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Lessons from Donald Trump and The Apprentice: A Career Coachs Perspective
What can we learn about careers from watching Donald Trump and The Apprentice? 1. Recognize that job tests don't always correspond to job realities. Hundreds of companies screen candidates through psychological tests, stress interviews, group interviews, role-playing and a whole lot more. Do these tests make sense? * Martin Seligman found that optimism often outweighed raw sales talent when he tested Metropolitan Life sales representatives. * Lawyers tell me that law school tests have little relation to what they do on a day-to-day basis, especially if they're litigating or negotiating. * And most of us would agree: The way we act during an interview or role play doesn't predict how we'll survive and thrive on a day-to-day basis. So we can't fault Donald Trump for creating elaborate scenarios that force candidates into roles they'll never need once they're safely inside real boardrooms. 2. Prepare to confront sexism in the 21st century. Critics -- and Caroline --may raise their eyebrows when women use sex to sell. Season 1 brought overt flirting and short short skirts. Season 2 brought Ivana Ma, who will unfortunately be remembered for downloading her skirt to reveal some flowered bikini something or other. But let's face it, folks. Who chose these contestants? Twenty-something women wear tank tops and short skirts -- no big deal, they would say. They mostly have long straight hair and they're above-average attractive. Trump regularly brings up gender issues -- even dividing teams along male vs. female lines -- and obviously has an eye for the ladies. He's another generation. But even the young men on the show aren't immune. Discussing the magnificently blond Jennifer, one young man summarizes: she's a lawyer, she's smart -- and she's beautiful. Season 1 introduced a couple of men who weren't GQ material. One was sort of a teddy bear, the other a cold fish who tried to overcompensate during the task. When will we see a blunt-speaking, slightly overweight woman with glasses? 3. Choose environments where you'll shine and stay away from situations that bring out your worst side. It's easy to criticize the Apprentice candidates. After all, they're supposed to be the best and the brightest. But lots of bright business whiz kids don't want to take three months off from their lives and their businesses. Riding around in Trump limousines can be fun, but they'd rather start working to buy their own fleet, thank you very much! Who wants to sleep three feet away from the competition in a crowded loft, while cameras show you sleeping, eating and brushing your teeth? Not everyone can handle this type of living arrangement and the resulting pressure. What's amazing is not that these candidates seem rather weak, but that candidates of this caliber showed up at all. 4. Keep your cool, no matter what. Trump -- and most of life -- rewards people who can promote themselves professionally. Emotions and cat-fighting don't cut it, here or anywhere. In my opinion, Ivana's conduct in the boardroom was worse than her street scandal. Instead of promoting her own qualities, she turned on fellow contestant Jennifer -- who wasn't even present. They could all take a lesson from Season 1's Bill Rancic, who never raised his voice and yet managed to put forth his own case, powerfully and calmly. 5. Expect some smoke and mirrors. Sure, reality television isn't very realistic. Each episode ends with a cab ride -- to a Manhattan hotel, where contestants hole up till the taping ends and the "losers" no longer have to hide their identity. (Hopefully they get single rooms!) Some Boardroom episodes reportedly have taped voice-overs of Donald Trump. Real companies don't send executives out to the street to hawk candy bars or lemonade. Their executives get more than a few days to create advertising campaigns. But real companies operate with smoke and mirrors, too. They place ads for positions when they have a a pretty good idea who they'll be hiring. They have agendas: sometimes people are set up to lose. And they participate in staged dramatic scenes. A Fortune 50 VP (now retired) once told me about a tough labor negotiation. "The union leader and I agreed on our position in the afternoon. We announced we'd be negotiating all night. I slept in my office; he slept in the conference room. The next morning, we emerged, claiming a hard-won compromise." Not so different from reality television, is it? I offer one-to-one consultations on career and business strategy. About The Author Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com. "Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294
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Business Management 3 Secrets to Developing Superior People Skills 1. If What You Are Doing Is Not Working Change Your Approach Working With Choices Despite our skills, experience or expertise we can still make a meal out of making a choice! Curse of Competence: How Being Good gets in the way of Becoming Great Just before the storms hit last winter, my father-in-law and I replaced 26 feet of fence on my property. I must say, for a couple of non-handyman-sorts like the two of us, it is a very well done fence. Addiction to Worry Carole started counseling with me because she was depressed. She had been ill with chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time and believed her depression was due to this. In the course of our work together, she became aware that her depression was actually coming from her negative thinking - Carole was a constant worrier. Many words out of her mouth centered around her concerns that something bad might happen. "What if I never get well?" "What if my husband gets sick?" "What if I run out of money?" (Carole and her husband ran a very successful business and there was no indication that it would not go on being successful). "What if my son gets into drugs?" "What if my kids don't get into good colleges?" "What if someone breaks into the house?" The Rewards and Risks Of Personal Freedom We all need to decide whether to "play it safe" in life and worry about the downside, or instead take a chance, by being who we really are and living the life our heart desires. Which choice are you making? Use a Journal for Self-Discovery and Self-Expression As a therapist, I often suggest to clients that they explore their feelings and thoughts by keeping a journal. Sometimes clients ask for a bit of direction with this process. Here are some journaling ideas if you are not sure where to start: Coaching Skills for Peers: Extending Influence Many people think of coaching solely as a management technique. Although coaching skills provide managers with the means to get business results while creating solid relationships, the value of coaching in other arenas is often overlooked. Utilizing coaching skills is also beneficial when cooperating and collaborating with others, developing influence within the organization, and getting effective business results. Budda In Your Back Pocket The other day I was late for something. Not very late. In fact, I was actually on time but an angry voice berated me anyway, saying, "You are late! There will be no seats left. You wouldn't run late if you were more organized!" It was a terrible feeling, especially because the voice was partially right. Creating Supportive Environments I'm writing this on my laptop in a Cosi café in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The reason I am here has nothing to do with me or my business, but the reason I can continue to be successful in my work is because I have set myself up to do so. How? By creating supportive environments. In this case, the laptop, the appropriate software, and the ability to connect to the Internet, as well as the support of my husband, all contribute positively to my accomplishment of the task: writing and submitting this column on deadline and without stress. The Problem with Blame? If You Fix the Blame, You Ignore the Problem Have you ever found yourself in a hurry to leave the house for an appointment when you could not find your car keys? Sometimes, It Just Takes ONE Conversation to Change Your Life! I was thinking this morning about the importance of the profession that I am in. Besides doing various trainings, workshops and consulting, I also coach people. Coaching is a profession that continues to develop but it originally came out of the self help industry. Many of the first coaches were publicists, consultants, sales professionals, and financial advisors. Much of what these people loved about what they did was helping people figure out how to achieve their best. Is Coaching For You? More and more people have less and less time, but have greater demands both personally and professionally. This situation has resulted in the emergence of personal coaching within four basic areas: Financial, Physical or Fitness, Life or Career and Executive Performance. Poise, Posture, and Performance Good posture is seen to have many advantages. From an aesthetic point of view it can enhance image, sending out the right signals (body language). For an athlete it is seen to be essential. But what is a good posture? We recognise poor posture when we see it, as it is evident in the majority of adults regardless of athletic ability. But just to confuse the matter, people with an ideal 'plumb-line' posture can also have poor movement patterns. This is because it is not the shape that is important but how it is maintained. An apparent 'good' posture can be achieved with totally inappropriate muscular activity. Finding a Mentor in the 21st Century Traditionally, mentors volunteer the wisdom of their experiences to help others who wanted to follow in their footsteps. These days, many people have learned to appreciate the value of a good mentor. Business Career, Executive, Life Coaching Article Mechanisms of the Mind (Achieving Success) Suppose that the human mind is nothing more than a bio-computer and that the function of this computer is to get its owner exactly what he says he wants.. The computer mind takes what you say very literally. So, if you say you cannot do something, the mind interprets that as a command and makes sure you cannot do it. If you say you are confused and don't know what you want, the mind makes sure you have that experience. Let Go of Your Past People have a difficult time letting go of the past because they are held back by unfinished business. They may regret choices they have made or feel guilty about past actions. As long as guilt and regret are not resolved, it is difficult to move forward. Tips For Singles On Celebrating The New Year It's four weeks away and you don't have any plans. Many of your friends will be away or out with their significant others. You can't believe it's been a whole year and you are facing another dateless New Years Eve. What can you do? Why Bosses Dont Get All the News Not long ago, a friend who works in television complained that the industry has no interest in real business stories. And, I had to agree with him, since we don't see much coverage that doesn't involve stock prices or some sort of scandal. What Dost Thou Speaketh? Hey, Affirm This Way! Articulating repetitive statements with emotion will inevitably connect you to your primary focus. Your destiny is guaranteed, when you repeatedly, decree a seed. How can I make such bold statements? Because ancient wisdom showed me years ago, "As a Fran thinketh (and speaketh); so is she." Leadership Coaching at Gettysburg The battle at Gettysburg is one of the most notable events in U.S. History. It is a battle where more lives were taken than in any other battle in North America. In this small farming community in 1863, George Meade's Union Army comprising of 90,000 troops met Robert Lee's Confederate Army of 75,000. We can read volumes of literature and accounts of heroes, leaders, front-line soldiers and others directly and indirectly impacted by the event. Certainly there are incredible leadership coaching and other lessons from the lives of these men and women and the strategic events which became the critical turning point in the Civil War.
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