The BBC launched a new series of The Apprentice last evening here in the UK and so, over the next three months, 12 precious hours of my life will be devoted to watching it. I did try to ignore it last year but succumbed after, I think, the third episode and was once again hooked.

Why do I do this? Well not, perhaps, for the reasons that the programme makers have in mind (though you can’t be sure) but because this kind of reality TV is an NLP modeller’s, or people-watcher’s, dream!

Yes, I know that each 50+ minute episode has probably been carefully edited from many hours of filming in order to create just the impression that the programme makers want us to have, but it’s still an opportunity watch a bunch of pretty unlikeable people making fools of themselves.

There is one thing which always strikes me, especially in the opening episodes of each series, and that is the contestants’ unwavering – and usually unfounded – belief in their own worth and their own ability.

Their self-belief is rarely founded on real, practical abilities or even on common sense! And this was especially apparent in last night’s opening episode. If they were likeable I’d feel embarrassed for them – but happily they save me this discomfort.

There’s a serious side to this ‘confidence without competence’ trait, though. For instance, we get quite a few business managers on our NLP courses and a frequent criticism of theirs is that the majority of NLP-trained applicants for jobs arrive at interviews with an almost charismatic belief in their own omnipotence and infallibility but with little awareness of their impact on others and little competence to support their profound belief in themselves.

This self-deluding trait is a common product of a type of NLP course where, because of the massive size of the group or the ‘dynamic’ style of the presenter or both, they acquire their self belief through sitting and listening to the skilful delivery of the presenter. However, since the participants are not actively interacting with the presenter or other participants they don’t have an opportunity to develop practical skills nor even an insightful approach to communicating.

It’s not real NLP.  And they don’t develop much skill – but they do feel wonderful….

What’s more, nothing seems to dent this self belief – least of all the reality that they’re not getting successful results. And this is just what we see in The Apprentice. No matter how badly an individual screws up it’s always others who are to blame – because they know they are infallible and omnipotent.

I’m going to be watching the series – I think – all the way through. I just hope I don’t begin liking any of them because then I might start to become embarrassed for them – which would spoil the fun.