5 tips to succeed in business if you're weak in math

If you've decided to pursue a career in business, having a full grasp of math concepts certainly won't work against you, but it is not necessarily the most important skill to possess in today's dynamic business environments. Today's workplaces are generally technically inclined, and this can overshadow knowing traditional math knowledge.

While strength in mathematics is undoubtedly a good skill to possess, not everyone is mathematically inclined. If you fall into this category, it doesn't have to work against you. There are many reasons why math skills need not top your resume, as you don't need to be a math whiz to succeed in business.

5 tips to succeed in business if weak in math

Hone your "soft skills"

Possessing and understanding the "soft skills" are essential. These qualities include people skills and well-rounded communication abilities; these kinds of skills which can't be taught by a book often top the list of things to excel at in today's business environment. All the math talent in the world won't help develop these abilities which are an important skill to possess in business these days.

Organization and strategic planning

Math knowledge is no longer the central component of conducting business, but having a flair for organization, detail, and strategic planning are pretty critical. See if you can sharpen these talents. If you are successful and can get a good grasp on these skills, no one will probably even notice that math isn't your best forte.

Obtain technical skills

Technology is available at your fingertips and, as a result, "being good" in math is less accentuated than it used to be. The bigger emphasis in the modern world is placed in the knowledge of being able to use computational tools.

Nowadays, there are numerous gadgets available to calculate figures much faster than your head can. A fundamental understanding of basic math concepts will be enough for you to succeed. Master your technology tools and know how they can aid you in the computations. If you can effectively accomplish this, your weak math skills won't matter as much.

Today business curricula place high concentration on newer subjects such as technology and using the Internet. Since the chief parts of business degree programs highlight these other areas of study that are not math-oriented, concentrate on and strengthen your knowledge in these areas. A firm handle on navigating a computer, mobile and the Internet will prove to be valuable.

Master the other fundamentals

If you focus on traditional core courses such as marketing, organizational management and economics you'll get by without a strong foundation of math. These subjects require an in-depth understanding because business concepts, techniques and philosophies cannot be computed with calculators, they must be fully understood enough to be applied in real-life situations.

Think globally

If you obtain an understanding of organizational behaviors and have an appreciation for diversity, this will help you succeed without math. Having a firm grasp on these concepts are far more essential as businesses operate in a global environment.

Business degrees offer classes in these subjects, be sure to select these types of classes as your electives because they'll be more useful than algebra or calculus. Possessing all of these characteristics, along with grasping the fundamentals in business, will bring you far without knowing how to find the square root of 2968 or subtracting in your head last year's expenses from the revenues in the annual budget - that's what calculators and spreadsheets are for.

If you have your heart set on business but have no head for math, concentrate on learning and mastering how to use the tools to help you find the answers you'll need. Don't let weak math skills deter you from pursuing your goals. In today's high-performance organizations, business is not all about the numbers, it is more about people, technology and most importantly, communication. While the financial aspects are essential, the other facets do contribute to the bottom line and are skills that are just as valuable, if not more so.

If this doesn't make sense to you, you can still succeed in business CC0 Image by ericfleming8 / Pixabay