The Apprentice is back and provides compelling viewing once again. The first person to get fired was Dan Harris, the project manager on the boy’s team. His behaviour, which came across as dictatorial and bullying, was what ultimately cost him his job.
Of course, The Apprentice is a show of extremes - as I learned first-hand when I took part in season two. The makers deprive you of sleep, cut you off from your family and put you under extreme pressure – then they put a camera in your face. Add in the fact that everyone is trying to stab you in the back, as well as unachievable deadlines, and it’s no wonder we all come across as useless no-hopers!
But how representative is the show of today’s workplaces? The Apprentice is extreme because it’s telly and it’s supposed to be dramatic, but how do the people in your organisation respond to pressure?
Harris’s behaviour last night made me think about the subject of bullying. If you were to ask the working population if they have ever been bullied I would guess that a high proportion would say “yes”. In these tough economic times, when we have to do more with less, the pressure can lead to frustration and stressful situations, and ultimately draw us towards a very basic type of leadership. We start telling not leading.
The problem with bullying is that you might not know you are doing it. As we know from the new legislation in this area, it’s not whether you think you are doing it, it’s whether the other person thinks you are - it’s not for them to prove that you did it, it’s for you to prove that you didn’t.
One of the lessons that I learnt from my experiences on The Apprentice is that it’s no good being right if you can’t take anyone with you. When our backs are against the wall, when we are asked to do more with less, it’s time to take the considered approach. Ask your team what they think then stand back and lead. Although we want the quick way, the more considered, longer route offers a much better outcome in the long term and is much nicer for the human race too.
Learn a lesson from Harris and take your teams with you today.
The Apprentice, 9pm, Wednesdays, BBC. Episode one is available to watch on BBC iPlayer until December 22.