Gracious Professionalism

[bubbablahmon]

At a competition last year, we were using our shooter robot from aim high.

our brilliant programmer wanted to drive. well, he managed to flip it over and crush the hopper. it was nothing short of a mangled mess.

and we had another match immediately after.

we were like. crud.

and then a team from heaven, i swear. i apologise, i cant remember who. they had plastic netting and zip ties and said "forgot your zip ties? well, here you go" and they subsequently made a hopper in about 15 seconds.

thank you mysterious hopper making team. thank you.

[4throck]

Let's Socrates this thread up a little bit. We have been given many examples of gracious professionalism, but these are just the bees. I'm looking for the hive.

What is gracious professionalism, and can it be taught?

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by 4throck

Let's Socrates this thread up a little bit. We have been given many examples of gracious professionalism, but these are just the bees. I'm looking for the hive.

What is gracious professionalism, and can it be taught?

Taken from the FIRST website:

Gracious Professionalism

Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor and Pappalardo Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coined the term "Gracious Professionalism."

Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.

With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like losers. No chest thumping tough talk, but no sticky-sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended.

In the long run, Gracious Professionalism is part of pursuing a meaningful life. One can add to society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing one has acted with integrity and sensitivity.

The answer to 'can it be taught?' Yes, it can be taught. It can be role modeled. It can be lived as a way of life. It can be understood. It can be explained. It can be demonstrated. It can be recognized. It can be celebrated.

--
If you would like each person to provide their definition, I think that is happening in this thread already with excellent examples that are the honey, produced from the understanding and implementation of Gracious Professionalism.

[Joe G.]

I have found that GP can be taught, but the best way to do so is to experience it. It is also easy to teach it incorrectly. For example, I have a friend on a VEX team who's lead coach, quite honestly, talked his students into building an inferior design because winning with the origional design would have been un-GP The kids got sick of the phrase, because the question "but is it Graciously Professional" was brought up for every idea having to do with the team.

The best way to teach it is to tell stories, and get the students to put themselves in the place of the team recieving help. Some that I have seen, from all 3 levels of FIRST:

-At a FLL competition, there were two robots using the pneumatics system. Neither team had any spare cylinders. One team's cylinder cracked, rendering it useless. The team with the broken cylinder had one more run, which was coming up very soon. The other pneumatic team offered to remove a cylinder from their robot for the other team to use. The cylinder was removed with efforts from members of both teams, used successfully, and then reinstalled by both teams just in time for the team with the good cylinder's run.

-My FLL team went to the world championship in 2005. A few weeks before atlanta, they went to a local tournament, and made a horrifying discovery: that our mat, which had been in use for six months, had been roughed up by our robot's motion, and had considerably more friction than the brand new competition mats. The tournament director allowed us to take home two of the new mats from the competition to practice on.

-A vex team's laptop crashed. The programs were still avalible on a flash drive. A team about to face them in the finals not only lent them their computer, but also pointed out a way to optimise their autonomous mode.

-In FRC last year, our team discovered a major design flaw during our inspection, which required major work. Two neighboring teams, and even our inspector, pitched in to help us out.


As for what gracious professionalism is, I think it can be summed up by the statement of a former member of my former FLL team:

"Gracious Professionalism is when your Noobish Yu-Gi-Oh cards get mixed with Alex's Deck (Alex had really good cards) and you return them all correctly."

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by 4throck

...can it be taught?

I don't know if it can be "taught" in any way other than by example.

It can certainly be learned.

[andy.vangessel]

The discussion and helpfulness that goes on within this website is a great example of gracious professionalism.

[EStokely]

As a HS teacher each year I get new team members and each year we have to teach them about GP
"Why would we give our opponents a working motor?" type questions are addressed.
As are the cheating questions. "can't we add this after we are inspected?"
"Who will know if we spent 800 dollars on that part?" Etc.

The veterans and myself start by saying GP. And usually back up to explain GP.

We talk about a match a few years ago when our robot collided hard with our opponent and a rope came lose from our machine to entangle the other machine. We both pulled and tugged until we finally fell over while the other machine broke free. We knew we were in the wrong, that rope wasn't attached correctly and it was our fault. The refs deliberated for what seemed to be a long time when the head ref finally come over and told us we had been disqualified because of entanglement problem. While this was occuring the pit crew from my team was making sure we hadn't damaged the other teams machine. We use this story to help the newbies try to understand GP.

It is hard to define GP, some people will cheat in front of their grandmothers.

Ultimately I think GP means play by the rules because you respect the game and don't want to cheapen it.

As some one said above its the 21st century version of the golden rule.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by EStokely

We talk about a match a few years ago when our robot collided hard with our opponent and a rope came lose from our machine to entangle the other machine. We both pulled and tugged until we finally fell over while the other machine broke free. We knew we were in the wrong, that rope wasn't attached correctly and it was our fault. The refs deliberated for what seemed to be a long time when the head ref finally come over and told us we had been disqualified because of entanglement problem. While this was occuring the pit crew from my team was making sure we hadn't damaged the other teams machine. We use this story to help the newbies try to understand GP.

Aha... I remember that. I was the head ref who made the DQ call. I recall talking to the drive team of 360. They were not happy with the outcome of the match, but they took the decision in stride. I think that this DQ knocked them from the #1 seed, if I remember correctly.

GP... it's tough to describe, but I see it every day. Today, I got an email from a customer: "where is our shipment?" Right before I dig into this shipment, I see another note from this customer: "oh, we got it... someone else signed for it". It was a simple note. She didn't have to send it. But, it saved me the work in finding her shipment info. I appreciated that.

GP really comes out at the competitions. It is seen there. However, it is learned during the build season. Veteran students and mentors are obligated to pass along what they have witnessed in previous years. It's our job to teach.

Andy B.

[4throck]

How fortunate I am, Cheif Delphi! When I ask you for the one of gracious professionalism, you present me with a swarm of them, which are in your keeping. Suppose that I carry on the figure of the swarm, and ask of you, what is the nature of the bee? And you answer that there are many kinds of bees, and I reply: But do bees differ as bees, because there are many and different kinds of them; or are they not rather to be distinguished by some other quality, as for example beauty, size, or shape? How would you answer me?

Jowett translation

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by 4throck

Suppose that I carry on the figure of the swarm, and ask of you, what is the nature of the bee?

There is no single definition. Gracious Professionalism is an attitude, not an action. If pressed for a simple answer, I would give one by counterexample: it is the opposite of Obnoxious Incompetence.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

GP... it's tough to describe, but I see it every day. Today, I got an email from a customer: "where is our shipment?" Right before I dig into this shipment, I see another note from this customer: "oh, we got it... someone else signed for it". It was a simple note. She didn't have to send it. But, it saved me the work in finding her shipment info. I appreciated that.

Andy gave an example of a shipping order interaction.

Culture change is a part of the big picture when thinking about Gracious Professionalism and its impact. Maybe that is an aspect that is worthy of exploration. The impact of Gracious Professionalism on different levels locally and globally. Within teams, during build, at the competitions, after the competitions and following graduation. How does the time spent working with mentors and students modeling GP - influence our society, our future, our big picture that we create? When it is taken out into the real world on the professional level and the personal level, what is that impact? The spread of understanding the importance of science and technology today and tomorrow through Gracious Professionalism. Using it in day to day operations.

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Can Gracious Professionalism be taught? I don't believe so ... at least not in the traditional sense of teaching. Oh, you can teach the definitions if Gracious Professionalism, just like you can teach the definitions of honesty and integrity. But the true meanings of Gracious Professionalism (and integrity and honesty) will be lost if they are not LIVED. Only by living by GP, and leading by example, is gracious profesionalism truely taught.

At least thats my belief.

[Sunshine]

The great thing about FIRST is that most students would never hear about Gracious Professionalism without experiencing the FRC. They have the opportunity to "live it", discuss it and hopefully practice it. Where else would they come in contact with this ideas without FIRST?

My short experience with FIRST tells me that they (the students) embrace the concept. And it is something they walk away with that will be with them the rest of their lives.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

There is no single definition. Gracious Professionalism is an attitude, not an action. If pressed for a simple answer, I would give one by counterexample: it is the opposite of Obnoxious Incompetence.

I'll go one farther. Gracious Professionalism implies being both gracious and professional. The opposite is being obnoxious or incompetent.

I think the best examples of GP are when a team's behavior doesn't merely help an opponent. Many are willing to do that. It's when giving that help also has the possiblility of harming the giving team in some way that true gracious professionalism shows through. That's why I like the examples given like the FLL team sharing a part which could have jeopardized their own next match, or teams using their time out so their competitor could get fixed and play.

I think GP can also be likened to doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.

[pheadxdll]

A switch broke off of our OI from shipping and another team generiously gave us a spare they had. GP behavior means helping out teams in need and graciously competing in competetion.