Mentorship
My goal as a mentor and a leader of mentors as part of our FIRST program is not to build robots. I'm here to build a community. The machines & competitions are scaffolding that enable something bigger. The real meat of what we do is centered on building up our people: skilled, virtuous, and intentional, ready to shape the world. Our job is to grow more of these exceptional people until what now seems exceptional is just normal. And that growth isn't limited to our students. It's for our mentors, too.
I carry my philosophy of artisanship into our mentorship & leadership work. Too little structure breeds chaos, but too much smothers growth and creativity. Creating the right balance between the two requires trust, clarity, and conversation. Enable everyone to demonstrate their agency & stewardship by bringing their craftsmanship to the table to do their best work and build up the team. Build consensus around the big things, but enable everyone with an interest to take ownership of the details. Write fewer rules, craft more vibes. Automate & systematize the tedious stuff, but build those systems to optimize for flexibility and humanity.
Sustainability means a bigger tent. When you're the only one doing the work or have to have your stamp on everything that's happening, you become a bottleneck and a burnout magnet. Invite people in. Support your team as they grow. Share the load. Share the joy. Normalize the belief that everyone can contribute and be excellent if they're willing to put in the work and take advantage the community around them.
This work is hard, but it's worth it. This isn't just some job, it's a vocation. You don't have to love every task. You do have to love the people beside you - and that's a lot easier when you actually like them. Have group dinners on a regular basis, help each other move, watch dumb movies together. Build relationships that exist beyond the team to create a supportive network.
We don't do this for FIRST HQ. We're not here for trophies. We're here for ourselves, for our craft, for each other, for our kids, and for the communities we're building — one messy, beautiful, exhausting season at a time.
I'm working on putting more resources together to help people shape their organizational culture and build stronger mentor communities, for FIRST teams and beyond. Stay tuned.