Business Lessons From the Barbie™ Movie
Business Lessons From the Barbie™ Movie
If you’re anything like the team at Poka-Yoke Solutions, we found ourselves at the Barbie™ movie opening weekend. (Ok, some of us indulged in the Barbenheimer back-to-back features!) As a proud certified woman-owned small business, we couldn’t wait to see what all the hype was about. And the movie certainly delivered on that hype.
The imprint the movie has had on our culture – already – is staggering and we can’t help but notice and add our own 2 cents into the ongoing conversation.
Here’s a few of the lessons from Barbie™ that had an impact on our team:
Embracing – and bringing – our compassion and empathy to businesses.
As women in the workplace, we often unintentionally hide our softer skills, like vulnerability and empathy. Thankfully before the Barbie™ movie became a hot topic of conversation, we had committed to bringing those back into our everyday conversations amongst our team and clients. Some of the strongest, most powerful and talented leaders openly discuss their shortcomings, what they could have done better, and ask themselves tough questions like: How did I fail as a leader here? Where am I failing my team? What could I be doing better?
Being a proud woman owned business doesn’t mean we have pink-powered prowess.
As much as we love that there was a nationwide shortage of Barbie™ pink when the movie was filming – the color pink isn’t for everyone! Being a proud woman owned business doesn’t automatically mean we’re filling our office spaces with pink decor. But, we celebrate and appreciate those who feel inspired to do just that, because everyone deserves a space at the table.
And when it comes to the Barbie™ brand…
She reinvented herself.
Barbie™ was not a culturally relevant phenomenon until recently. It had become a cultural pastime, relegated to the 1950s with a peak in the 80s. We all thought the brand was a lost cause when it came to relevance. But, here we are, all talking about the incredible impact the movie has had on us, and what the Barbie™ brand means. Don’t sell yourself short and limit your own possibilities. Every day you can wake up and make a different choice than the day before.
Barbie is a reminder of the ever present need for diversity
With a 60+ year legacy, there are now proudly nine different body types and Barbie™ is the most inclusive and diverse doll line with 170+ representations of skin tones and differently abled individuals. There is likely now a Barbie™ that you can find some sort of similar likeness that represents YOU.
If you haven’t already, we recommend getting tickets to the show. If you’ve already seen it, perhaps this gives you a different perspective to reflect upon.
