Being apart of a rookie team this year has really opened my eyes to the F & F’s of the Scales of Justice. Fairness & Favoritism. Fairness is a head-to-head challenge for operating our manipulator or is it my mentors and one team captain telling us “we decided”. Favoritism, I see, is being told we are giving this job to the person we just demoted from being able to drive. I question this because this decision given to me is based on hypothetical conclusions. The only documented times for operating our manipulator were won by someone else. Well I guess this won’t be a First for First Teams.
This is probably not the best place to do this.
Remember all of FIRST is witnessing your dirty laundry and it is best to hold it in house. Instead of publicly embarrassing your mentors on this messageboard it is better to sit down with them and air your grievances and work things out between you and them. You’ll find it’s alot easier to work with the mentors than against them.
If you are saying the process is unfair then your experience is not unique. There is no salve that can lessen the disappointment of not being pick, given, or winning the job you wanted whether fairly or unfairly. ( I like being the coach on the floor but I don’t always get that job and I’ve made a few bad decisions when I did get the chance.)
It’s little compensation to say this but, it doesn’t make you any less a part of FIRST or of your team. You’ve achieved a great deal. If you are going to a regional event, I think that will help a lot in how you feel about all this. Besides, you ARE a rookie team and all teams have a lot of bugs to iron out not all of which are in the robot.
My 2 cents
Steve
personally, i don’t like what you said. Just because i don’t drive I’m less important then drive team when practice starts, heck no. Driving and winning are not what this sport is about, this sport is about the learning of electronics and engneering stuff. So for those people demoted not to drive, your most likely the trouble-shotting people, when that bot stops you hit the field, just remember with out the currently demoted people you wouldn’t be were you are today.
but we are a small team the not drive team is out trouble-shotting team, so i don’t know how it works for you thats just my oppinion.
One thought that comes to mind from reading this post is that the mentors and the team captain are doing their job.
There are all different types of FIRST teams and how the team develops over time in running a successful program will show itself.
Not everyone can be a driver, an animator, a team captain, or a mentor. There are reasons that there are different parts of the competition that come together to complete the whole. There are reasons that there are team leads and team mentors and it is appropriate that they make the final decisions.
In my job, I have a lot of responsibility that affects our office if I make a good decision or a bad decision. I also have a boss who has final say and who is the one who is ultimately responsible for decisions that are made. If I follow the rules, comply with university regulations, make decisions that continue to reflect the standard of excellence that our office has achieved - then it makes his job easier. If I perform poorly, make bad decisions, spend money unwisely, and am not accountable, it makes his job more difficult. We work together but ultimately, it is his responsibility in the role of boss.
Robotics teams have to have mentors and student leaders that make the tough calls, make the final decisions. It is a part of being on a FIRST team and it is a part of working in the real world as well.
I didn’t mention a team or number. As far as working against any one not attempting to do that either. I’m just in all fairness voicing my experience. Also this in their minds is not Dirty Laundry.
Life isn’t fair. I’m old now, and can say that with plenty of experience. I am a firm believer in fairness and justice and I wish it were so, but it isn’t.
The right person isn’t always selected to be the driver, or to be the captain of the team, or for that matter, to receive the promotion at work. If you have a problem with the way your team is organized and its decision-making process, call a team meeting and discuss it (calmly and maturely). Offer suggestions for how you think it can improve. Don’t let it fester as you enter competition season.
And because you are a newbie, just a reminder that we encourage our members to register with identifying information - if you want to discuss a situation anonymously in these forums, there is a sub-forum for that: FAHA. http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=124
Very interesting point. I would only hope you understood my point was in asking for a test of skill and ability, I was just Simply No. “Tough” calls are great given a fair opportunity.
It doesn’t matter that you don’t mention a team or number. If you voice internal issues on your team, that is dirty laundry. We don’t want to see it. Also, you can’t exactly claim fairness when there is an obvious bias. You didn’t get the role you wanted, so what? There’s always next year.
I not even the person whom didn’t get the position. I’m expressing my opinion.
I didn’t quite get that from the initial post.
Also, what has been said in this thread is correct, there are other ways to ask questions regarding how teams conduct themselves and how they make decisions. One is FAHA if you have concerns regarding your own team.
Since this thread is open right now, it could be used in ways to help increase communication and be helpful in ways that will benefit rookie teams and members of rookie teams.
It might be wise to keep in mind the tiredness and stress that is always part of the end of build right before ship as we post.
Thank You Very Much Jane,
I shall take a look at the FAHA