Lead Team Queuing

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Lead Team Queuing

• Regional or Championship

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Summary

• Expectations Responsibilities
• Event Training
• At the Event
• Gracious Professionalism
• Review
• Conclusion
• Whats Next?

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Expectations

• What is required of you?
• Commitment of time!
• Volunteer briefing
• All 3 days of the competition volunteer
  briefing
• Ability to work as a member of the team
• Ability to clearly communicate with
• Event Manager
• Field Supervisor
• Pit Announcer
• Teams

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Expectations

• Be prepared to serve for the duration of the
  event
• Consistency in policy application is critical
• You are instrumental in the overall success of
  the event
• You are really the gate keeper of the field
• There should be no robot entry without processing
  through your position
• You will be required to operate a two-way radio
  and will work very closely with all of the above
  personnel

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Responsibilities

• Work with the event manager and field supervisor
  to create unrestricted paths to/from the pit area
  to the playing field
• Manage the flow of teams to/from the playing
  field
• Create and manage the safe, orderly flow of
  robots to and from the playing field
• Properly stage alliances in holding areas
• Ensure that the appropriate number of teams are
  in queue
• Verify that drivers have connected their
  controllers correctly within the assigned drivers
  station

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Responsibilities

• Working as a member of the team
• The Lead Queuer is an integral part of the
  overall event management team
• Event Manager
• Field Supervisor
• Pit Announcer
• Queuing personnel
• You will be required to operate a two-way radio
  and will work very closely with all of the above
  personnel

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Event Training

• Wednesday night
• Communicate expectations to queuing team
• Arrival time
• Keeping a positive attitude (service with a
  smile)
• Assign positions
• Inspect robot traffic path
• Set up queuing areas around field

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During the Event

• Thursday (Training Day)
• During practice rounds, set up a routine with the
  teams
• Teams check in with main queurer to be sent to
  the red or blue side
• Red and blue queuers put teams in 1,2 or 3
  position
• Red and blue queuers make sure each team is in
  the correct position on the field
• Teams enter one side and exit the opposite side
  of the field
• Give teams queuing feedback (positive is
  preferred)
• Monitor match times and keep to match schedule
• Meet with queuing team at the end of the day
• Make adjustments as needed to traffic pattern and
  routine

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During the Event

• Friday
• Inspect robot traffic path for safety
• Stage robots for first matches before opening
  ceremonies
• Continue to use routine from Thursday
• Monitor match times and keep to match schedule
• Communicate with pit queuing and Field Manager
  about schedule
• Pit queuing should announce when matches are not
  on schedule
• Give teams queuing feedback (positive is
  preferred)
• Meet with queuing team at end of day

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During the Event

• Saturday
• Inspect robot traffic path for safety
• Stage robots for first matches before opening
  ceremonies
• Continue to use routine from Thursday and Friday
• Monitor match times and keep to match schedule
• Communicate with pit queuing and Field Manager
  about schedule
• Pit queuing should announce when matches are not
  on schedule
• Give teams queuing feedback (positive is
  preferred)

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Elimination Rounds and Finals

• Prepare for alliance pairings
• Organize robots in field area
• Communicate with alliance captain
• Blue alliance positions robots first and is not
  allowed make changes
• Red alliance positions and adjusts robots last
• Eliminated alliances must leave the field area
• Robots must remain in the field area during the
  final rounds until eliminated
• Team members with proper badges will be allowed
  into field area during elimination and final
  rounds

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Recommended Team Queuing Process

• Prepare teams for future events...
• (other regional or championship event)
• Teams will be expected to monitor the provided
  match lists
• Teams should assign a member of the team to
  monitor match times
• Pit announcements should be limited to overall
  progress only
• At pre-determined intervals
• In conjunction with the Event Manager and Field
  Supervisor
•   Overall timeliness announcements
• So that teams can adjust
• (example 5 minutes ahead or behind schedule)

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Gracious Professionalism is Key

• Golden Rule
• Treat others like you would like to be treated
• Act as though you grandmother is watching
• Teams
• Communicate concerns in a positive way
• Clearly communicate your expectations
• Other volunteers
• You are all working for a successful event
• Communicate any concerns to Volunteer Coordinator

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Gracious Professionalism is Key

• At FIRST, Gracious Professionalism has become an
  expectation.
• We expect it from our students, from the Mentors
  and Coaches, from all FIRST Volunteers and from
  FIRST Staff.
• It is part of the ethos of FIRST.
• In the long run, gracious professionalism is
  part of pursuing a meaningful life. If one
  becomes a professional, and uses knowledge in a
  gracious manner, everyone wins. One can add to
  society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing
  that you have acted with integrity and
  sensitivity. Thats good stuff!
• Dr.Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor

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Gracious Professionalism is Key

• Encouraging high-quality work
• Emphasizing the value of others
• Respecting individuals and the community
• EVERYONE WINS!

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Lead Volunteer Communication

• With your team of volunteers
• As a Lead Volunteer you are a LEADER.
• Lead Volunteers must communicate with the
  Volunteer Coordinator(s) to get names and begin
  communicating with their team as soon as possible
  via e mail etc.
• As a team leader, you must communicate with your
  volunteers to create a sense of a team and
  teamwork.
• By doing so, questions can be answered in
  advance, comfort levels increased, and
  miscellaneous information gotten out of the way.
• There should be no surprises when you get
  together with your volunteer team at the event.

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Lead Volunteer Communication

• With the other lead volunteers at your event
• Take the opportunity to meet with other lead
  volunteers and discuss your expectations.
• Discuss overlapping areas of responsibility and
  decide on how issues in these areas should be
  handled.
• Clarify each others roles BEFORE a problem
  arises.
• Make sure everyone understands the non-medical
  incident report (new in 2008).

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Critical Review

• Communicate with
• Event Manager
• Field Supervisor
• Pit Announcer
• Teams
• Queuing Personnel
• Prepare and check robot traffic path
• Set a queuing routine
• Monitor match schedule
• Be consistent

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Conclusion

• You are an ambassador for FIRST
• Model gracious professionalism
• Keep things positive
• Enjoy what you are doing
• Preparation is the key to success
• Set your robot path
• Open communication to other volunteers and teams
• A handful of patience is worth more than a
  bushel of brains.
• -Dutch proverb

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Whats Next?

• Now that you have reviewed the key materials to
  succeed in your position be sure to
• Test your knowledge with our online quiz.
• Review any other materials provided.
• Understand the post-event survey.
• Plan to participate in your pre- and post-event
  training calls. These calls help volunteers at
  all regional events be successful!

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FIRST would like to thank the Association for
Laboratory Automation for their gracious support.