apprentice redux

For the first time in my life, I was compelled to contact someone from a reality TV show.

Crazy, huh? Well, Bruce and I are certifiable Apprentice junkies. We've learned a lot about group dynamics watching the show... expetcing impending train wrecks... contrasting the maverick Trump (whom we both admire) with the overly cautious Martha (of whom we now have a lesser opinion). Most people watch for the cat fights. We watch to figure out how they could be avoided.

While Trump's candidates, this season, were mostly great picks, there was much dysfunctionality on the Martha show. So many women seemingly fraid of confrontation (not that I'm the best with it myself, but it's something you gotta ge tused to in business). No one was a stand-out candidate, the whole time I watched the show.

But Jim grew on me. Quickly. Everyone hated him as the loud-mouth, the egoist. I have no idea why TWoP and others called him Hateful Jim -- I didn't see the hate! Me, I saw raw talent. I saw drive. I saw someone who has tons of creative ideas whom I'd love to work with. In the end, the MSLO people got tired of his treating the show as a "game" -- that business is not a "game". Like hell, it's not! Conversely, a company must always strategize about getting customers on board with them, and not with the competitor.

In the end, Jim was third to last fired on the show, leaving behind two women whom I'm sure are great employees, but I'm not sure they're leadership material. One of them seems to be focused on small tasks and forgetting about the big picture (and leaving some of the details to fall behind if need be, to get the whole event working). The other one seems less creative and not dynamic enough. Yet this is who Martha wants to work for her. Cryin' shame, if you ask me.

And this is why, for the first time in my life, I had to Google someone to send them a note of support. I found Jim's website and emailed him (and got a response today!). What compelled me was that everyone -- and I mean, everyone, from Apprentice message boards, to chats with my personal friends, to TWoP -- had nothing but negativity to say about him. Jim seems like a strong guy, and this would probably roll right off his back; but I thought... can't hurt. After all, why pass on an opportunity to form a potential new relationship? He was very appreciative. Too bad he lives 2500 miles away... I'd much rather work for him than any of the schmucks I've sold my soul to over the past 10 years.