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Originally Posted by Ewilliams2006
1. Fund Raising - Every year my team seems to be scrambling for the bare minimum to enter our regional competition (forget about the nationals). This takes away valuable time from team organization and "pre kit-arrival" planning. Are we in the same boat as everyone else? If not, how does your team avoid this problem?
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alrighty. we do fundraising year round, and we never stop. we start before or right after the previous year's competition even ends (our first car wash of the 2006 competition year is Apr. 30), and we go on fundraising right up to or even after kickoff in January. During the summer we generally do Car Washes on Saturdays about every week or two, more or less depending; and we keep on doing Car Washes until its freezing and we really cant stand it anymore (even then we've been known to have car washes in like 50 degree weather, which i realize isnt exactly that cold for some of you, but for being used to 80 degrees most of the time, it's cold). During the Fall we also hold a Golf Tournament at a golfing place nearby where we get a certain percentage of the revenue from golfers, sponsors, etc. and during the Winter, we do gift wrapping at the mall and at Barnes & Noble starting two weeks before Christmas. on top of that we also go around to local shops like Wal-Mart and Cocoa Beach Surf Co. and ask for sponsorships in any way possible. Even if they dont sponsor us with money, they can help out with team uniforms, spirit stuff, etc. Students are expected to keep track of how many fund raisers they attend, for in order to go to competitions and have fun, they need to show their
dedication to the team, which links in to your second issue:
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Originally Posted by Ewilliams2006
2. Team Members - Many times I feel the size of a team has an inverse relationship on the productivity of the group. I realize this is a learning experience, and really the competition is meaningless, but it seems some people come down to the meetings and do nothing but detract from the other's ability to work effectively. I feel that there is a core group of people that are very knowledgeable and work well together to finalize a goal. Then there are some people that aren't that knowledgeable that somehow find ways to inhibit the smooth flow of work put into the project. I am in no position to tell people not to come, nor do I feel that it would be justified if I could. However, are there any tips on getting these "lazy" people to work? I've tried assigning tasks that are semi-crucial to the team, such as tool organizing, PR work, and the like - but it seems like these projects, though important, are degrading and no-one will stay on task. (Granted, if I was put on one of those assignments I probably wouldn't stay on task either). Basically, I'm looking for a way to keep people mainly working in areas they can produce good work in. I don't feel one person should be isolated to a single job without any input on anything else, but it always seems to waste so much time (our single most important resource), arguing with someone who doesn't know a piston from a Victor about how to wire the robot (note, this is a complaint I hear from most of the "core" group of the team, not just myself).
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yes, there is an inverse relationship to the amount of people working on a project and the productivity of that project to a certain extent depending on the project iteself. in order to avoid this problem without turning away people who wish to be a part of the team, we have everyone split up into different groups which specialize in different aspects of FIRST that need to be addressed. For instance, our team splits up into 19 different groups, consisting of:
- Animation Team
- Base Design Group
- Chairman's Award Group
- Control Systems Group
- Drive Team
- Electrical Systems Group
- Field Construction Team
- Fundraising Group
- Graphic Design Team
- Human Player
- Manipulator Design Group
- Media Productions Group
- Pit Crew
- Programming
- Project Management
- Public Relations Team
- Scouting Team
- Spirit Team
- Website Group
Where everyone who wished to participate in that certain area would have to sign up to work under a mentor, although for the most part team members were limited to one or two groups at a time, unless they wanted to end up like me with absolutely no life outside of robotics and ripping out their hair due to the frustration with having several deadlines creep up on you at once. despite all of that, this organization, or something similar to it, is great for management of the team in general and for optimization of the best possible productability of each group. As i mentioned before, students are required to attain a certain amout of fundraisers/hours they have dedicated to the team/community service hours in order to attend trips
(for example, to go to our home regional it was require for students to have attended 2 fundraisers and dedicate 25 hours to the team, while to go to our out-of-state (Denver, CO) one needed to attend 5 fundraisers and dedicate 60 hours to the team, and to go to the Championship Event, they needed to attend 7 fundraisers and dedicate at least 90 hours to the team; many team memebers tend to go above and beyond though, logging in well over 100 hours and close to 200 in many cases) this helps get rid of
most of the slackers on the team... and although odd-jobs sometimes help keep them busy (like helping clean whatever machine shop you're working at, or having them sort through hundreds of pictures to find decent ones for the website) sometimes you'll just have to deal with them as best you can. try to find something that really interests them or they're really good at, or if worse comes to worse, you may just have to sit down with them and be honest, and say something like, "if you dont stop goofing off/messing around/being lazy, then perhaps you really shouldnt be here. i dont want to ask you to leave, but if you dont buckle down and get to work like the rest of us, there will be consequences"
As for the arguing with people who "don't know anything"...
i dont know the difference between a piston and a Victor either (okay i know what a piston is but i dont know what a Victor is) .. for those people, instead of arguing with them, try taking them under your wing. talk with them calmly, explain the difference, and instruct them about what you are doing as you go along. if they are seriously interested and they want to learn, take your time with them as you go along the processes. sure it may take more time, but instead of having one more "slacker" on your hands, you will soon have an able, capable, and eager member of the team which can actually contribute and help you!
personally, i'd rather have someone explain whats going on if i make a mistake than be yelled at because of it. remember, when dealing with someone you feel is annoying or a slacker or who you feel is just lazy, take a deep breath, count to ten, remember gracious professionalism, and address the situation in a calm, collected manner. you never know what that person may be capable of once you're both on the same level.
i wish you the best of luck, and i hope my 2 cents helped.
-Leslie