Week 33, 2018
Skill Acquisition: ShuHaRi, 4 Stages, and the Dreyfus Model
Each week I share three ideas about how to make work better. And this week, the spotlight is on different ways to subdivide and analyze the learning process:
Shuhari
From Japanese martial arts comes the concept of Shuhari. Dating back centuries, this model suggests that learners move through three distinct stages: “Shu” in which they focus on learning the fundamentals, “Ha” in which they focus on application and experimentation, and “Ri” in which they transcend the rules and begins to innovate. Shuhari roughly translates to “to keep, to fall, to break away”.
Four Stages of Competence
From psychology comes the Four Stage model. Created in the 1970s, the model suggests that learners move through four stages: Unconscious Incompetence in which the learner doesn’t know what s/he doesn’t know; Conscious Incompetence in which s/he begins to appreciate a deficiency; Conscious Competence in which tasks can be performed but with effort; and Unconscious Competence in which tasks are effortless and second nature.
Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition
From the fields of education and operational research comes the Dreyfus model. Proposed in the 1980s, it’s based on four qualities from which five stages of learning are distilled: Novice needs instruction and support; Beginner needs only direction; Competent can be expected to work independently; Proficient will routinely deliver above expectations; and Expert will define new standards and go beyond existing interpretations.
To be happy at work, people need to learn and grow. And to do that, they need the right type of guidance and support. This support should be tailored to the specific stage the learner or learners are currently in. Only then will that support be truly effective.
