Radclyffe Consulting, LLC

Malfeasance or Ignorance? The Apprentice Sunday, February 18, 2007

Here we go.  The Apprentice provides me with so many opportunities it's hard to select which topic to go after.  But on this one, I am going to focus on whether the team deliberately "threw" the project or were just stupid.

So, you work on a team for a boss you don't particularly respect.  You find out a piece of information that is of critical importance to the success of the project on which you are working.  Either you don't recognize it's importance or you do recognize it's importance.  It's that simple. 

Play Nice With Others

What is it about people in business that they can't figure out that it is important to learn how to "play nice with others?"

While we know that corporate America is a very competitive business and when it comes down to it, the individual must stand on his own merit, it doesn't mean colleagues need to be obnoxious and even cruel to each other.

Why Can't They Learn From Their Own Mistakes

In it's new season, The Apprentice candidates still aren't demonstrating that they can incorporate past learnings into their strategy on future projects.  If I were interested in becoming an Apprentice, I would review and analyze all of the past shows so that I could gain a strategic advantage, wouldn't you?

Liz's Insights About This Season's "The Apprentice"

Are you kidding me?...Every time I watch this season's, The Apprentice, I wonder how smart these, what we call in corporate America, "HiPos" (high potentials) really are.  I mean, if I was going to be on The Apprentice, I would make sure I had watched it and learned as much as I could before going into the interviewing process.  Not only do they make the same mistakes as past candidates, but Donald will actually give them advice and they don't take it!!

Let's talk about bringing people into the Boardroom.  If Donald Trump says, "You can bring  one or two people into the Boardroom and I think you should bring in two," why would one not listen?  That's not very smart. In fact, it's downright stupid.

Here is another one.  Bringing someone into the Boardroom who actually tried to stop you as project leader from making the exact mistake that lost the project just because you don't like him.  Now we are talking absolutely moronic.

Oh, and I almost forgot about being really late for a meeting with the key clients who are also the judges and then not proactively apologizing even after the key clients point it out to you.  And let's not forget Lenny who asked no questions of his key clients so he could understand the success measures for the project and still doesn't think that was a mistake.  Now, yes, Lenny was the project leader, but no one else stepped up to the plate either and then complained about the fact that no questions were asked.  I think Donald should have fired the whole team for that one!  Except the season would have been over way too soon.

Dear Lord, I am so frustrated at watching this mediocrity that I'm sending my staff to apply - they would run circles around these "apprentices."

Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" - Leadership Lessons of March 23, 2005 - You've got to be kidding me!

Oh my goodness!  I don't know where to start on this one.  Okay, maybe I do.

Out of all of the shows, beginning with the first season, these "Apprentice" candidates (who, by the way, are supposed to be the brightest and the best) keep making the same mistake on their projects.  It is so frustrating I can barely stand it.  Why don't they learn from the past mistakes?

Before I start though, I am so frustrated I am going to write directly to the Apprentice candidates in this blog, instead of my usual "let's get a learning from this and apply it to all business situations."

Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" Leadership Lessons of March 10, 2005 - "Out of Touch"

After the March 3rd episode I wrote not about Audrey, but about John.  And now I get to write about him again.

Unlike George and Caroline, I am not going to focus on his poor negotiation skills.  I think they expressed their concerns about that topic already.

There are so many elements to John's "leadership style" it's hard to select only a few, but this time I will focus on his interaction skills with prospects and team members.

Since the world revolves around John, he is completely unaware of his impact on others in the moment.  At first I thought he just didn't care how others perceive him, but I began to notice that when he was talking to the artists, he missed some obvious verbal and non-verbal cues.  This is important because many individuals in business miss these critical cues when dealing with their subordinates, superiors and clients.

Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" - Leadership Lessons of March 3, 2005 - Let's Not Get Personal

I know, I know, Audrey definitely had it coming.  But what's with making it so personal?

One of the first mistakes in leadership - which is what this show is supposed to be about - is making things personal.  So this time even though Audrey is the ideal target, I'm not going to talk about her excessive whining or her "beauty" versus brains.  I think it's pretty obvious why Audrey was fired.  I agree with Donald.  She had to go. I'm looking at someone else this time.

Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" Leadership Lessons of February 24, 2005 - There is no "I" in Team or Five Nails in the Coffin

Wow!  This week's The Apprentice provided at least five leadership lessons.  It made up for last week's. Here we go...

We've all heard of the expression, "There is no I in Team," haven't we?  Okay, so maybe Tara has never exactly heard that expression, but really - it's so obvious.  I would call her adept about being controlling, but she isn't even subtle about it!  She isn't subtle and didn't learn from her mistakes and that's why she deserved to be fired.

For all of her street smarts, she isn't the least bit political and if she doesn't learn this lesson now, corporate America will chew her up and spit her out. Donald, did you really mean to say you are sure she will be a success, or were you just being kind?

Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" - Leadership Lessons of Feb 10, 2005 - Building Consensus

What is the Leadership Learning from this last The Apprentice?

Here we go...  Getting consensus from your team is essential.  Whether or not they all agree with the vision is not the point.  The point is that everyone on the team needs to believe in the leader.  Her vision, her goal and the the end result. Even if she leads them to destruction, they must believe that they should support her 150% as the leader.

And that's what went wrong with this last version of The Apprentice.  While the one group had the worst TV spot ever, Donald Trump selected the team that was most cohesive, rather than the team that had a great idea, but failed in the execution.

A team that supports the leader and her vision will ultimately prevail.  So, how does one build this kind of support?  Let's look at The Apprentice team in this situation.

The project leader that was fired did not ask for input from her team, but expected them to follow blindly.  It was obvious that she thought she was "in the know" because her boyfriend is a director.  She moved ahead without gaining buy-in and without asking for her team's input or feedback.  While she had the better concept, she failed because she railroaded over her team, without providing them an opportunity to offer their insights and feedback.  She also treated the acting talent badly -- like they were the vendors who had to do what she wanted.  In the end, she failed.  And was fired.

While the other project leader was weak and the entire team had a bad idea which led to failure regardless of the execution, they stuck together to try to ensure success.  While she may not have believed in the cucumber concept, she supported the idea and tried to oversee the successful execution.  In the end during the obvious failure she didn't place blame.

And that's why she was not fired.  She stuck by her team and they by her.

The leadership lesson of the week from The Apprentice?

Get your team's consensus.  Don't place blame and stick together no matter what.