Persistence is a key to learning and having fun with math.  Research shows that most Americans when presented with a puzzle or problem that’s even moderately difficult will give up trying to solve it within a minute or less.  Being persistent is essential to developing good solutions and ideas or even brainstorming effectiveness.

I blame technology.  Since the introduction of GUI (graphic user interface) on computers it wasn’t just the geeks who inherited the world.  Everyone who can point and click (or slide a finger) can open a world of possibilities.  We’ve gotten used to being able to access information quickly, almost effortlessly.  When things don’t go smoothly we stomp and shout and quickly get frustrated.

However, persistence pays off. If you look at a problem not as an obstacle but as an interesting situation you can begin to uncover not only new solutions but get back in touch with what your strengths are and the competence you have at being adept and smart.  Interpersonal interactions are no different.  People rarely stay up late at night thinking of ways to irritate their boss.  Typically if you are working with an associate who doesn’t ‘get you’ it may mean you need to work a bit harder to figure out what they need.  We teach skills for that but at the core it’s being willing to slow down, think, and most importantly not give up!

Share your thoughts about problem solving here or tweet us @mohrretail.  Thanks for reading.

Posted in Editorial
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About MOHR Retail

For more than 30 years, MOHR Retail has developed the critical people-to-people skills needed to create results in the retail industry—and we’re just getting started. Through innovative classroom and online learning methods, as well as our ongoing national retail research projects, we continue to stay on top of the trends so we can fuel the success of specialty stores, chain stores, outlets, catalogue retailers, department stores, and more. Nowhere does learning meet experience as it does in a MOHR Retail training program.