In FLL, teamwork is a huge part of the season. While our team worked on coding, missions, attachment designs, and Innovation Project ideas, we did not always agree. Everyone had their own opinions, and sometimes those opinions were very different. Because of that, we realized we needed a good way to handle conflicts without turning every disagreement into a big argument.
Our Strategy
During the season, we made seven role tags. Each tag had a specific team role written on it. Some of the roles were Innovation Spark, Team Spirit Captain, Gracious Professionalism Leader, and Inclusion Ambassador. Each role connected to the FLL Core Values and reminded us how we wanted to work together.
These roles helped us deal with disagreements and made sure everyone’s ideas were heard. Instead of just arguing over whose idea was better, we tried to slow down, listen, and think about what would help the team most.
For example, if two teammates had different ideas about how to solve a coding problem, we would take a step back and think about the Core Values. The Inclusion Ambassador might suggest trying both ideas to see which one worked better. The Gracious Professionalism Leader would help make sure nobody teased, interrupted, or made snarky comments.
This helped us remember that disagreements are not always a bad thing. Sometimes, different ideas actually helped us come up with better solutions.
The Lesson
Learning how to handle conflict helped us a lot during FLL, but it is also useful outside of FLL. Now, I understand better how to deal with disagreements without making anyone feel ignored or hurt. I also learned that good teamwork does not mean everyone agrees all the time. It means everyone gets a chance to speak, and the team works together to find the best solution.