Danny Fired For Lacks...

Lack of decisiveness and creativity were the 2 principal factors in this loss.   

Danny's lack of decisiveness cause the Magna to flounder early in the task.  Causing last minute decisions that luckily turned out okay, and a team that was frustrated before the heavy lifting even began.

The lack of creativity meant that there was no overarching message in Magna's campaign and this cost them the win.  While this was a team issue, the environment created by the lack of decisiveness didn't foster creativity and moral was being impacted by Michael's presence.  (Another factor that Danny didn't decide to deal with decisively until too late, if even then.)

When Danny finally got creative and made a decision - to bring exempt Michael into the boardroom with him it wasn't clear to Donald if it was a sign of creativity or just a case of not playing by the rules.   

I think that Danny had one other lack that was a factor in him getting fired - the lack of a killer instinct.  Danny was working as an advocate for Verna early on.  If he had left things as they were, Verna could quite conceivably stayed in the game.  If she had stayed in the game and there was a boardroom - she would have been a target.

Since Danny didn't bother trying to foist the blame onto Stephanie (a big point in his favour but another nod towards the lack of killer instinct), there really was no one else to fire.

Danny was fired because his team lost and he was responsible.

Comments

[RJ]

Danny needed to go because he was weak. Verna needed to be kicked to the curb for last weeks meltdown. But no, not Danny, he wants to do the whole group hug, I'm OK, you're OK feelgood stuff. LOSER!!!! Oh yeah, let's take a vote on this.... WHAT? Weak, weak, weak.... Sorry, dude. Go back to the 60's and your commune, there is no place for bleeding hearts in business.

[Armchair Rob]

While I am not an advocate of Danny and his look I really do believe he was targeted in a way. I mean all those cookiecutter corporate 'candidates'put him down when he stayed real to his roots and continued to be himself.

I like Danny, I think he got a raw deal. In fact, almost all these candidates are a joke. Danny seemed the 'realist' out of all of them.

[brent]

i think danny is a lump over-written resume. he has mistaken sloppyness for creativeness. nothing he did was creative. NOTHING. he just hides behind his guitar and musical "skills."

this is danny and his guitar: "oooo, i can't make deicisions~, i'm a pansy -- let's all hold hands and help poor vernaaa, but look everyone, i'm playing guitar! everyone likes that right? look at me, look at me! i'm singing a song! i'm singing a soooooong, about whatever i thiink, it sucksss, but who careesss, becuase i'm a fool on national tvvvvvvv yahoooooooo"

[RJ]

Danny got we deserved. Sheep get slaughtered, that's the way it works.

[Likwazi]

Danny really sucked...what was that about taking a vote? Consensus and business are not buddies. On the other hand his Mother Teresa strategy may be good at the womens shelter but not in Trump Towers. Verna was gonna be the sacrifice anyway. As for Mike I can bet he will be soon be catching the yellow taxi...exemption is far off buddy and you poisoned the chalice.

[youbet]

Danny was a wimp,but Michael was a waste as well.
Should have fired both. BS on rules can't be broken.Dt say Ms got a raw deal. She broke more than a few "rules"

[prudhoeguy]

danny is just as big a star as donald trump!
ROCK ON DANNY! EAT LIFE UP!

[PM]

I don't think Danny got fired because he lacked creativity but he was indecisive with that single deal making. He was not a horrible leader like Brian and Todd before. I think Danny is the most articulate person in TA3 AAMOF. He is also very intelligent and got a good heart. I would have fired Micheal instead.

[Danny supporter]

People like Danny usually don't survive well in the business world. Their heart and ethics get in the way. I applaud Danny for caring about Verna, for not BSing, for wanting to hear what others think. While I think Trump is right that leaders lead with authority, are of an independent mind, Trump will make his millions. . . and people like Danny will make this world a better place. Ultimately, character matters more in this world than money.
And Michael should have been fired. What he did was near sabotage, treason.
And, no, I am not Danny.

[leslie bennett]

I think Michael should have been fired! You can not always controle people , or employees[ who are people]. In this show you can not fire people, only Donald can. Michael took advantage of the fact that he was exempt and did nothing because he was not the one in control. I do not believe he will be any different in any situation unless he is project manager or " in control" of the project. He seems to be a spoiled rotten kid. I think Stephanie's idea to over rule the exempt idea is a good idea.
s

[RJ]

Danny wasn't "targeted" by anyone. Danny was his own worst enemy. As far as creativity goes, throwing ping-pong balls through a box as a promotion for a burger? Suggesting that a team member sit out because she doesn't feel good?
Taking a vote?????? Having to be seen with the guitar all the time? Is this summer camp for nerds or The Apprentice?

[Rachel]

Michael got off too easy. I can't believe Donald let him get away with doing absolutely nothing - he completely abused the exemption rule. Though Danny didn't do a great job, Michael was the obvious choice.

[Lex]

I found it interesting that when asked if Danny was a bad leader, Stephanie repeatedly said that he was indecisive, but never said he was a bad leader.

I've had colleagues in sales and the service industry say that they can't imagine someone like Danny succeeding in business.

Having worked in businesses focused on B2B creative services such as DotComs, New Media, and Advertising industries and Tech business focused on research, I've worked with a lot of "Danny"s. The business world they grew up in has been one of play, personality and entitlement. A world where the business culture was sometimes more important than the actual business of the business. (Which caused many to implode during the DotBomb.)

In order to attract and keep the best-of-the-best the starting salaries were high, the perks the best and the teams encouraged to work hard & play hard. Businesses had pool table, big parties, massages and beer fridges in the office for their people. Decisions on which company to work for was often based on the perks and business "culture", rather than a passion for the product, work or industry. Many come out of that environment with a much different view of business than those who've worked their way up through businesses that actively require customer service or sales.

As a leader in a business in that niche, I see Danny's desire to build a team, to help Verna through and get concensus coming directly from that kind of background. I didn't think he would stick it out without a shift in perspective, however I didn't expect he'd get fired so quickly.

[Amir]

Damn the rules!

Michael is just an arrogant sob and i hope he fails in everything that he does!

"People like me don't walk, we drive"

how arrogant can this SOB be? damn i wish i could steal his car and give it to charity. For people who got to ride public transportation and walk to make a living. That arrogant SOB.

[Jay G.]

Danny -- a said situation.

I really like the guy and I think he's very valuable in a business setting. Just not as a leader. I'm sure he comes up with the kinds of cool ideas and outside-the-box thinking that is very important to business. He just tummed out in this task because he's such an egalitarian. That's clearly not what Trump seeks.

So, yea, I agree that Danny should have been fired. Michael had an exemption and that's that. It's OK to bring him in -- but it's only to make a point. There's no way Trump can lift the exemption. That's the ONLY rule they have!

So peace, Danny. You'll be missed by this view.

Fired in short order:
1 - Michael
1A -- Kristen

Won't get fired soon:
Angie
John
Bren
Alex

[JT]

For you Tivo users, go back to right after Trump fires Danny. As Stephanie and Michael enter the elevator, the door closes and you see Stephanie put her arm around Michael's arm or holds his hand? What do you think?

[RJ]

Please, anyone defending Danny, give me one example of his "out-of-the-box" thinking. Ping-pong balls, Ipods.... OK... I'm still waiting...
Danny was nothing more than style over substance. He thinks because he dresses retro and plays 60's music that he is more creative than the rest of us. Sorry dude, you suck.

[PC]

I'm sure The Donald drinks powdered coffee -- the way he gushed all over the Nestle flacks -- the "largest food and beverage company in the world" must have paid a Trump-popping amount to have Mr. Trump dance out of his stretch -- for what was an hour long informercial in prime time. It seems that ever since Oprah hit marketing nirvana with the big car give-away, every brand manager is trying to come up with the next Amazing Event That Captures Everyone's Imagination and gets Zillions in Free Publicity!

This was not it.

Of course, the Nestle shuck-'n-jive was trumped by two staggering announcements this week -- first, the news of negotiations for an Apprentice Broadway Musical -- and I'm not kidding -- followed by the news that Martha Stewart will host an Apprentice show of her own when she gets out of the slammer. (Maybe she could do a prison renovation segment).

And then there's Michael. Someone needs to tell the dude that even "rich people" in NYC walk on nice summer days -- and that every promotion doesn't need a "babe" attached -- although I think he was dreaming of the casting sessions. He thinks of himself as a "mini-mogul" -- I guess in the Mini-Me mold. And I'd bet the show producers picked this guy because he was sure to be someone everyone would love to hate -- create drama, tension, conflict -- i.e. television.

If you're interested in a high-level corporate HR perspective -- check out Heather Hamilton's blog, she's Senior Recruiter for Marketing and Talent Acquisition at Microsoft, and blog diva. She writes about the show -- also, you can listen to an interview she did on www.Landed.fm that's interesting.

[Leigh]

http://blogs.msdn.com/heatherleigh

The Apprentice Episode 3: Who drinks that stuff anyway?

Danny and guitar. He likes Verna. He likes to save people...he's too compassionate for his own good (hey, don't blast me yet...you'll see). He tries to pull together a "support group" for Verna which pretty much ticks off everyone. Verna decides she's out of there. If it's isn't going to work for you the best thing you can do is go. Erin baby talks and that really bugs me...I'll eat my hat if she makes it into the final 4.

Bren says you "have to have a burning desire to be here"..he's right. Or else you have an acid reflux problem and you should definitely not book a performance on Saturday Night Live. But if all else fails, do a jig.

Trump Square and Nestle'/Nescafe/Taster's Choice. Yowza..the product placement here is making my head spin and who drinks that stuff anyway? It is freeze dried coffee. They take something that is mostly water and then FREEZE DRY it. That can't be good. Hmm, maybe that is the point. The teams are asked to create a PR campaign. Aha! This one is about promotion and product awareness (and interestingly, the company just got sued by the guy whose face is in the Taster's Choice label, but otherwise, I have not heard the words "Taster's Choice" pass the lips of anyone since 1978). I would have asked Trump if they have the option of naming it Emergency Coffee or Camping Trip Coffee...Coffee Sand for people who don't like water (kind of like pop rocks but not poppy). Am I turning into a Seattle coffee snob? Is it just me? Trump says Nescafe is "really good"...jeesh! Please, tell me if you know someone who drinks this kind of coffee...I need to know.

Magna project manager...Danny, the singing promotion guy (hey, he might actually drink freeze dried coffee so there could be some logic there). Michael starts his crazy talk with "Everybody loves a European supermodel"...say what? To fill up prime time TV time, we see lots of shots of Michael doing nothing except starting fights. I'm sorry, but I saw this coming. Michael...lazy...blah,blah, blah.

Over at Net Worth, Chris explains that screaming stuff is a great promotion tactic and we'll get to see him do this later (even the guy in the foam coffee cup looked annoyed). Angie, project manager for Net Worth, comes up with the All American theme. If by All American she means nobody in any other country would drink freeze dried coffee, I predict a winner. I truly didn't see the connection, but it won't end up mattering that much because Magna comes up with nada. And to make matters worse, they outsource nada to an event management company...and none to quickly or cheaply.

Danny can't make a decision and now I am starting to understand the wardrobe a little bit more. Danny's a nice guy, a decent troubadour but not a good manager...anyone surprised? Someone mentions the HP iPod and though it has little to nothing to do with coffee, they have to go with something...any word that will get peoples' attention when Danny sings it to them. iPod rhymes with mod, fraud, maude, broad...we have a winner! Glad they didn't pick the theme of "orange".

Michael says "people with money don't walk, they drive" and so it is here that we see that Michael, despite his credentials, has no understanding of the concept of a target market segment. Like the guys in the big limos are chugging down that Nescafe.

Net Worth cranks at their little political rally and now I see a cohesive idea. Taster's CHOICE...get it? Cute. And it sounds like they actually made the product more appealing by serving it cold. I would have called this elegant execution if Chris wasn't yelling and then asking why nobody wanted his coffee. Oh, plus you are not allowed to use the word "elegant" in reference to anything that involves a coffee cup costume...one of those weird NY street laws.

We get to the board room and the Nescafe folks have to make up some nice stuff to say about Magna. Otherwise, there would be no suspense leading up to Net Worth's win. This is called the producers dumbing down to their audience and I wish they would stop. Networth gets a cool helicopter ride. Magna gets the board room.

The team tries to get Trump to overturn Michael's exempt status but we all know it's futile. Danny brings him into the board room anyway. Not a smart move but it won't matter because as much as they try to make us think it won't, we all know what will happen (I'm not letting those producers fool me anymore). Stephanie shouldn't have been there. Michael forgot that there were cameras filming and wonders why he won't end up as Trump's new Apprentice. Danny gets the boot, which leaves a nice imprint on his polyester pants.

At the end of the day, a bad teammate is bad, but a bad leader is deadly. Next week's episode is sponsored by the Target on Michael's back. OK, not really, but I see Danny Deutsch and someone is going to do something "offensive". You know how bad it is for them to call it "offensive" after last year's advertising challenge and also after all the "offensive" stuff that has happened already this year? The show might have to move over to Sirius radio. Whee!

www.Landed.fm

[PM]

Magna is doomed without Danny, the rest of the team looks awfully weak. The only undamaged ones in Magna are Bren and Kendra. (I dont see these two can win though.)

[PM]

Rj,
How about Danny's idea of the poolside party in the motel? You didn't watch the yahoo extra footage, cheap and cheesy furniture arrived late due to Micheal decision to save money. Magna will lose in that task hands down without the party.

[RJ]

That was a good idea. That can hardly make up for total lack of business focus and drive. Again, he is soft and weak, more driven by feelings and emotion than the desire to win. He needs to go teach third grade public school in a blue state.

[TJ]

nothing like having people write out the script of what happened, as if we didn't see it for ourselves.

Danny and his touchy feely side got on my last nerve. . . it's business!!! His bio says that he OWNS a company . . . doesn't state that he comes up with promotion ideas that actually make it!! He obviously hires people to do that!

We don't have to worry about it, Michael has already placed the rope around his own neck. He will hang himself before it's over. The party was all that won it the week before for MAGNA anyways. . . and that was Danny's idea. (only good one he has had the whole time-that one came easy for him)

[D Trump]

Honestly do you think NBC is looking for ways to sabatoge the season. Does anybody care? We are in definate train wreck territory. No one is the least bit interesting. The assignments are rehashed (what food product will they have to sell in Times Square). There is no "eye candy" for the men. Donald has morphed into...well...more DONALD. The street smarts/book smarts gimmick does not work. Tell me how _______ got on the show (you can fill in anyone and it makes sense.

[jenniferm]

I think this year's task are way better than last year. Selling ice cream or lemonade on the streets of NY didn't take any skill--and the women took advantage with the outfits to sell more. Let's hope we don't have to have any programs like that.

I do think they need to come up with tasks that are a variety of different business skills--marketing, finance, customer service, facilities management, event planning, etc. They have done a great job so far, but I have yet to see a finance type task. Maybe simulate some type of buying of stocks, funds, hedging bets, dealing with highs/lows of trading in a certain time period.

I would have thrown out the rules if I was Trump and fired Mike. Danny would be gone soon enough but Mike behavior should send a signal to all the candidates.