and successfully) without thinking too hard about it.

The problem with stage 4 is that individuals can find themselves becoming distracted from the task at hand as it seems so obvious and straightforward. This can occur easily - the brain is bombarded with millions of sensations and must sort through them quickly - only those deemed important are moved to conscious processing levels. Tasks that are approached with unconscious competence tend to not sit in these levels.

This "daydreaming" can be prevented by using certain techniques - performing the task in a different environment, increasing concentration levels or, quite simply, a shock - such as nicking someone's ear when cutting their hair!

This prompted me to think - what roles do I perform that are at the unconscious competence level? Do I daydream my way through workshops? Could I be missing something? Good analysts think a lot, and engaging in reflection and self-analysis is a valuable tool that can lead to an increase of productivity and performance. 

Oh, and I'm pleased to report that this case of unconscious competence led to no cuts or tears being shed - even if the hairstyle remains, in the words of Mrs Alchemist: 'very sensible'...! 

Looking to update your BA toolkit? Check out AssistKD's wide choice of business analysis courses.