FRC Blog - Openness and Vulnerability

[cgmv123]

Originally posted: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...-vulnerability

I’ve seen some posts on Chief Delphi and a few comments in response to some of these blogs themselves in which folks have noted a new openness in communication from FRC. This change is deliberate. When I was asked to take on the role of Acting Director over the summer, I was told to not just behave as if I were a caretaker, holding things together for whoever would eventually be named as Director, but to act as if I were the Director – hence the title – working with the FRC Staff and other departments to make changes and try new things where we saw the need. I like transparency and a close connection with the teams, and the more open approach to communication is part of that. This seems to be well received – or at least, I haven’t heard any complaints about it yet.

But, there’s a downside, and that’s vulnerability. Being open means being more exposed. When I go in to detail about problems we have, I run the risk of blog readers thinking “Wow, FRC has lots of problems. I don’t want a slice of that pie.” Realistically, almost all blog readers are probably already FIRST folks who know the good far outweighs the bad in FRC, but the concern is genuine. I also run the risk of getting details wrong. Some of the stories we tell are complex, with lots of perspectives on the same event vying for attention. Or, depending on the tone I use in my writing, I could come across as too casual, when I’m supposed to be a serious-minded adult in a management position in FIRST. And I can guarantee you that, even if it hasn’t happened yet, at some point I’m going to tell you something is going to happen by a certain date, and it won’t, or that we’re going to solve a certain problem, and the cure will end up being worse than the disease. I’m sure there are other downsides as well.

Still, I think this is all worth the risk. I believe being willing to be vulnerable is part of living a fully engaged life. Underground bunkers are just what we need when bombs are actually falling, but they aren’t great places from which to reach the full potential of our true selves. In our broader ‘gotcha’ culture, in which every hint of something less than perfect can be pounced on, it’s easy to mistake a little rain for a reason to head underground, but I think that’s no way to live. When FRC teams are at events, they literally* are “in the arena”**, putting themselves and their robots out there for thousands to see, warts and all. That’s the way to do it. In FRC, I believe we celebrate trying new things, and even the mistakes that naturally go along with that, as long as we learn from those mistakes to make things better next time around.

I’ll blog again soon.

Frank



[Sidebar: I like openness in my technology also. I own an Android cell phone, which I’ve rooted and on which I’ve installed a custom ROM – not my own custom ROM, but one that someone else developed. I’m not breaking any laws, of course, but I did happily void my warranty. The other thing I like about my phone is I can pop off the back - no tools required - and slide in a freshly charged battery if I need to during those very long days at events. I can even add memory if I want. Without needing to buy a new phone. Though if I open up my phone at an event, I try to do so out of sight of iPhone users, otherwise it generally leads to tears J]



*Literally literally, not figuratively literally

** “In the arena”, from a speech by Teddy Roosevelt. Could be considered sexist when viewed through the lens of our modern sensibilities, but the speech was delivered in 1910, and if you substitute gender-neutral pronouns for the masculine pronouns where they appear, you should be good to go.

Excellent explanation. +1 for transparency. (Android FTW!)

[Kusha]

I like how he went into a tangent about his phone. Great stuff. Frank is awesome.

[AllenGregoryIV]

Originally Posted by Kusha

I like how he went into a tangent about his phone. Great stuff. Frank is awesome.

Maybe Frank can do a full "This is how I work" post.

Thanks Frank for being so open and setting a good example for teams.

[MagiChau]

Love the sense of humor. Frank has done an amazing job this season, thank you.

[Akash Rastogi]

This community is much more receptive to things that go wrong when we know about plans beforehand, I don't think Frank needs to worry about making a bad call too much. If people complain about something, we just need to remind them that everyone makes mistakes. At least Frank, and now FIRST as a whole, owns up to mistakes and challenges.

[Gregor]

I don't think I like our Acting FRC Director anymore. -proud Apple fanboy

Also, spare batteries are for chumps.

[pmangels17]

When is Frank going to become Permanent FRC Director instead of Acting FRC Director?

[joelg236]

Originally Posted by pmangels17

When is Frank going to become Permanent FRC Director instead of Acting FRC Director?

These things take time. He's done such a good job I can't see anyone as a better option. I can't see them not making him permanent Director.

[Justin Montois]

I love this man.

[Jon Stratis]

As an iPhone user, I have been deeply hurt by Frank's words, and spent the past few hours crying. Once I got past the sidebar (I had to go read the Steve Jobs biography again in order to put myself back into the appropriate world view), the rest of the post is totally on the mark.

[Basel A]

As a lover of transparency, I'm dumbfounded. I mean, this is transparency about transparency. Frank really knows how to hit the sweet spot!

Sidenote: I admired Steve Jobs a lot until I read his biography. Now, not as much.

[Tetraman]

This feels like a prelude to a very big and scary blog...

[Calvin Hartley]

Frank is awesome. I really don't have much else to say. I agree with everyone else here so far, I can't wait until the word "acting" is dropped from his title.

[Kims Robot]

Originally Posted by Tetraman

This feels like a prelude to a very big and scary blog...

I'm hoping this is just him overthinking or overworrying about things... but I had the same thought as I started reading... hmm, what's coming? Or what did they recently get ripped to shreds on? But I am going to believe that it was just a ramble

Frank has given this community exactly what it has asked for - more Transparency. Unfortunately there will still be plenty that are never happy with anything that isnt perfect, but I think a much much larger majority will stick up for FIRST when they know the reasons decisions were made, or more details on what happened. Even if FIRST doesn't make all the right decisions, I would hope that with this new transparency, people are more willing to forgive mistakes and are much slower to jump down their throats.

Communication is a huge step in establishing trust. It means people aren't left guessing the why's or the how's. I'm eager for at least this level of transparency to continue.

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by Justin Montois

I love this man.

Right? I've had the honor of sharing an office building with Frank, and while I wasn't working strictly for FRC, being a FIRST intern was such an amazing experience because I got to work with him, and others like him on staff. He's just one of those people that brightens your day.

Originally Posted by Basel A

As a lover of transparency, I'm dumbfounded. I mean, this is transparency about transparency.

Yo dawg, I heard you like transparency, so we... ah, nevermind.

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

This community is much more receptive to things that go wrong when we know about plans beforehand, I don't think Frank needs to worry about making a bad call too much. If people complain about something, we just need to remind them that everyone makes mistakes. At least Frank, and now FIRST as a whole, owns up to mistakes and challenges.

I think this is one of the biggest steps FRC has made in the past few years. I am proud to be a FIRSTer with the way Frank and the FRC staff have been handling things lately. All thumbs-up from me, all the way.

#TeamFrank