The Apprentice 4 Weekly Performance Review, Episode 2

As I mentioned last week, this series of articles focuses on the business actions of each player on The Apprentice. Toward that end, I’ll be giving a capsulated performance review of each applicant. Warning, a few comments on game play just might sneak in there, too!

Capital Edge: I was much less impressed with Capital Edge’s campaign than the two execs making the final call. I felt the opening was hokey and the “Do you need permission? Prove it!” line was a weak closing. However, I never professed to be a marketing genius, and they are the customers!

Jennifer M.: Jennifer was one of three who produced the video, and the video was a big part of what the ad execs liked. She came up with the ad-closing “Ask permission” line, which they all liked, so I will give her a GOOD rating.

Kristi: Kristi was another of those who produced the video. She didn’t seem to understand that the video task was 50% (not 90%) of the total assignment, and she didn’t understand that – right or wrong – Marshawn felt the print task was at risk and needed more of her attention. I mean really, did she want Marshawn sitting over her shoulder all afternoon, is that what she wanted? I will give her a NEEDS WORK rating.

Alla: Although Alla thought she was doing an excellent job directing the video, she spoke down to one of the crew with the annoying, “Can you handle this, hello?” comment. She also got a barely-tolerant eye-roll from the videographer, who was very aware he was dealing with an amateur. Alla also gets a NEEDS WORK rating.

Felisha: We saw Felisha primarily working with Marshawn on the print campaign. It looked to me that she had things under control, and it was evident that the ad execs liked the print campaign. GOOD.

Marshawn: Marshawn led the winning team, so it’s hard to judge her too harshly. But she made one big mistake.

Perhaps what Marshawn saw while at the video shoot convinced her that the task was in good hands, and that the three blondes could handle the “editing” phase. However, she really ought to have been there for the startup of that task, to ensure they were all on the same page.

She did say on the phone that she would see the edited product before it was finished. Whether she did or not, we may never know. However, by then it may well have been too late to make significant changes if the task was going awry. Big risk – bad risk! And had they lost, Trump would have bounced her for that decision alone. She NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.

Rebecca: It’s hardly a business factor, but getting injured during a reward event was… unfortunate. It may become a factor, though, if it prevents her from contributing as fully as she might want to in a later challenge. Too bad she wasn’t on Martha’s version of the show – planting a garden is a much safer reward. Apparently, skating is harder than sprinting across a golf course. Between Biggest Loser, Survivor, and now this show, where did all these klutzy contestants come from? With nothing else to go on, I’ll assign a GOOD rating to Rebecca.

Toral: Toral was seen being honestly compassionate to injured Rebecca. This builds her a definite ally in the game. GOOD.

Jennifer W.: For the second week, I don’t have anything related to Jennifer W.

Excel: There seems to be a communication problem on this team. No, not the one between Markus and the rest, the problem is between your team and The Donald, George, and Carolyn.

The guys got really got beat up in the Boardroom. Their confidence was interpreted as cockiness. The disruptive efforts of Markus were never acknowledged. The fact that Markus did have his chances and blew them was never brought out, instead, George was convinced that Markus was “marginalized.” Most importantly, no one was able to stem the tide of constant criticism and get the focus back where they wanted it… on Markus.