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EPISODE SIX LESSONS

Anthony Parinello and Beth Gottfried
10 SECRETS I LEARNED FROM THE APPRENTICE
Chamberlin Brothers, 2004

Michael Robin
LESSONS FROM THE APPRENTICE
Time, Inc. 2005
 

In the boardroom

Omarosa, Jessie, Heidi, Troy and Kwame all filed in. When Donald asked what happened, the consensus was clear: Jessie was the weakest team member. There would have been no question who Donald should fire, but then, Omarosa spoke up. In an attempt to compliment Heidi, Omarosa managed to say that she thought Heidi wasn't always professional, didn't have much class or finesse - at which point Donald broke in, stunned, saying that he thought that was the absolute worst compliment he's ever heard. Donald was surprised by Omarosa's sharp edge. So, he gave both Jessie and Heidi a chance to respond to Omarosa, but neither took the opportunity. They were diplomatic and even said that they still liked Omarosa, something that Donald couldn't believe. Then, Omarosa chose Jessie and Heidi to face the firing with her.

Once the players left the boardroom, George and Carolyn both criticized Omarosa. George thought that she was abrasive and he questioned her leadership abilities. Carolyn said she didn't see Omarosa's leadership qualities. Donald then called the three women back into the room. He said that he was taken aback by how Omarosa treated the other two women in the boardroom just now. He added that he'd also seen other such rude behavior from Omarosa before. But worst than Omarosa's lack of social skills was Jessie's complete passivity. Jessie just let Omarosa ride roughshod over her. And, in the words of The Donald, took too much "crap." And for Donald Trump, not standing up for yourself is an even greater sin than being unprofessional. As Jessie began to plead for her spot, Donald fired her.

Commentary

  • Read the Client's Clues. Protege seemed on the verge of losing big when they didn't connect with entertainment impresario Russell Simmons in this episode.  Although he felt uncharacteristically anxious about meeting a man he idolized, Kwame went into Mr. Simmon's office confident that one of Protege's carefully considered ideas would click.  Instead, the pitch bogged down as every idea presented flopped.  Omarosa tried to come to the rescue, but Simmons only got crankier.  On the sidelines, Troy realized Russell was responding as much to Kwame and Omarosa's stiff deliveries as to their ideas.  So he laid the drawl on thick and jumped into the conversation. The ice broke the minute Simmon's heard the Boise boy's accent.  Soon he was poking good-natured fun at Troy while the two hammered out an agreement.  "Troy's a great closer," admitted Kwame.  "His country demeanor helped close the deal."
    In contrast, Troy's teammate Jessie completely failed to read Isaac Misrahi's cues when their neogtiations headed south.  As Jessie ticked off ideas in a tone usually reserved for toddlers or pets, the celebrated designer's expression indicated his impatience, then his incredulousness.  Still Jessie droned on.  Finally, Mizrahi could take no more, and the discussion ground to a halt.  Jessie's failure to change course despite unmistakable signs that her approach was failing nearly left Protege high and dry.  Although Troy once again saved the day with upbeat energy and ideas that were more in line with Mizrahi's clearly indicated enthusiasm, Jessie had made herself look like the team's weakest link.

Lessons Learned

Negotiate Tough

"Everyone needs to have a walk-away--a combination of prices and terms that represent the least you will accept; without one you have no road map in negotiations." - William J. Kaiser

  • Remember that every negotiating situation is unique.
  • Ask the advice of others with experience before a negotiation.
  • Learn from past negotiation sessions.
  • Know when to walk away.
  • Adapt your strategy to the person you're talking to.
  • Keep in mind that different people are motivated by different things.
  • Do your research beforehand.
  • Never be afraid to ask for something big.

Gold Stars:

***
The Report Card
Protege:
  • Effort --
  • Performance --
  • Creativity --


 
Versacorp:
  • Effort --
  • Performance --
  • Creativity --


 
 

 
EPISODE 6