I run a team building and accelerated learning company that helps teams from rapidly changing organizations improve their effectiveness. Our services include team building, accelerated learning programmes, and meeting planning & facilitation. A number of our sessions are simulations loosely based on TV shows like The Apprentice and Survivor. We use these simulations as a tool to help companies fine-tune their sales, marketing and corporate strategy. The "fun factor" IS an important aspect of team building. The key is that every activity is thoroughly debriefed and mined for business insights and applications.

Over the past few years, I have noticed a disturbing trend in the types of activities that are dubbed "team building". It's almost become a flavour of the month club. Everything from drumming to hot air ballooning to paint ball to grape stomping (recently featured on The Apprentice) is called "team building" and comes in and out of fashion. I think that if this trend continues, team building is in danger of being dismissed as irrelevant fluff.

While it is important for team buiding sessions to be upbeat and engaging, the sessions should be solidly grounded in helping the organization improve its way of doing business. After all, we are talking about businesses not country clubs.

We need to put the "corporate" back into corporate team building. Sometimes, companies put the cart before the horse and select the venue, the menu items and the recreation before the purpose of the team building session has even been clarified. I have seen instances in which the budget has been used for an exclusive resort or high end conference facility and the agenda has been filled with recreational activities. There was little time or money left for a meaningful session in terms of achieving business results. I even had one client ask if we could cut a session down from 1 day to 1/2 a day so that the participants would have more time for shopping.

If a team needs to let off steam or re-charge its batteries, by all means, go for it and arrange a social event. You can arrange a strictly recreational event at a fraction of the cost of an off-site retreat. Go to an amusement park, order a pizza, go bowling.

Team building should never be used just as an excuse to booze it up or to try some outlandish activity just because the company is picking up the tab. If this continues, more and more companies will simply turn off the tap and team buiding will become something that we "used to do".

The Apprentice is one of my favourite shows. Why? It's simple. It feels like home. It reminds me of some of the tough political dynamics and intrigue that one experiences when they are working in a fast-paced, rapidly changing corporation.

The pressure is on! On The Apprentice, the cut throat competition that is usually behind the scenes and disguised in the form of subtle innuendo, is exposed and laid bare for all to see.

This was apparent during the season 4 finale and the controversy that followed it. Let me refresh your memory. Dr. Randal Pinkett, a highly educated and experienced African American business man, was crowned as "The Apprentice". When all the excitement that accompanied the announcement had subsided, Donald Trump asked Randal if he felt a case could be made for Rebecca to share his title. Randal responded "..this is the Apprentice, not the Apprentii". The controversy that followed Randal's response was unprecedented in the history of The Apprentice.

Let's look at Randal. Dr. Randal Pinkett was a Rhodes Scholar. He has a Ph.D. and MBA from MIT. Combine that with over 12 years of business experience with giants like Lucent and an entrepreneurial track record. His education, business experience and track record on the show were HEAD and shoulders above Rebecca's. Compare Rebecca's 1-2 record with Randal's 3-0 record. Remember, Randal pretty well handed Rebecca her only win. Combine that with Randal's outstanding leadership skills, and his incredible likability.

Now I am not taking anything away from Rebecca. She is bright, hard working, and determined. She overcame some incredible odds and thrived under pressure. She even completed the season with a broken ankle. In the grand scheme of things, though, people seem to forget that Randal was coping with the death of his grandmother which was an even MORE traumatic experience than a broken ankle.

Now I am not taking anything away from Rebecca. She is bright, hard working, and determined. She overcame some incredible odds and thrived under pressure. She even completed the season with a broken ankle. In the grand scheme of things though, people forget that Randal was coping with the death of his grandmother which was an even MORE traumatic experience than a broken ankle.

So, why the controversy? Was Randal being selfish? Was "The Donald" out of line with his queston. Or was some other more subtle dynamic at play? I'll give you my take on this controversy in Part 2.

So, was Randal being selfish? Was "the Donald" out of line with his question? Some writers have even gone so far as to brand Donald's question as "racist". I think that this misses the mark. After all, Donald did select Randal as his apprentice and other African Americans have done well on the show. In my opinion, more subtle dynamics were at play. It's all about perception and it's not conscious.

Remember, the age old advice that many Black parents have given to their children "You have to be twice as qualified to get the same job as a White person"?

I am not for a second taking anything away from Bill Ranic. He is the Apprentice because he earned it. However, let's contrast how Randal's victory was handled with the season one finale.

This time we have African American Kwame facing off against Bill. Kwame had FAR more experience and a much solid tack record than Rebecca both on and off the show. He held a B.S. in Business Administration (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and an MBA (Harvard). He had entrepreneurial experience with a number of dot coms and experience with Fortune 500 companies including solid sales and marketing experience with Procter & Gamble a stint as an Investment Manager for Goldman Sachs on Wall Street. Yet, despite all of this, was Bill asked if Kwame should share his title? No!

The results of a poll on the NBC's official web site for The Apprentice are telling:

Who would you have hired?

- Randal 42%
- Rebecca 58%

It is unbelievable that, despite Randal's STELLAR track record, Rebecca was STILL perceived as the better performer.

A bright and talented but relatively inexperienced Caucasian woman whose only win on the show was virtually handed to her by Randal was perceived as being more of a super-star than Randal. In fact, it boggles my mind that consideration was even given to having TWO "Apprentii".

It all comes down to perception and a lot of this is not conscious. That is why it's difficult to address subtle racial dynamics in the corporate world.

Sadly, even in 2006, a person of African descent has to out perform his White co-workers by a LONGSHOT to be even CONSIDERED as an equal. On the Apprentice we once again saw that "art imitates life" demonstrated in FULL force. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

No. Randal was not ungracious. He was appropriately assertive in response to a very difficult and unexpected question. Good for you Randal!