Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Kressly
No offense intended, so I won't quote folks above, but ...
Looks like some are focused solely on extrinsic motivators and not looking at the intrinsic. It's pretty easy to look at this as "what FIRST wants" and "they need to provide more feedback to get people to do this" but, if that's where the conversation ends it all seems kind of cheesy to me.
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To just nod and agree with Mr. Kressly here would not be who I am. I most definitely agree with Kressly in that, not to point and fingers or name any names, people are TRYING to win the Chairman’s Award. Winning the Chairman’s Award is not about trying and not about looking at what FIRST "wants". Yes in some ways it is when it boils down to it, but in the end what gets you there is who you are and who your team is. What your team does, community service and the presentation you give specifically, have to fit you and have to be who you are.
This topic came up multiple times in the Chairman’s Chat in Atlanta this year. As a Hall of Fame member, I/we offered this advice. If your team is a really rowdy cheer from the time you wake up at 5 am until you go to bed at 3 am, then that’s the presentation you should give. If your team is the team that is quite and very business professional, or something along those lines, that’s the presentation you should give. As well as defining you, and your team, what your team does in the off season or even during the season should be what you want to do and something you would normally do, NOT something you think you HAVE to do to win the Chairman’s Award.
I will tell all of you this in the Chief Delphi community. For Team 103, our kids and our team does community service because we feel it is right to reach out to our community that way. Every single thing our team does is because the kids and the mentors want to and that’s just who our team is. When it comes down to, “oh well, how many teams did 103 START?” The answer, is none, well only one FLL team. For us, it was more in our hearts and still is to help current FRC teams struggling or in need of a little guidance.
I know this has gone a little off topic of, ‘Is the Bar Set Too High Now,’ but I’m just offering advice. To answer the question of ‘Is the Bar Set Too High Now,’ the bar is only as high as you want to make it. Set your goals and achieve them, and then you have a shot at achieving the big prize. Do not look at what other teams have done and try to do the same. Look at what your team has done and what you plan on achieving. That in itself is pure success, at least in my eyes, and the eyes of all the members of 103.
This has just been my advice and my two cents. The Chairman’s award is what you and your team makes of it. Do not be sad if you do not win, you should look at what your team has done, and ALWAYS be proud of yourselves. If you win the Chairman’s Award, then congratulations, and I sure it is well, well, well deserved because it takes lots of work to get there. Now in my eyes, it was a lot of work, but it is FUN work, work that makes you proud.
If anyone has anyone has any questions about anything please let me know through PM and I would be more than happy to help.
Cass