| Three key success lessons emerged from
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| | Muhammad also claimed to be the best but
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| 'The Apprentice'. 'The Apprentice' is a
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| | he was not applying for a job as an
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| very popular reality TV show in both the
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| | apprentice i.e. some one who is ready to
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| UK and the USA. This article is based on
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| | learn.
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| the UK version of the show which features
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| | Another favourite to win probably blew
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| Sir Alan Sugar who, like Donald Trump, is
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| | her chances at the interviews as well.
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| a highly successful businessman.
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| | Ruth is a very successful manager and
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| Sir Alan Sugar, the East End boy who
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| | sales woman but she, at times, appeared
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| became a multimillionaire businessman
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| | arrogant and even aggressive.
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| with a reputation for blunt speaking and
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| | She shocked one interviewer by failing to
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| toughness, spent about twelve weeks this
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| | knock on the door when she barged in for
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| year selecting an apprentice to run one
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| | her interview. She was fond of describing
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| of his business projects.
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| | herself as the badger. Her real name was
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| More than 10,000 people applied for "The
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| | Ruth Badger and she lived up to it.
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| Apprentice" and a chance to get a
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| | She made large claims for what she had
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| six-figure salaried job with Sir Alan
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| | achieved in previous jobs. Her
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| Sugar. The 14 finalists had done well to
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| | interviewer found these difficult to
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| get into the last stages of the process
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| | believe: "She sounds like wonder woman!"
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| but only one would win the prize.
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| | In her final interview with Sir Alan she
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| I did not learn as many lessons about
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| | did not sound like a future apprentice
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| success in business or in life from the
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| | should:
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| program as I had hoped but there were
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| | "I am the all rounder. I will increase
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| three important success lessons which are
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| | your revenue; I've already got the
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| worth remembering.
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| | skills"
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| Sir Alan, himself, was asked at the end
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| | If she already had the skills, why bother
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| of the program what lessons he had
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| | to be an apprentice? Even a tough
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| learned. His answer was a surprising
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| | character like Sir Alan does not want to
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| one: "You don't buy a hundred chickens
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| | have to deal with an over confident
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| for a hundred pizzas!"
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| | 'badger'.
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| He was referring to a task set early in
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| | In the end the job of apprentice went to
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| the process of evaluating the candidates
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| | the quietly confident but determined and
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| to be his apprentice.
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| | ambitious Michelle Dewberry who started
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| One bright spark called Syed Ahmed had
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| | her business life as a check out girl
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| been given the job of ordering the food
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| | with very few exam passes to her name.
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| ingredients necessary for an event in
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| | Michelle had probably not been as
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| central London. His team would use the
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| | successful as Paul and Ruth in the tasks
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| ingredients to make food that people
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| | they were set but she managed to remain
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| would buy from their food stall. The aim
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| | in control of herself even when fiercely
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| was to make a profit which was greater
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| | questioned.
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| than that of their rival team.
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| | Nor did she lose her control in the final
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| Syed's team decided to offer Italian food
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| | event when she found her team were
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| including pizzas. Syed acted with
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| | letting her down. Instead she gave her
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| careless abandon and total disregard for
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| | opinion of their behaviour forcefully and
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| detail. He ordered a hundred chickens
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| | then took effective steps to put things
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| without figuring out how many chickens
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| | right.
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| would be needed to make one pizza. He
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| | Michelle, like Sir Alan, came from a
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| also did not bother to enquire what size
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| | tough background and like him could swear
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| the chickens were. They turned out to be
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| | like a trooper. Plenty of people had told
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| huge!
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| | her she would fail but this added to the
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| His team, as you can imagine, ended up by
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| | flames of her desire to make more of
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| wasting a large amount of money before
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| | life:
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| they started selling and in the end the
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| | "I have many people saying to me you are
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| pizzas did not sell that well. Large
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| | going to be on the dole. That's what
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| numbers of very large chickens were
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| | drives me."
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| eventually thrown away and Sir Alan like
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| | When Michelle started the assessment
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| any good businessman does not like to
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| | process she heard the other candidates
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| have his money wasted.
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| | talking about how great they were and how
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| Many businesses and other enterprises
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| | much better they were than the others.
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| fail because people do not keep a close
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| | She wisely kept her self-confidence to
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| check on the money they are spending. Sir
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| | herself:
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| Alan explained forcefully that he did not
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| | "People underestimate me because I'm not
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| like to see people p*** his money up
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| | loud or cocky; they meet me and think I'm
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| against the wall.
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| | a bit quiet, or I'm a bit blonde,
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| All of us need to learn the importance of
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| | whatever, and they are sadly mistaken."
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| counting the numbers involved in any
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| | Michelle is, in fact, a very attractive
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| enterprise whether they are about
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| | blonde and always takes care to present
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| chickens or anything else. Success is
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| | herself well. Sir Alan could hardly have
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| often a numbers game whether you are
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| | failed to notice this and the way she
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| counting calories or the number of press
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| | could persuade people with her feminine
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| ups you perform daily or the money you
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| | charm.
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| save every month.
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| | This is not a politically correct asset
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| Many candidates did well in the tasks
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| | but, given Michelle's other qualities,
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| they were set but then blew their chances
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| | might well have given her the edge.
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| in the interviews near the end of the
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| | Three main success lessons emerge from
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| elimination process. They had no idea
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| | this year's apprentice. They apply to
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| what kind of businesses Sir Alan was
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| | anyone who wants to succeed whether as an
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| running even though they claimed to be
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| | apprentice or working on their own.
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| keen to have a job in his organisation.
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| | Don't waste money especially if it
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| They had failed to do their homework and
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| | belongs to your employer!
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| came into the interviews totally
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| | Do your home work. One ancient writing
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| unprepared. Success usually involves
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| | says: "If ye are prepared, ye shall not
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| doing one's homework. "Preparation
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| | fear."
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| Prevents P*** Pot Poor Performance" to
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| | Do not come across as big headed unless
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| use words that Sir Alan did not but might
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| | you plan on working on your own! Simply
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| have used!
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| | appear quietly confident and give every
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| Paul Tulip, a head hunter, was one of the
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| | task, as Michelle did in her own words:
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| most successful candidates but he had
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| | "110 per cent!"
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| failed to prepare for the interviews. He
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| | Eventually people will judge you by your
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| had also failed to hand in a decent CV.
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| | actions and results rather than by your
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| His other mistake was to appear arrogant
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| | over confident words. Read the story of
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| rather than confident. One interviewer
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| | David and Goliath again!
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| took an instant dislike to him. Part of
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| | If you find acronyms helpful, remember
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| the interview went as follows:
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| | the word CAN.
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| Paul: "I think I am brilliant!"
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| | You can achieve almost anything you
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| Interviewer: "Don't keep saying that!"
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| | desire if you remember the importance of
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| Paul: "I can get on with anyone!"
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| | the following three key success traits
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| Interviewer: "You don't get on with me!"
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| | and techniques which make up the acronym
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| Paul never recovered his status with Sir
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| | CAN:
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| Alan after the interviews. Later he
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| | Confidence i.e. have confidence in your
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| explained his arrogant attitude.
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| | ability to learn new skills and to
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| "I thought I'd better say that I am the
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| | persevere until you achieve those goals
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| best and then I have something to live up
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| | which you desire most.
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| to."
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| | Advance Preparation i.e. prepare as
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| His girlfriend commented: "He says he's
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| | thoroughly as possible for whatever you
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| the best every day. I just say: 'Of
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| | are trying to achieve. Make lists of what
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| course you are darling.'"
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| | you need to do or learn. Work on these
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| The interviewer was less tolerant: "I
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| | key tasks every day.
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| didn't like him. At 25 you can't be the
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| | Numbers i.e. keep a close check on the
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| best. He's just a chancer."
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| | actual numbers or details of what you are
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| Sir Alan also commented that Paul was too
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| | doing or pay some one else to do this for
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| cocksure.
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| | you. Checking numbers will keep you in
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| Paul's strategy might have worked if he
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| | touch with reality. Start counting your
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| had been a great boxer like Muhammad Ali.
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| | chickens!
|
