How long does learning take?

We all know that skills must be acquired. No one is born with them. It's a learning process.

Skills can only be acquired through practice. It's true that some people seem to have a natural affinity for certain skills. We call this talent and are mystified by it. "How can someone so young have such extraordinary abilities?" But the rest of us have to learn these skills the hard way.

What I am wondering is why it takes some people so long. I have had employees that could listen to what they were told and the go do it. But those seem to be few and far between.

Most have had a mental barrier that prevented any information from penetrating. No matter how many times they were told or shown how or what to do, the result would indicate that the information simply failed to penetrate.

Being a person of limited patience, I would soon become frustrated and this would inevitably become apparent to the person in question. So they could quickly comprehend that I was unhappy with their performance but still not be able to understand what was expected of them. I end up scratching my head, trying to understand how someone can be told to put it here a thousand times and still put it there.

More and more, I think it's easier to just do it myself!

D.D.