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Re: Changing a culture of cynicism
well, we have driven some away...but frankly, they had become so disengaged they weren't productive members of our team, anyway.
when it happened just before our last competition, I took one of the cynicism ringleaders aside and told them I was counting on them to be positive this time. They asked me what I meant and I recounted how they acted earlier. I asked them why they felt that way and they said they had felt excluded from the team and gave me specific examples of times they tried to give input or help out and were "shunned." I was surprised, because I knew the instances and realized that they had misinterpreted things and were being over-sensitive.
I ended the conversation by telling them that I was sorry they felt excluded, but that sometimes the build can be really stressful for everyone. I let them know that they were still a valuable team player and was counting on them to lead the scout team.
I was shocked to see a huge change in their attitude at competition after that.
I think sometimes just letting team members know they are valued is all it takes. We also never know what someone is dealing with privately.
If they don't respond in a positive, proactive manner when you reach out to them....well, then maybe robotics really isn't their thing and they should leave the team.
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“Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.”
― Terry Pratchett
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