The Apprentice 2 Weekly Performance Review, Episode 1: Crustacean Frustration

You redeemed yourself somewhat in your teammates' eyes by ditching your idea when the design team didn't like the idea. I don't think it was a case of your taking the design team's opinions over your teammates. I think you realized they might be right, and got a second opinion. Either that, or you wanted to use the design team as proof that your idea was good. I think your self-deprecating, "my idea sucks" comment shows that you were changing your mind.

In any case, you showed tremendous leadership in a situation where it would have been easier to lay low and allow others to take the reigns. You're not afraid to take big time risks and put them all on your shoulders, and that puts you above and beyond everyone else right now.

Mosaic Corporation:

Man, and I thought I hated "VersaCorp" last year! I'm firmly behind Raj, I can't stand the name - it's mamby pamby and weak. You don't think a man like Trump would have gone nuts for "Empire"?

I have to say, I wasn't thrilled with Crustacean Nation. It was a decent idea, and it seems like it got the short shrift because you didn't get the chance to present the entire storyline, with the card game and everything. It may have been a better idea in terms of long-term sales, but we've learned throughout the first series that long-term thinking doesn't always work as well as you might think.

Chris, John, Kelly, and Kevin: Again, there just wasn't enough shown of you this week to get a good opinion. However, is it just me, or does Kelly bear a striking resemblance to Nick from season one?

Wes: We didn't see a lot of you, but what we did see wasn't very positive. With every comment, you painted yourself as a cocky, unlikeable boor.

Raj: I like your style. I have to wonder if the bow tie, cane, and red pants are just who you are, or you are specifically trying to set yourself apart from the herd. Either way, it worked, big time. I am right there with you on the team name, and wish you would have spoken out more in front of Trump about it. The only problem is, Trump may single you out as a "loose cannon." He likes people to think differently - just not TOO differently.

Andy: You strike me as a bit of a blank slate. Your mind is like a sponge, you're ready to learn. Employers LOVE that. And you're obviously intelligent. But Trump needs someone to RUN the company, not to LEARN how to run it. So you're at a huge disadvantage right off the bat, but I think you can prove yourself. You came up with the idea, even though it lost, it proved you have something to contribute, "even though" you lack experience. Pamela really teed off on you in the boardroom, so if I were you, I would volunteer to be Project Manager next week to PROVE you deserve to be there.

Pamela: I can't believe you weren't fired in this episode. The only thing I can figure is that they think you'll be the source of drama in the future. Why? Let's see. You insulted the kids in front of Carolyn and the execs. How did you know that wasn't one of their kids? How would you have felt if George stood up in the boardroom and said, "That was my grandson"? You tried to blame Mattell - the biggest and most successful toymaker in the WORLD - by saying that they didn't understand the contest. Nice. You have an ego that needs to be slapped down a few pegs, and Trump is just the one to do it.

Let's continue, though, with your many faults. You didn't even understand the concept of bringing an extra person back into the boardroom with you. You didn't utilize your entire team to its full potential, as many people besides Rob complained that you were ineffective as a delegator. The way I see it, your only positive this episode was volunteering to lead, as that is a BIG plus in Trump's eyes. That's not nearly enough for me, and you've got a HUGE negative on your account right now. I don't see you lasting very long.

Rob: I can't say it any better than Trump - you shouldn't need to be told what to do. If you don't have anything to do, do SOMETHING. But as bad of a leader as Pamela was, it was a bit surprising to see your teammates turn on you so badly, just because you had one bad idea and then clammed up. Maybe they pounced on the weak, but I'm guessing there is more to the story than meets the eye.

Mike DeGeorge has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, and has almost ten years of management experience. He is also Assistant Editor of RNO. Email Mike at mikmaria@charter.net.

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