The Apprentice 3: Why Michael Lost

Michael was so disliked on his team that the entire group of them got together and tried to get Donald Trump to overrule exemption. It was a stupid move, but it shows just how much they could not stand Michael and how horribly he failed at the fifth rule.

Sixth is to focus on the long term. Frankly, I don’t think Michael could focus on much of anything beyond maybe when his next slice of pizza would be coming. The way he acted certainly showed he did not understand the idea that this is a long-running game and the idea is to make it all the way to the end. Michael deluded himself into thinking he’s just like Trump, but there’s no way Donald Trump would act anywhere close to the way Michael did!

Let’s look at one instance of poor long-term (and for that matter, short-term) thinking. Michael was half-heartedly trying to peddle the group’s massages and spa packages in the street. When he saw that George was there, did he perk up and try to put on the best face possible for one of the people reporting to Trump and helping make the decision on who should go? Nope. Instead, he walked over and complained to George that it’s creepy for a man to sell a massage. George disagreed with Michael, but did he take the hint? Again, nope. He brought up the same issue in the Boardroom, with George sitting there! That’s no way to stick around, even if he had made it past this particular Boardroom.

The seventh rule says to think outside the box, but not too far. One problem Magna has had is, as Bren said, not being creative enough. However, Michael’s ideas tended not to be creative, just dumb. They were often outside the box – but way too far to be of any use to anybody.

Eighth is to not be one-dimensional, and Michael wasn’t. However, this time it’s not a good thing, because he was pretty much zero-dimensional. He couldn’t lead, he couldn’t follow, he couldn’t sell, he couldn’t come up with ideas. He couldn’t really do anything.

Finally, we have the rule that says to use common sense. I hardly know where to begin with Michael. Most of the items that fall here have already been discussed elsewhere. For example, it defies common sense to complain to George! However, one deserves special mention.

One part of this rule specifically deals with how to act as a Project Manager in the Boardroom, but it can also apply to anybody else in the Boardroom. It says players “need to listen to Trump… and pay attention to what he says about people.” Michael was so interested in slamming Bren that he completely missed the fact that Stephanie was the one whose head was approaching the chopping block. So he jumped in to attack Bren, which was simply not a smart move at all. If somebody else is being targeted, by all means let them be the one to face the fire!

Despite what Michael thought, he was not like Donald Trump. He was more like the Anti-Trump. He did so many things wrong that it’s frankly amazing he ever thought he should be a contestant on The Apprentice. He took on no particular role – he was not a good leader, a good salesman, a good thinker, or even a good follower. Heck, he even burned his pizza in the oven! He was also lazy, whiny, bratty, and stubborn. He broke just about every rule for playing The Apprentice, and made up some new ones to go against as well. Michael may well be the worst Apprentice candidate so far, and that’s saying something. That is also why Michael lost.

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David Bloomberg is the Editor of RealityNewsOnline and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com.

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