Re: Best Time Savings
 

Don't have long meetings unless there is a large volume of specific tasks to be done in the time of that meeting. Meetings where the tasks to be done aren't clear should not be more than a few hours.

The reasons for this are simple:

1. Time is a finite resource, and I don't mean in the sense of "there are 24 hours in a day" time. I mean that, people will only be able to productively output a certain number of hours of time into the robotics team a year. Time you are using to have robotics meetings is time that person is not studying, resting, working, or otherwise not spending on robotics. Managing burnout is critical.

2. Long meetings without an active plan are really not more productive than shorter meetings without an active plan. People get bored and lose energy. People get lost and unmotivated. Long meetings should be reserved for those contingencies when a deadline approaches and everyone knows how to proceed.

If you do it right, you might actually find that your team is MORE productive when meeting for dramatically less time. Don't just max out the calendar because you can.

Re: Best Time Savings
 

My first year on 2363 I noticed how much time was being wasted by people looking for common hand tools. We started buying all new mechanical and electrical subteam students small toolpouches with commonly used tools. Students can do 80% of their work using the tools they carry on their person. This has cut down drastically on wasted time. Over time, students add their own tools to the pouch as needed, and become even more efficient.

Mechanical:
- 3/16, 5/32, 1/8 ball end allen wrenches
- 7/16, 3/8 open wrenches
- 6" scale
- fine point sharpie marker
- tape measure

Electrical:
- needle nose pliers (for tightening zip ties)
- flush cut nippers
- "tweaker" flat head screwdriver