Chairman's Award -- is the bar too high now?

[kjolana1124]

Originally Posted by gvarndell

Kids are extremely competitive.
They don't like pursuing unattainable goals.

Tell that to the kid who says he's going to teach himself how to fly. Or to the one who swears that if he just reaches far enough he'll touch the moon. Or to the girl who says if she digs enough she'll find China. Tell that to kids who grow up to be real engineers.

Maybe I'm seeing things with a slight rose-colored bend, but I'd rather that than give up. These goals are not unattainable. Every team will just attack them differently and at different paces. Think about it: 341 did not do all this in one year. That being said, how come they didn't win this in the past? Clearly other teams have also done other great things. Next year another team will go up on that stage, and we'll be talking about the great things they've done.

As a mentor, I encourage you to have your students look at what 341 did. Explore the steps they took. See how you can translate it for your team. A goal is only unattainable if you let it be.