What Makes a FIRST Team Successful?

[dhitchco]

The only thing that makes a team "successful" is when you have fully met the values and goals that you have set forth in your team "mission statement".

WHAT??? You say that your team doesn't have a mission statement? How can you have a TEAM if you don't have a common objective in mind.

Every company starts with a mission statement so that every employee is marching to the same beat. A good FIRST team mission contains:
a) who you are (description)
b) who is your customer? why are you doing FIRST robotics
c) what makes you different than any other team?

Once you have answered these questions, they csan be used to judge your own success at the end of each season. Only when you look in the mirror can you determine your own level of "success". It's self-imposed, not in the eyes of others.