Corporate lessons from The Wire

So I am engrossed in the TV show ‘The Wire’ I am watching it through Netflix, so I am only on the 4^th season. I was watching it this morning and realized that everything you need to know about business and corporate culture you really can learn from ‘The Wire.’

Lesson 1: Who you know matters more than any ability or accomplishments you might have.

You might be the smartest, most talented person in the room, but it doesn’t matter if the right people don’t know you and like you. The Wire shows this with the police and their promotions. You can be great at your job, crack all the cases, but if (like McNulty), the higher ups don’t like you, it doesn’t matter. This is the same in the corporate world. If the important people don’t like you there isn’t a chance. Furthermore, it helps if people feel that they owe you. This is probably more likely once you are in the director/executive level. Think of people that sit on the board or directors for companies... A lot of that is 'I will scratch your back if you scratch mine."

Lesson 2: You need to work your way up despite lesson 1

This lesson is shown by the drug dealers. Even if you are well connected, you need to start at the bottom. Many of the ‘runners’ have brothers and father higher up in the drug-dealing ranks, but they still start as runners. They move up quicker due to lesson one. Not sure if this is true in the corporate world, but I imagine it is (I am not well connected).

Lesson 3: Shut your mouth and wait your turn

Import lesson learned both in the drug-dealing world and the police department. You need to shut up because no one higher up wants to hear your ideas or solutions. They don’t pay you for that. Instead, you need to shut up, do your job, and wait for your turn to make those decisions. You can only hurt yourself by spouting off your ideas when not asked.

Lesson 4: Manage your image

Changing people’s perception of you is almost impossible to change. Hence the phrase “you only get one chance to make a first impression.” Stringer was always a drug dealer , nothing he did in the business world would change that. McNulty was always a rouge cop, nothing he did would change that. You get my point. You need to manage your image in the office right away. Work overtime, come in early, leave late, and do it right away. You can get lazy once that first impression is solidified.

So these are only four. I could probably write a book about this (or at least a few more lessons). Just sort of interesting that the show is about a dysfunctional police department and drug dealers, but it really parallels real life.