most important charecteristic of successful teams

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Posted by colleen at 12/29/2000 1:39 PM EST


Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science and WPI.


In Reply to: most important charecteristic of successful teams
Posted by bill whitley on 12/29/2000 12:52 PM EST:



I think the most important thing about having a 'successful' team is attitude. You can have the people, engineers, money and high-tech machines you want.. but if you don't have people who are in it for the right reason.. that put their blood, sweat, and tears into the robot, 'success' although in your capacity to accomplish is irrelevent.

And honestly, I probably would have never said this to be true until last year. Previously, I knew attitude played a major role in how individuals perceived and achieved in FIRST... but I also thought success was measured in awards and that was very much the focus of the team.

Last year on 246.. I saw something new though.. A bunch of inner-city kids.. eager to learn and having a blast doing it taught me something.. When we went to Jersey.. we barely worked.. but we wanted to do well.. and we were proud of what we did accomplish.. we never missed a practice round or match.. and we always went out there knowing we were the underdogs but knowing we had the ability to do SOMETHING. that attitude is what got us through match #84 (Won Best Defensive Round.. shut out the #1 seed)... and it was attitude that made us feel just as successful for tying for last place as any gold medal toting FIRSTer could have felt..

So it's all about your attitude towards this... winning is fun... but success is more rewarding.. fortunately they aren't one in the same in my book..Blessed are those who have known this from the start.. and although it was probably always in the back of my mind.. it took me until my fifth year of FIRST; gold medals, #1seeds, Control, Offensive, Defensive, DYF Awards later to understand that that isn't what success is and to learn firsthand what Dean has been talking about all these years...

Best success to everyone.. ;-) See you at kick-off!!
--colleen