First time, I've seen The Donald's show 'The Apprentice' and I guess a combination of low expectations, beer and pizza helped in seeing it as something more then awful. The show had two teams each having to create a half time show at a soccer game for GNC. The 'losing' team basically had a bad idea badly implemented. So, at the end of the show, the PM was 'fired', not the person who came up wit h the bad idea or anyone in the team who helped implement the bad idea or the person who spent the show hedging his bets and covering his butt. Lesson 1: the show is like reality, project managers are not judged on how they manage but how successful the team is - IN MOST COMPANIES and politics plays a substantial role in determining who 'takes the fall'. Unlike what is taught in Project Management 101 (where the focus is on PMBOK) - that a PM is judged by how they follow the PM processes and manage, real life is a bit different. A PM needs to: know how mature the company is that they are working for and adjust their plan to- know how mature the company is that they are working for
- realize that they need to ensure they continue to have a job, in order to have the opportunity to help mature the company (if possible)
- realize how they will be judged
- know who's in and who's out and adjust as well as possible
Here's a link to the specific show: http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/trump/06/episodes/week8_videos.html#1643682
And the PM who got the message You're Fired! (from the Donald)
http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/trump/06/candidates/surya_bio.html
Firstly, I must say Surya is an incompetant, anal idiot. I was lavishing his exit on last night's episode. Despite the heavy editing that probably portrayed him as being more anal than he might be, the facts are there: it was Tim's idea but a duty as project manager is to accept or reject ideas from your team. Also, I was atounded when Surya made everyone be quiet for 5 minutes in the van so each individual could "reflect" and generate ideas. This isn't fricking prayer, it's a brainstorming session. It was quite obvious that the team would function much better without him (and please spare the excuses of his winning record), and it was the correct decision. Despite, the fact that I do not particularly care for the Webhead, James, he was not at thought for this lose and neither was Tim, who was just generating ideas during a brainstorming session. Surya was so damn annoying, thank god he's gone. Check out my view at www.theangryapprentice.blogspot.com
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