Working with teammates

Introduction

• Programming in FRC for 3 years
• Creator of ATALibJ, Gordian, Scouting13, etc.
• Ran a team in 2014 and running 4 teams in 2015
• Feel free to interrupt!

Why teamwork?

Advantages of cooperating

Why?

It's easy to say teamwork is useful - hard to see the real outcomes. In essence, things get done faster, better, and with more redundancy. And you avoid burning people out.

Teamwork

There is more to it than just "working together". Very hard to quantify, but very easy to see in the final product.

The effects

• High quality work
• More manhours
• Consistent effort across sections
• Creative solutions
• Faster iteration

Technical merits

In a technical field, the benefits of teamwork are apparent

• Balancing workloads
• Less ego involved
• More oversight

This all formulates into one key outcome; less mistakes.

Your work becomes higher quality and iterates on its success.

Being part of a team encourages accountability

Plan
Work
Execute

Plan

The underrated part of being with a team is having a plan.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you planned something completely on a project you did by yourself?

Other people being involved adds a need for a central direction and plan - a guiding vision is by definition implemented.

Work

• Balanced workloads
• "Shifting" - allows you to take breaks
• Higher quality work happens with reasonable hours/energy
• People take responsibility for their actions

Working in a team of 5 doesn't only increase your potential by 5 times

Execution

Some things are too difficult for one person to do.

Execution of a plan requires coordination, flexibility and communication.

Overhead and guidance are under-appreciated.

Your strategy

• Work cohesively
• Avoid conflict
• Create advantages for your team-mates
• Push in the direction of the project, not your own goals
• Communicate thoroughly
• Have confidence in others

Success is a combination of planning, working and execution of ideas

Your team

Organizing your own team

Subteam structure

• Technical
  • Electrical
  • Programming
  • Design / CAD
  • Construction / Fabrication / Assembly
• Non-Technical
  • Business
  • Public Relations

Decision Tree

• Who decides what?
• When do they make decisions?
• What happens to complete those goals?

How does your team make decisions?

Every team will be different, but one thing is clear: know how to make decisions before you do.

Being unclear is much worse than being strict.

• Does everyone get a vote?
• When do you vote, how?
• Who decides on options?
• What to do as a backup?

Schedule

People want direction - they need to know when and where they're planned to be used.

Great way to lose interest = not being given a task to do

Communication is key for scheduling; nobody will be able to follow the team without a concise place to put plans.

Requirements of a schedule

• Backup days
• What is happening
• Where it is happening
• Sufficient time for project completion

Adjusting

• Mistakes
• Unplanned situations
• "Hit with a bus" theory

Mistakes

Everyone will make mistakes through build season.

The key is not to define your future by your past. "Holding a grudge" helps nobody other than your own ego.

Remember iteration! "Failures are data points - they tell you what doesn't work"

Someone was hit by a bus!

What's your plan?

This is one of the biggest failures on teams. They don't have redundancy plans for the unexpected.

• Train many people who are familiar with the robot
• Have space to use "just in case" (basement, etc.)
• Slush fund
• Insurance

Improving teamwork

Evaluate

Everyone could improve their ability to work as a team.

How does your team struggle?

What mistakes have you made in the past?

What led to those mistakes?

Improve

Don't dwell on the past. Find out how you can:

• Avoid the same mistakes
• Improve capabilities year-to-year
• Become better at spotting issues as they happen

Just like a sport, club or team activity, teams need to practice

You can't expect change without changing something!

Finding a balance

Control structures are important to define so you don't create conflict

Don't overcomplicate things where you don't need to

Everyone should be happy

As with many things, your team is unique and will do things in your own way

Defining success

Defining

Defining what success looks like is a crucial element of being on a team.

Imagine being a new student and not even knowing what you're trying to do as a team.

Find out what you want to accomplish - what is your vision?

Understanding

Understand that

• You don't know the future
• There are things you can't control
• People are complex and don't always behave as expected
• Success is not often quantifiable

Set goals

• For competition
• Schedule wise
• Personal goals
• Technical goals
• Organization wise
• Budgets

Your goals

How well do you want to do in competition?

When do you want to complete the robot?

What is your role on the team?

What do you want to do on the robot? (pneumatics, etc.)

What is your ideal budget?

Communication activity

Back-to-Back Drawing

Groups of 2. Person 1 gets a drawing. They cannot show person 2. They must describe this drawing well enough for person 2 to replicate it on a blank piece of paper. Person 2 cannot ask questions.

Important skill! Explaining your concepts and designs without CADing/drawing can be extremely valuable.

Brainstorming activity

• Groups of 4
• Create a fake FRC game, with max 2 objectives (10 mins)
• Give that game to a different group, with 1 member to explain further details
• Groups of 3 are to analyse that game and create a strategy (not design!)

Evaluation

• Who talked the most?
• How did you come to conclusions?
• Was the process inclusive?
• Were discussions efficient?

Questions / Comments

Find me

joelg236.github.io

/joelg236