I Kept Quiet for far too long. This. Is. WAR!!!

[Ken Leung]

Vision

"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes."

Dean Kamen, Founder

Mission

Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

Robotics is about people. It always was, it always will be. Our inability to communicate, graciously and professionally, compassionately and understandingly, remains the number one reason we are unable to put people first.

“Gracious Professionalism” is one of the major pillars of FIRST. It is the foundation for the culture we work so hard to create, and yet it was never once mentioned in a discussion of 63 posts. Not even once.

I’ve never written a post, a message, or a letter, where I am unable to sit down with my readers and talk about the exact same thing in person (yes, even the long ones, with notes...). We should always be able to sit down talk things through reasonably, logically, and professionally. And yet, how many in this thread can say the same thing? How many of you really tried to reach the person behind the sentences and the names? 14, by my count.

I spent some time reading the entire discuss, tallying the types of message posted in this thread (multiple messages within a post are counted individually). Here is what I found:

10 posts clarifying the issue and any potential misunderstanding
4 posts expressing willingness to explore both side of the story
15 posts of positive suggestions, constructive criticisms, positive encouragements, and acknowledgments of positive attitude
16 posts exploring important implications of said issue, analyzing the underlying issues of volunteer organization, addressing bigger pictures of FIRST in general, and moving the discussion to a whole different level.

I am highly encouraged by these responds made in a very difficult conversation.

Your clarifications and willingness to explore kept the discussion calm and kept us looking deeper below the surface. Your suggestions, encouragements, and acknowledgements provided positive outlets and alternative solutions to a very frustrated person in a very frustrating situation. Your intellectual curiosity kept us pushing for more: more honesty, more transparency, more understanding, more self-examining, and more progress.

Difficult situations will always be present in any given stages of our lives; we all have to learn to deal with them one way or another. Thanks to you and your attitude, this discussion has become a positive learning experience for Dan, and anyone participating in it or reading through it. I really, really appreciate it.

In many ways, you are the engine that keeps the CD forum running. Thank you so much for your message. I cannot repeat that enough.

5 posts expressing support toward the original post
8 posts questioning the effectiveness of the original post

I understand where many of you are coming from. I understand your wishes to defend your friend, and the integrity of this forum. In the end your heart is in the right place, but to some I wish you are more understanding, helpful, and willingness to address the needs of who seems like a very frustrated person. To others, I wish there is more tact, more grace, and more appreciation toward the art of communication and conflict resolution.

In the end, I favor resolving conflicts with charm, humility, and understanding, and disarming obstacles with guile, humor, and smile, over declarations and confrontations. I hope you do too.

6 posts expressing serious reservations toward volunteer organization as a whole, toward changes in the Chief Delphi Forum, and toward the growth of FIRST in general.
8 posts defending changes in all three areas.

Leadership is demonstrated by initiative, examples, and spirit. Decisions are made by those who show up. The world is whatever you make of it.

I hear your frustrations; I understand where they are coming from. But this is a changing world, and the world is changing faster by the minute. Don’t just sit idly by watching everything disappear; take it upon yourself to remember exactly what was good in the past, and work hard to incorporate it into the future. If you want to see something continue, you have to work really hard for it yourself.

The good news is, there is no limit to what a small group of well intentioned folks can do to create and facilitate changes in this world. So instead of talking about the good old past, I want to see planning for the future. Just like the 8 posts defending changes, right?


I am stretching the limit of what’s a reasonable amount to read in one sitting, so I will try to wrap it up. I want to write a personal message to Dan, but I am afraid it will have to wait until another evening. Here are the main questions I want to ask:

Where do we go from here? How are we going to turn this difficult, controversial discussion into a positive learning experience for everyone involved? How are we going to move on and create progress?

In addition:

There is no doubt there is much to be desired from the way FIRST organizes its volunteers. There is no doubt about it. So how are we going to discover, address, examine these issues in a healthy manner, and how are we going produce progress afterward?

There is no doubt there is a growing pain in FIRST. Again, there is no doubt about it. So when are we going to identify some of the positive aspects from the past, and begin incorporating them into the future?

There is also no doubt we need to work on our communication, communication on all levels, between volunteer and volunteer, between volunteer and regional coordinator, between region and headquarter, between headquarter and individuals. How can we improve communication on all levels?

And finally, how do we improve our ability to provide support to those who need them the most? How do we discover problems and provide support early, so we don’t have to resolve conflicts at this level of disagreement? And once we get to this level of disagreement, how do we handle it with charm, humility, and understanding; guile, humor, and smiles?


Dan, I have a lot to say to you, but I seem to have ran out of time this evening. For now, I will echo Ken Patton had to say to you earlier:

Originally Posted by Ken Patton

(dangit Dan, that was extreme - its good that you have followed up in a more diplomatic fashion, keep trying).

I tell my kids everyday, whether in Lego classes or during FLL competitions, that we should work really hard to make it a positive experience for everybody, and not just yourself.

Woodie talks to us year after year about the importance of Gracious Professionalism, not just from other people, but also from yourself.

FIRST gave us the mission to inspire innovation, self-confidence, communication, and leadership in young people.

Robotics is about people. It always was, it always will be. What more guidelines do we need?

-Ken Leung

P.S. Thank you to the mentors who continue to show true quality, inspiration, and leadership through out the discussion. You continue to inspire me everyday. You know who you are.