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TheDonaldTrumpShowOnTelevision

Pat Snipp suggest that Dani and I watch "The Apprentice" (I think it's called) on TV. She said it reminded her of PSL.

Well, we watched, and it was superficially like PSL, except for several things:

- Our PSL people were smarter than this bunch.

- Their debriefing sessions are all about blaming, not about learning.

Anybody else notice anything?

I was just stunned by the blind acceptance of the cult of the heroic manager. They're supposed to be gearing up to run a large business yet:

• Running a Planet Hollywood with a staff of at least dozens, all the planning was about what the apprentices could do.
• Running that same Planet Hollywood, one team only occasionally took the advice of the one person on their team who actually ran a restaurant for a living.
• Neither team asked the folks who already worked there: "OK, how do we make more money here?"

Meanwhile no decision about engaging, mobilizing, or even recognizing the resources available to them has been the focus of criticism or the dramatic weekly "firing".

-- JimBullock, 2004.02.05 (Obviously, I'm not Trump material.)

Despite hearing from friends about the greatness of the show, I refuse to watch it. Donald Trump's pesona creates a gag reflex in me. Is he so starved for attention that he needs to appear on a show where his role is to fire people? Sick. Doesn't the man have any shame?

SteveSmith 2004.02.09

Doesn't the man have any shame?

You have seen his buildings, right, the ones he insists carry his name (usually in immense gilded letters?)

- JimBullock, 2004,02.09

Nice observation, Jim.

If the building says anything about the person who authorized it, I know what I need to know.

SteveSmith 2004.02.10

A - He's not very creative about the over-compensations he chooses for his "small" problem.

-- JimBullock 2004.02.11

I'm with Steve on this. Trump's style (or lack thereof), hair, hunching posture, arrogant role ("you're fired"), and ridiculous words really alienate me. I can't watch this show, not even for a minute. The scenario is so contrived and Trump's participation as a leader does not make sense to me. As far as success goes, I'm not sure where it comes from in his case. His acquisitions and buildings are not particularly interesting or original in design or significance, except that they're all large. Like Jim said, "compensation" may be this guy's big driver. He's not a model to set one's sights on, except perhaps to take pot shots at.

JayPortnoy 2004.03.02

I looked at the website http://www.nbc.com/The_Apprentice/. Looks like a case study in the devastating effects of competition.

Esther 03.03.04

http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/managersjournal/20040302-managersjournal.html

quote:

"o why are 18 million Americans glued to the puffery, pushiness and deception of "The Apprentice"? In part it's because we are fascinated with train wrecks..."

and

"Rather than show inspirational team leadership and the building of coherent cultures, "The Apprentice" teams are designed as circular firing squads -- hardly the staffing pattern of an enduring enterprise. The selection process resembles a game of musical chairs at a Hooters restaurant where sexual baiting and pleading is confused with effective salesmanship"

KeithRay 2004.03.04 (I haven't watched it myself.)

PhilStubbington 2004.03.05

Well, I watched The Apprentice last evening. Once will be enough for me.

There was a scene where two members of the team got into a fight. One woman, who had apparently suffered a concussion some time earlier, wasn't feeling well. She wanted to sit down for 25 minutes and eat lunch. The other woman rolled her eyes, made faces, shouted and swore at the woman who waned to eat lunch.

Guess which one was fired?

The Donald was displeased that 1) She wanted to eat when she "should be working;" 2) She always had excuses. Apparently having a concussion is not an appropriate reason for not working through lunch. (He pointed out that he'd been hit in the head many times [!]).

The Donald did say one thing I'd agree with: You can't sell something you don't believe in.

All-in-all, I think the article that Keith points to pretty much gets it right.

EstherDerby 03.05.2004

The parts of this show I have trouble with is the idea that when you're assigned a "team" of people: a rotating project manager can create a team; that the project manager is somehow completely responsible for everything everyone else does (or doesn't do); and that the only thing that's important is making money. The overemphasis on equivalencing success with money with no consideration for integrity and the ability to build a team that could succeed better the next time bugs me.

I find this a juvenile approach to management and leadership. -- JohannaRothman 2004.03.14

Apparently they're doing a UK (that's the United Kingdom, and not the University of Kansas) version with Alan Sugar instead of Trump. Alan Sugar is responsible for such top quality brands as Binatone and Amstrad. I'm sure they were quality to him, in any case. He also snapped up Sinclair about 20 years ago (who kick started the home computer industry in the UK) so that Sir Clive Sinclair can no longer use his own name on computer related products.

PhilStubbington 2004.10.31