Trump School of Business, Part Deux
| posted by Linda TischlerToday, class, we will discuss the latest management technique postulated at the world's most cynical business school, NBC's "The Apprentice."
The problem: How to get rid of an obnoxious co-worker.
The solution: Put him in charge, then hang him out to dry.
OK, so the fellas of Versacorp did try their best to negotiate good prices for squid, golf clubs and cigars, and even went so far as to endure an excruciating leg wax (Troy should be granted permanent immunity for that ordeal) for the team. And to their credit, they managed to get a buck off the price of a gold ingot without once wiggling their butts or squealing (the girls should be required to wear Laura Ashley dresses as penance for that mortifying display of un-senior VP-like behavior). But the main lesson was less about the Art of the Deal, than the Art of the Double-Deal. Slimy Sammy never had a chance, up against the cunning Kwame and his co-conspirators.
The lesson here: watch your back. Required reading: Machiavelli's The Prince.
Management thought for the day: "No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution." -- Machiavelli, The Art of War
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Recent Comments | 8 Total
January 22, 2004 at 5:46pm
Cheri HunterI almost touched on the Machiavellian theme earlier. I'm glad you brought it up. It's sad that this is the message being presented, and that we have not learned from recent headlines that may ring a bell, hello ENRON! Means to an end do matter in the long run...
January 22, 2004 at 5:51pm
johnmooreI missed the second and third episodes of the Apprentice, but I did check out the first episode. The issue that gnawed at me was that the success measurement of the Lemonade Stand assignment was based solely upon the immediate ROI. The men developed an enduring business plan (leveraging resources with neighboring businesses) while the woman developed a built-to-flip business plan.
From a marketing perspective, I felt that both groups missed the MEANINGFUL selling point of the lemonade. The men and the women tried to sell the lemonade by talking about TASTE ("... its the best cup of lemonade you will ever have.") They went the route of making up a story and not telling the story to sell the lemonade. The real meaningful selling point to buying a cup of Apprentice Lemonade was the opportunity to be on television. Exposure on television is the real story and not the taste. Imagine how much more lemonade they could have sold if their pitch was something like, "For two dollars you could be on national television ... and get a cup of lemonade."
A two dollar investment to potentially be on national television ... I would plopped down the two bones and gladly leave sipping lukewarm and watery Apprentice Lemonade.
johnmoore
BRAND AUTOPSY
January 23, 2004 at 11:02am
John A. ByrneOk, I confess. The Apprentice has become my newest and latest guilty pleasure. It's contrived challenges, its frenetic candidates, and Trump's synthetic wig are enough to keep me interested. And, frankly, it's telling. It opens up the politics and hidden agendas of business like no other TV show ever. Sam needed to be shot. His team set him up for execution. Smart move.
January 23, 2004 at 2:02pm
johnmooreOh how I wish The Apprentice was on FOX and not NBC. That way, the winner wouldn't get the plush executive role serving as Trump's mentee.
Instead, they would win the assignment to be the apprentice for the hair stylist that does Trump's comb-over. Now that's reality television!
January 25, 2004 at 1:33am
Lilo DuffI only watch to see if Trump's hair falls off but, it occurred to me it's held on by the vacuum in his head. I'd love to see him with a wet head of air, almost completely bald except for the sixty inches of hair on the back of his head that hangs down to the floor.
January 25, 2004 at 4:51pm
VeraI don't find it wrong to have used that strategy to get rid of Sam. At the end of the day what matters is for the team to win. Sam was definitely an obstacle for the guys and with him they had zero chance of making progress.
In real life, unfortunately, there are many Sams in the workplace. And putting a Sam in charge of a project won't necessarily be the best alternative (the end result would just be too obvious and YOU could end up getting fired.
January 26, 2004 at 2:50pm
michelleTrump in the shower is a hot idea
March 25, 2004 at 8:44pm
FCCWhen will "reality" shows be forced to admit that they are as scripted as anything on TV. And what exactly to these wanna be actors get fired from, their clause of secrecy contract?
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