The Biggest Loser

No, I'm not talking about Charlie Sheen again...  I'm talking about Biggest Loser, the show.  I am a huge fan.  Well, I watch it every week.  I don't know if that constitutes "huge" but I enjoy it immensely.  The past couple of weeks have been a reminder of a good lesson in life.  If you play the game, DON'T FORGET THE RULES!  I know that seems obvious to you and to me, but it hasn't to the players for the past couple of weeks. 

First, there's Arthur.  Look, if you mix up the teams and set up four people to go home just to save your own skin, you have to realize the same can be done to you.  I'm not one to quote the Bible often, but haven't we all learned some form of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"?  Ever since he got the ball rolling, it has been a "lamb to the slaughter" week after week.  I completely understanding going home so your kid can stay.  We've seen that in episodes past.  But you don't trade your teammates to the enemy just to protect yourself.  That is NOT a stage of team development to teach in one of my Organizational Development or Management classes!

Next, there is Marci.  Don't get me wrong, I love Marci.  She is beautiful, caring, determined...  but none too bright this week.  I was upset in weeks past when she and the other parents intentionally lost very little weight, or even gained it, just so that Arthur could stay.  He is the biggest guy there!  If he wanted to stay, he needed to do the work.  There is no reason he couldn't have been the biggest loser every week!  That would have given him immunity and no one would have to sacrifice for him.  But instead, he chose to play the game, and whine, and eat junk food!  Not much of a surprise when he was traded to the other team and voted home immediately.

Anyway, I was talking about Marci, not Arthur again...  So, Marci forgot the rule about the "Biggest Loser" this week.   She led the team to what should have been a victory, and she led by example.  She was strong for the team, made good decisions, showed support to everyone no matter what their job.  Once again, she tried to put the good of the team, her "children," before the good of herself.  Don't get me wrong, I think self-sacrifice for your children is a wonderful idea, and sometimes necessary.  But has she ever heard of tough love?  Anyway, she was forced into tough love by the rule that the "biggest loser" for the week, also called the Winner in our world, cannot be voted home!

Boy, don't you wish it worked that way in life?  My students would love it if they got an automatic A for being the biggest contributor for their group projects.  (I can't do that for them, but I do let them "fire" any member of the team not fulfilling their responsibilities... hmmm... sounds like what happened to Arthur...)

Since I seem to be rambling, I will try to tie this all together.  What was I saying?  Oh yes!  The Biggest Loser is not just an interesting show to watch on Tuesday nights.  It is a good lesson in life.  You learn how to be a member of a team...  Well, maybe not...  You learn to sacrifice for your family...  mmmmm....  You learn how to understand the rules of life and apply them to you and your team in beneficial ways...  hmmm...  Maybe it is just good entertainment after all... I should have stuck with Charlie Sheen...