Home : How to Win a Boardroom Brawl

How to Win a Boardroom Brawl

Posted by Sean Yazbeck on 2/19/2007 at 5:17 PM
Posted in Apprentice, Leadership, Success

Reflections on The Apprentice Episode Six

Something incredible happened in last night’s episode. After Aimee and her team lost their task, she got together with Jenn, another member of her team - and revealed her plan to attack Jenn in the boardroom the next day! And then Jenn, who was probably trying to be honorable, said, “Well if you say that bad thing about me, then I am going to say this about you.” And she laid out her entire strategy. During that conversation, they both gave away any competitive advantage that they might have enjoyed in the boardroom firing session. And that was just stupid.

There will be times in your career when you will get into a go-for-the-jugular situation like one of the Apprentice firings. And when you do, why tell your opponent how you plan to attack them? Why give away the advantage of surprise? It makes no sense! Just keep your mouth shut and execute your strategy.

If your opponent wants to open up and tell you about his or her plan of attack, just listen and don’t say a word. Then prepare your attack, using the information you receive.

Something quite similar happened to me last year. Before one of the firings when my position was at risk, another candidate named Allie told me exactly how she planned to attack me in the boardroom. So I chose not to say anything! I didn’t want to give her the chance to readjust her argument, so I kept quiet. Then in the boardroom when she attacked me, I destroyed her argument in 10 seconds and then it was a moot point and we moved on. Mr. Trump never thought anything more about her charge against me, because I had destroyed it by using the information she had given me.

So don’t put yourself at a disadvantage by telling people what your strategy is going to be. And when you are entering a live-or-die conflict, apply these tactics too:

Interrupt your attacker. Every time someone starts talking about you negatively, don’t let him or her talk. Interrupt, and keep on doing it! It is incredibly rude, but there are times when you have to do it. If you are in the boardroom fighting for your life with Donald Trump looking on, you can’t sit there quietly and wait to have your say. You might get killed before that ever happens. Anything can happen in there. If Mr. Trump starts attacking you, you are going to try to talk over him? No. You have to fight toe-to-toe when the opportunity presents itself. You have to go into some settings with the attitude of a pit bull.
Keep quiet and stay out of trouble. If no one is saying anything that involves you, shut up! Stay out of trouble and don’t say a thing. Last night at one point, Aimee actually volunteered the fact that when she went into the mall where her team would be signing up sweepstakes participants, she had not noticed that there were a lot of Hispanic consumers there. She volunteered that information! Why volunteer information that can only reflect badly on you? Avoid trouble instead, by simply keeping your mouth shut.
Adjust your battle plan to the setting. There are business settings where the law of negotiating is give-or-take. You make your point strongly, then listen to the other side, and so on. But a firing in The Trump Organization is not that kind of place! Donald Trump is one of the most aggressive businessmen on the planet. He is fair, he listens, but his boardroom is not a place to give up any competitive advantage that you might have.

There are places to engage in fair play, and places to go for the jugular. To come out a winner, you need to know which is which.

As winner of The Apprentice (2006), Sean Yazbeck, was selected by Donald Trump to oversee construction of the 5 star hotel condominium, Trump SoHo, in New York City. Yazbeck's role included overseeing negotiations on all acquisitions and purchases for this $500 million project.

Yazbeck has since been working with the Trump Institute to set-up WAVSYS, a national technical staffing company providing individuals, project teams and strategic outsourcing services for engagements in IT and telecommunications. As Founder and CEO, WAVSYS leverages Yazbeck's 12-years of unrivaled recruitment expertise, for which he was awarded the EB1 Green Card for "persons of extraordinary ability".

In 2006, in recognition of his multiple achievements the mayor of Miami Dade County, Carlos Alvarez, named June 20th, as "Sean Yazbeck Day" in Miami-Dade County. More recently in 2008 the Governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear, bestowed the honory title of "Kentucky Colonel" on Sean Yazbeck "in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to the nation".

Since winning The Apprentice, Yazbeck has appeared as Boardroom Advisor to Mr. Trump on The Apprentice, hosted his own show, Reality Trailblazers, on the TV Guide Channel and has appeared on numerous shows such as Miss Universe, MTV Video Music Awards, Live with Regis and Kelly, 1 vs. 100, Soap Talk and Identity.

Yazbeck graduated top of his year with a First Class Honors Degree from Southampton Solent University in England. A British national, he is due to gain dual American Citizenship in 2010.

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9 Comments

Posted by member1390150 on 02/19/2007 7:00 PM

I agree 100 percent. Aimee made a horrible descison in telling her rival what she was going to do. She should have just shut her mouth and prepared for the fight of her life. Who know she may have escape.

Posted by member1445505 on 02/19/2007 8:16 PM

You know Sean I've almost quit watching.
Parts of the show are extremely ridiculous. But here goes.

To me it's fairly simple.

Do your job.
Lay your cards on the table
and
"Make them an offer they can't refuse."

Your reputation needs to go before you. Good or bad.
One thing, I don't like liars of any kind. Hidden or not. You can't trust em.
The same goes for people who scheme behind your back.
In otherwards, two faces. I know a few. I don't like em at all!
They're a waste of time. A liability. Not an asset.
To expensive.

Now Mr. Trump gives second chances. That's nice. But can
you always afford to? It may sound strict and non bending
and it is. The stakes are high and the requirements great.

Jerilynn

Posted by Ryan Romero on 02/19/2007 10:47 PM

Sean,
Thank you for saying this, I thought the exact same thing while watching this episode. What was the point? Aimee had nothing to gain by sharing that information. This has happened time and time again throughout the years on the show--as you mentioned--and you'd think they would learn by now that it never helps.

I agree with your point about interupting your attacker. Yet, to use the show as an example, there are some who don't know HOW to interupt. In episode four Marisa could not stop interupting. It wasn't just Mr. Trump who she interupted but it was everyone and it wasn't just that she was doing it, it was her style. Everyone in the boardroom was annoyed with her.

You never had this problem on the show. In fact, it rarely came off as if you were interupting (even though you were). Could you elaborate on how to eloquently interupt while still staying agressive?

Posted by Chris from Biz-Names.Biz on 02/19/2007 11:45 PM

Keeping quiet to stay out of trouble is hard at times, but very important. Especially when it involves boardroom or business strategies.

People can be civil, but still keep competitive secrets. You never know how what you say might be used against you when dealing with your competition.

Also, great advice to not admit fault. There are very important reasons why insurance cards advise against admitting fault at an accident scene. It's also the same reason why attorneys tell their clients to not discuss their cases with anyone.

Posted by member1366890 on 02/20/2007 4:11 AM

Others want job, *leader *search for new vision, a new canal to conduct inner energy. Who wants to swim in, will swim. Energy picks it up naturally. Others must *fight* and *loose*.

Ina Matijevic***

Posted by member1466410 on 02/20/2007 4:38 PM

Yeah, somethings it's better to keep quiet on information that can be used
against you. I learn a lot each week watching the Apprentice.

Posted by member1510651 on 02/21/2007 1:23 AM

I have been watching The Apprentice now in South-Africa for the past 4 years, and have come up with the following conclusion.

The mistake most of the contestants makes, is that they all want show-up the Project Leader, they want the Project Leader to fail, they want to show that if they were the Project leader for that task, they would not have failed.

But it is a vicious circle, and none of the teams actually does any of their tasks well even if they win the task, because of this.

what people should realise is that, even if you are the Janitor in Trump Towers, you are the LEADER of your own job, Mr. Trump, owns the Company, but you own your job, and if you do your job well Mr. Trump's company does well.
If you as the Janitor in Trump Towers want to see Mr. Trump fail, the Janitor will fail.

Just do your job with all the same enthusiasm you expect your boss to do his job, and you will see that the company you work for will do well, and in turn you will win.

If your Project Leader tells you to fetch food, and you think it is a bad idea and you could be used in a much more productive way, say so, try and bring your point across politely and intelligently, if you Project Leader still says you should do it, then be the best food fetcher in the world, invest huge effort in the task afforded to you, and the returns on this investment will speak for itself.

Remember it is a Job Interview First, a Game Second, and the way you treat your fellow contestants is the way Mr. Trump will see you treat your fellow colleagues should you be hired

Posted by member1548354 on 03/31/2007 4:52 PM

Ummmmm.... hahahaha of course all those traits are great but the only way Ill ever win a board room brawl is by doing it with class and by the book, you cant teach success it is always earned,givin,and denied. what do you think about my answers.... lol ps im not all that imature

Posted by Rachael Sutton #1253595 on 12/07/2008 4:43 PM

Pick your battles. Choose your weapons. Gather intelligence. Strategize. But, why should you let things get to the point of confrontation within the organization in the first place? Don't get me wrong, I know there are times when somebody just plain hates you for no explainable reason, or as a competitor they size you up as the biggest match, but overall, shouldn't there be enough tolerance and respect required in the organization, that it doesn't get to the juglar? Isn't the best way to anhilate your enemy friendship? If that isn't possible, you should be able to come to a working understanding unless the corporate culture or the individual isn't healthy, It takes more intelligence and people skills to productively reduce tension than to kill the opponent.

I have faced a few situations where that wasn't possible. I was able to deal with the situation effectively without further conflict.

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