I know Matthew's concerns very well - I just joined on as a marketing and organizational mentor for his team this past season. I think what Matthew is chalking up to be a lack of inspiration is actually a lack of productivity. I do think many of the students he is talking about are actually being inspired, just not necessarily to the extent he has been inspired. Matthew happens to be one of the most incredibly inspired students I have had the fortune to work with. He lives and breathes robotics because he has been inspired by so many phenomenal people in FIRST and other engineering related organizations. Because of this inspiration, and his own motivation, he is a very productive, excited member of the team. He has an extremely bright future ahead of him.
As Matthew mentioned, our team has had, at any period of time, 40 to 50 students registered this year (a huge jump from the past). Approximately 2/3 of those students were new to the team. One issue is that students sign up to be on the team because they receive weighted course credit... they're not necessarily joining the team because they're interested to learn, build robots, and work on other exciting projects. Some of those students have developed true passions and interests, but not all... yet.
I and our other mentors have worked this year to really shape and develop a team that will become strong and sustainable, but with only 4 mentors and one teacher advisor supporting such a large group it can be difficult to ensure that each student is being as productive (and inspired?) as possible. However, as Matthew has been known to quote JVN, if something "doesn't work, you iterate it." You develop new methods of communication. You provide exposure to new opportunities and experiences. You restructure and regroup as necessary. You iterate until you've come up with something better, and perhaps then iterate some more.
I think the best advice I have to tell student leaders, like Matthew, (and mentors as well perhaps) who want to help inspire their teammates to become truly productive members of the team:
- Lead: by example, show your enthusiasm and excitement, be a productive member of the team, be a role model
- Teach: offer opportunities to share your knowledge and experiences, be available to help direct and train (but don't do the work for them)
- Listen: take the time to get to know your teammates, ask them questions and listen to their concerns, show that you value them
I think the team is on the right path and with time you will see results. As many have already noted on this thread, people often become inspired and you don't even notice or realize it. With all the changes the team has experienced this year and many recent developments for the team, including the new core skills training program, the participation the team has in organizing the new TX off-season event, and the exposure the team has received recently in AmericanWay, I think you'll see things moving in a positive direction. Continue to lead, teach, and listen, Matthew, and over your next two years with the team I think you'll do a fantastic job inspiring your teammates, just as you have been doing all this time.
