Team organization

[tchescow]

We've been working this season to find a better organization method. The past years we divided the teams in areas such as electrical, fundraising, and others, but sometimes it seems to me that it could be better! So, do you have any suggestions? How does it work with your team?

[Allison K]

At this point ACE is rather small team and therefore does not require a large complicated organization system. As the team grows we'll have to make things a bit more detailed. For now we have three major groups - Technical, Management, and PR. Technical does all the robot stuff (Drive/chassis, manip, electrical/programming, and support) and all of the computer stuff (website, Inventor, and animation), Management does fundraising and the paperwork, and PR is in charge of team image and the Chairman's award. All of the students are in at least two of the major groups, and the mentors rotate between all of the groups. Most people just end up doing a bit of everything, or whatever needs to be done at the time. Most of the time I just use organization into subgroups when we're planning educational stuff specific to different subgroups (ie - the drive/chassis team learning about different types of drives, or the support team working on the cart and crate).

~Allison K

PS - It does seem as though we've discussed this before however I searched and couldn't find anything.

[Max Lobovsky]

The most important thing I have learned from my team's reorganization experience is to make sure you split the team by function and not so the team fits into some convenient or existing organizational model. For example, the Website, Animation, and Robot teams are almost entirely independent. They almost never need to meet together, and there is no reaosn they should have a common leader. On the same token, PR and Fundraising are often split, but their activities often consist of the same thing: communicating with the outside world.

[Dorienne]

Team 007 does what yours has done so far; separate into groups. What we also do is make sure each group does their job, and when the day is over, we collect all our information together and make a list also of what needs to be done still. We just make sure everything is done by a certain day, which is still something we need to work on...:-)
Just make sure you know what every group is doing and that they're doing their job. At the end of the meetings, collect all the tasks accomplished at the end of the day, and then make each group get an idea of what has to still be finished, and give a deadline that works for the group. =)

[Andrew Rudolph]

Our team has various sub teams. The best way to sucessfully operate any organization, from a leadership standpoint, is delineation of jobs. Any time a job comes up, either take a voulenteer for that job or assign it to someone. Then who ever is incharge of your team has to do is keep track of who is doing what and track progress. This is much easier than doing work and having to track them as well. It might be a good idea to form a sort of board that is made up of the heads of your subteams that meets weekly. Then theres one central place that you can do the tracking.

[lilszek24]

Our teams organization, well it isn't very very organized at times but it works. Were split up into sub committees Webpage, animation, spirit, construction, newsletter. Then on top of whatever committees you are in you pick either scouting or spirit for what you will be doing at competitions. In each subcomittee is a team leader i guess you could call it. who at every team meeting updates the entire team on how that particular comittee is doing. Along with the team leader the comittees usually have one or two parents. who work with them. Most people get involved with two comittees, its usually construction and whatever else you pick...it seems to keep us going.

[Steve Howland]

Our team divides into varios groups such as computers (website, animation, programming), Engineering (building the bot), Business/Fundraising (budget, hotel plans, etc.), Art/Spirit (shirts, signs, awards), and documentation (chairman's, rules stuff)

After we decide what each group incorporates, we go to everyone in the rom and they must sign up for at least one thing, many people having 2 or more. Then during meetings we often divide into these areas and people go where they feel they are most needed. This gives everyone something to do and lets new team mebers become involved instead of watching and not accomplishing anything. To make this easier to understand we have a business map that we sometimes use which highlights al of these areas in a diagram - I'll see if I can get a copy. Hope this helps.

-Steve

[Alexander McGee]

We (my fellow mentors and myself) have complied a binder which includes what you are speaking of. I am at work, so i just scanned it into a PDF document. I've indicated the link where it can be found. Take a look, and let me know if it helps clarify how we do things!

http://grovelandfire.org/metalmuscle/structure.pdf

Make sure to look through the pages, most of that info is on like page 5.

(note: this primarilly focuses on the event season, build season simply consists of a software and electronics team, a drivetrain and chassis team, animation and design team, and manipulator / "arm" team)

-Alex

[Ryan Foley]

Heres my old team's organization chart we made in May for this season. I know it's hard to read but here's the breakdown:
Captain (also coach for the Drive Team)
Assistant Captain (also in charge of scouting at competitions)
Project Manager: in charge of Build Team (which is also the pit team at
comps).
Marketing Director: in charge of Public Relations (photo, video, promotion,
website, awards submissions)
PerFeCCCT Leader: in charge of PerFeCCCT (Practice Field, Crate, Cart
Construction Team).

At competitions we have 1 drive team. Everyone not on the drive or pit team helps with scouting.

[MrAmazing]

This year we are sticking to the groups. The builders will build, the programmers will program, the electronics will do electronics, and so on. We are hoping that this works in organization. So far it seems like it is going well and I hope it does.

[Matt D]

Over the past few years we have developed a team handbook which contains our organizational structure. The TechnoKats gave us their handbook several years ago, which we used as the basis for ours.

It is available online on our team website.

I hope that helps.

Our basic organizational structure is based on subteams, each of which has its own projects (like animation, drivetrain, fundraising, community outreach, etc). This year, we also have a co-presidency so one person does not have to be responsible for every little aspect of the team.

[jrocket567]

we (Team 617) are attempting a new organizational structure this year.. we have one "executive officer", pretty much the CEO, who keeps everything running smoothly.. under him are 5 'vice presidents': Engineering, Design and Fabrication (thats me); computer science; administration; awards; and marketing. were still gettin used to this new system, so far it has worked ok.. we are writing the book as we go, so half of the time we are attempting to decide whos job is it to do what, and a few jobs have fallen through the cracks.. i think it will work out once this first year is finished.. PM me after the season and ill let ya kno exactly how it went
good luck
j

[Bcahn836]

Team 836 is divided into several sub teams
*Design Strike Team
* Public Relations
*Marketing
*Mechanics
a. Drive train
b. Arm and End
c. Manufacturing
*Electronics
*Programming
*Design
i think that about covers all of it.