‘Apprentice’ lessons go far beyond hiring and firing

  • Eric Zoeckler / Business Columnist
  • Sunday, April 18, 2004 9:00pm
  • Business

Deborah, a former retail store manager and budding entrepreneur, was beyond shocked that this column would write anything remotely positive about NBC-TV’s “The Apprentice,” as we did a few weeks ago.

Utterly banal, devoid of any reality to today’s workplace, a disgrace to working women was the gist of her reaction to the program that otherwise has captivated an estimated 22 million Americans in the final episodes, which concluded Thursday night.

It mattered little which of the surviving two of the 16 original job applicants – Kwamie Jackson or Bill Rancic – actually heard “You’re hired” from the lips of multimillionaire Donald Trump, signaling the opportunity to run one of his businesses for a year at an annual salary of $250,000.

It mattered even less that Trump had signed extensions with NBC for $3.2 million for 32 more episodes, proving that Americans will spend eight or more hours working, then come home to watch a television program about what they left behind at the office.

What mattered is that people liked learning from “The Apprentice.” The program is the rage at many business schools, inspiring a spring-quarter management class at the University of Washington called “Management Lessons from ‘The Apprentice’.” They will feature a 30-minute teleconference with George Ross, Trump’s senior counsel and a sidekick on the show.

What are we learning? Here are some “Cliffs Notes” observations from our occasional look at “The Apprentice”:

  • Lesson one. Maybe the best man does win. After 16 weeks of selling their sexiness, back-stabbing, lying or just acting downright stupid, few criticized the final choice between Harvard MBA Jackson and Chicago-based entrepreneurial success Rancic.

  • Lesson two: Why not the best woman? The eight women candidates, when placed together as a team, completely outshined the men on such projects as crafting a marketing campaign, negotiating the lowest price for common products and managing a working shift at a Planet Hollywood location.

  • Lesson three. Back-stabbing, dishing and treachery ultimately will lead to your demise. When the surviving women were placed on teams with the men, they lost focus, became argumentative, shirked responsibilities, made ill-informed decisions or bungled their assignments (suggesting that separate-sex schools may be right for our kids).

  • Lesson four. The basic business tenet of accountability reigns. In the end, Jackson and Rancic were seen as less combative, shrewder, even contemplative, certainly less reliant on blaming others (without the facts) when it came down to Trump’s weekly firing of contestants. In explaining the loss by a team he managed, Jackson told Trump, “Excuses don’t explain and explanations don’t excuse, so I’m not here to offer any.”

  • Lesson five. Despite this, the back-stabbing, lying and acting stupid probably were what brought the millions of viewers back to the show every week.

  • Lesson six. Thinking outside the box will trump (no pun intended) not thinking. Given the chance to run competing pedicab companies in New York, the winning team earned more by placing advertising on the backs of their rigs. In another episode, an all-male team decides to create a firm’s marketing campaign without first interviewing the company’s principals (honestly).

  • Lesson seven. Quitting is not tolerated in a team setting. Just ask Nick, who literally gave up trying to get customers to eat at Planet Hollywood during the men’s shift.

  • Lesson eight. Managers who lose their temper and yell don’t earn respect. Just ask Sam, who got the ax in episode three by trying to “motivate” one of his negotiating teams by screaming at the top of his lungs.

  • Lesson nine. Building and maintaining effective relationships with co-workers and the boss (in this case Trump) while thinking strategically get you ahead. Getting to week 16 without getting anybody upset with him while often speaking his mind about others obviously impressed Trump about Jackson.

  • Lesson 10. In the end, what works in “The Apprentice” works in business. Get a good education, be well-dressed and well-groomed, criticize only when you have the facts, possess well-grounded business skills and consistently work hard.

    America has learned that such actions will help you hear “You’re hired,” instead of “You’re fired.”

    Write Eric Zoeckler at The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206 or e-mail mrscribe@aol.com.

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