FSAE Team Organization: Best Practices?

[B Dana]

As an FYI, there is a pretty good thread running on this subject in the "Single Cylinder Engine. Could it win? Could it do well" topic; well worth checking out...

From my vantage point as an older student, team organization and team dynamics have been the most problematic issues in my FSAE experience. As others have metioned elsewhere, I would also characterize the team atmosphere as mostly 'Darwinian' or 'Lord of Flies-ish'. There is a big difference between having an org-chart with impressive titles and having members mature enough and responsible enough to perform the actual duties those titles imply. So, the question is, what has worked well for other teams? For FSAE alumni out there, what would you do different based on your experience?

[B Dana]

As an FYI, there is a pretty good thread running on this subject in the "Single Cylinder Engine. Could it win? Could it do well" topic; well worth checking out...

From my vantage point as an older student, team organization and team dynamics have been the most problematic issues in my FSAE experience. As others have metioned elsewhere, I would also characterize the team atmosphere as mostly 'Darwinian' or 'Lord of Flies-ish'. There is a big difference between having an org-chart with impressive titles and having members mature enough and responsible enough to perform the actual duties those titles imply. So, the question is, what has worked well for other teams? For FSAE alumni out there, what would you do different based on your experience?

[Angry Joe]

Work on recruiting good undergraduates, and keep them involved. Give them projects (our freshman built a pit cart, for example) and train them. I know you can't trust a Freshman with chassis design, but having them clean the room and stealing cones is not likely hold their interest.

Also, a large alloy tube for beating the crap out of people that use torque wrenches as hammers isn't a bad idea.

[jdstuff]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Angry Joe:
Also, a large alloy tube for beating the crap out of people that use torque wrenches as hammers isn't a bad idea. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We've found that a 3 foot section of 4130 .095" works particularly well.....especially for releaving stress on unsuspecting breakable things.

[Ben Steele]

Angry Joe has hit the nail squarely on the head. You have to make an effort early on to get people interested and keep them in the shop. When I first started at Auburn one of the less senior members collected a few of us newbies and entrusted us with rebuilding the front suspension of the '02 car. We didn't do a stellar job but almost anything is an improvement on that car. Once we got that done they let us drive the car. BAM!!! I was hooked. If you give the new guys something to do that takes some effort but that they can't really mess up too badly they start to get an idea about what this stuff is all about.

Also, make sure to stress from the get-go to the new guys how much time they'll have to put in if they want to make any significant contribution. Sometimes people come in with automotive or racing experience thinking that they're hot stuff and that they can single-handedly save your team. Of course, they usually think that they can do this by giving you that one piece of crucial information that you've been looking for to fix your engine problems, or whatever the case may be. They don't consider that by putting in some hours they can be a huge help.

Doing this should probably weed out the people who just think it would be cool to be able to say that they're on a race team. Occasionally you'll end up with some bad apples. If that happens it shouldn't be too hard to come up with creative and fun ways to scare people away. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Ben Steele

[Michael Jones]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Also, make sure to stress from the get-go to the new guys how much time they'll have to put in if they want to make any significant contribution. Sometimes people come in with automotive or racing experience thinking that they're hot stuff and that they can single-handedly save your team. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Agreed on that. A core hypothesis of my thesis is that those who have a highly interdependent (i.e., those who are eager to integrate themselves into the team environment) worldview are best in acculurating themselves to the team environment, and those who are predominately independent (i.e., see themselves operating outside of the team and its history) find organizational socialization frustrating.

That noted, in some cases it's the team's job to take those with strong motivation and enthusiasm and channel that energy to meet the tasks and responsibilities at hand. It can be easier than trying to stoke the fires of those who are generally uninteresting.

Of course, it helps to have a bit of both. Too many cooks is a disaster, but so is too many lemmings.

[Mark Peugeot]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Sometimes people come in with automotive or racing experience thinking that they're hot stuff and that they can single-handedly save your team. Of course, they usually think that they can do this by giving you that one piece of crucial information that you've been looking for to fix your engine problems, or whatever the case may be. They don't consider that by putting in some hours they can be a huge help.

Ben Steele <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Some of us that do have race experience do understand that and are not afraid to clean the shop or chase bolts. I know that the first thing I did when I showed up was clean the shop a few times and go chase bolts. Then again, I'm a senior in college and I'm 37 years old. If they need me to sweep the floors, then I'd be sweeping the floors.

I think it's pretty funny though when you are trying to help a team that has a dismal track record and they are unwilling to listen to much you have to say despite years of experience in field.

I'm not saying that has happened with my team, but I have seen the "not invented here" syndrome strike in many places over many years. I must say that my team has been fairly open to exploring some of the ideas that I have had. Sure they are close minded to some of them, and with good reason, but for the most part I'm pretty pleased with the response I have gotten from them.

I'm hoping that my team will use all of my skills and that they allow me to contribute everything I have to offer. If they don't I'm not gonna pout about it, I'll simply do what's needed of me and press on. No one person is capable of "saving" a team because no one person is really capable of building a winning car.

I'd really like to see my team develop a solid car and the infrastructure to start the process of creating the roots of a team that later will consistantly perform at a level that brings credit on all of us.

Mark

[Angry Joe]

I always told potential team captains that building the car would be the easiest part of their job. I still think it's true. Well, except for drivetrain - that's a pain in the ass.

[bigfella]

Stopping the team from getting too big is also a good look. Not only does it make organising the team a lot easier, it also means that any slackers can't hide in the crowd. Big team = poor induvidual accountability. I think a team of 15 is about right, it means everyone gets something really cool to work on too.

[Michael Jones]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bigfella:
Big team = poor induvidual accountability. I think a team of 15 is about right, it means everyone gets something really cool to work on too. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Agreed, although 15 might be a bit low. A core group of 8-10 people inevitably does much of the important work anyway, but they can usually benefit from having some people to take care of smaller tasks.

We run 30-35 or so...it's rarely too much to handle, but I think any more would be. Of course it depends on what the team chooses to do - we have 6-8 people on an EE subteam because of our in-house ECU and other electronic gizmos. If you're running off-the-shelf electronics, obviously you don't need this subteam.

Individual responsibility is important though. Even if someone's only responsible for one minor part, it gives them ownership of the project to some degree.