5 Lessons 'Squid Game' Teaches Us About Business

Oct 28, 2021

On the surface, 'Squid Game' is about fighting for survival. Dig a little deeper, and you unearth some valuable lessons from Netflix's latest phenomenon.

At the heart of it, Squid Game focuses on human nature.

Here, Communicate Better rounds up five key things to take away from the hit series:

 

 

1. "Red light! Green light": Work smartly

As the starting game for Squid Game demonstrates, moving fast is not always as important as moving forward.

When rushing for time, it's vital you stop, think, re-evaluate, and move with a plan in mind.

Speed is not everything - everyone around you will have a different pace to reach their goal.

 

2. Always keep your eyes on the prize

Without giving too much away, there are plenty of "incentives" to encourage loyalty and optimal performance.

Similarly, in the real world and away from the extremes of Squid Game, a well-developed incentive system can make or break your business.

If you incentivise purely based on sales, you may end up compromising on important factors such as customer service and satisfaction.

It is therefore critical that any incentive system is well thought out and based on the objectives you want to achieve.

 

3. Patience is key

Whether you're a startup or trying to appeal to a new market, it's important to remember that establishing a good business takes time.

Just take a look at Squid Game’s protagonist Seong Gi-hun, who remains patient and calm (for the most part) when thrown into new and challenging situations.

One particularly testing moment for our lead comes during the Dalgona candy game.

The players of Squid Game are required to carve a shape out of a solidified cookie. But it's not as easy as it initially seems so Seong Gi-hun is forced to embrace the challenge, be creative, and think outside of the box.

 

4. Know your strengths

One of the biggest challenges as a boss or employee is placing faith in your team and trusting them to do the job they are there to do.

Trust goes both ways in a relationship. If you trust your team, they will trust you back, and they will, in turn, become more committed to the team’s goals.

Not everybody is a leader, and as shown in the Tug of War game, everyone on your team has a different part to play.

When building teams, having a good leader is vital. You also need to have someone strong and dependable to serve as the anchor of a ship.

It's also about how you arrange your team, with each member playing an important role in helping to secure a win.

 

5. There's nothing wrong with finishing last

While the Glass game was more about luck, it also demonstrates how you can sometimes benefit from other people's mistakes and make better-informed decisions.

People ahead of you may fail first as they were faced with unknown challenges and were unprepared.

However, you can use this to your advantage by learning from them, becoming better prepared, and growing.

 

Are there any other lessons you took away from Netflix's South Korean smash hit series? Drop us your thoughts on Twitter (@CommBetter)

 

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