Leaders

My friend, John, asked me to contribute gyros to the Northern Utah STEM Expo at the Davis Conference Center in Layton. So as I made my mental plans to cobble together a couple of classroom sized demonstrators, I thought about what a teacher might want.

Something simple. Something inexpensive.

My first stop was the Deseret Industries Store at 435 Wall in Harrisville. I knew they had plenty of used bicycles for cheap. They sometimes have single wheels if you ask the manager. But even if you buy a whole bicycle for just the front wheel, you are probably paying around $5.

The trouble with the wheels is that, very often, the bearings are gummed up or shot. I grabbed what looked like a good one, removed the front wheel, and tried it. Yep. Too much friction. I visited my favorite bike shop, Bingham Cyclery at 1895 Washington Boulevard in Downtown Ogden on a slow day. They were more than happy to tweak the bearings and greatly reduce the friction and, since I was a good customer with a good cause and it only took a couple minutes, they did not charge me one cent.

When I was at Deseret, I had picked up a handle for a couple bucks. Probably from a hoe or shovel? It was very hard wood. I cut it into pieces to make a handle. I also notched a groove in one handle with a power grinder perfect sized for a length of clothesline. I drilled holes in the end of each and affixed them to the axle with gorilla glue. Read and follow the directions and that stuff will really stick things together! But it does foam up a bit as it sets, so make sure it doesn’t get near the bearings!

An old drill bit through a trainer wheel (also from Deseret) and stuck into a portable drill gave me an easy way to spin up the wheel.

Have the student hold and feel the wheel before you spin it so they can feel the difference after. You can spin up the wheel and hang it from a piece of clothesline for a dramatic effect. A turntable to stand on while playing with the gyro makes a good angular momentum demonstrator. But I have yet to find a cheap, low-friction lazy susan.

Consider smaller wheels for ease of use and greater safety by smaller students. Pump up the tire and add wheel weights (see photo) to help increase the gyroscopic effect.

I’ll post this now for the teachers at the conference and then add some photos later as I get time. I’ll also talk about how I used the entire front end of a bicycle for my other gyro demonstrator. And I’ll also mention how a teacher might use the bicycle wheel gyro to explain their properties and uses. My favorite is how they are used as speedometers in missiles.

As promised in the previous blog, the next few blogs will expand on the charts from my presentation at SciTech 2016 on 5 January in San Diego.

Although this chart appears towards the end of the presentation, this is a good chart to start with since it seemed to invoke the most response, and the most positive response, from the audience.

People are motivated by meaningful work. And it is important that the leadership continuously reminds them that their work and their contribution to that work is important. Laying down a culture of supporting the warfighter may start with managers and leaders, but will spread to the point that team members will remind each other of the importance of their work.

Personal frictions will happen. Tempers will flare. But when these conflicts happen in support of the mission people always find a way to pull together in the end.

Here is an area I did not have the time to delve into, a corollary statement: people want to feel competent in their work. How can you feel you are making an important contribution to an important goal, if you do not feel you know what you are doing?

In fact, large numbers of people in weapon system sustainment do not feel competent, they feel very uncomfortable. I am referring to those who have just gotten a new position and are still learning their jobs.

In addition, others who are very, very competent, from great training and years of experience, can still have days were they feel completely overwhelmed. They can wonder if they have been “faking it” all this time.

So, really, anyone can be teetering on the edge of a bad day. If that is the day you choose to point out all of their faults, the result will not be a better team member, the result will be one less engaged person on your team.

Personal critique, however, is necessary in order to meet the organization’s goal of sustaining the weapon system. The trick is to provide it in a positive and helping manner.

Formal classroom training and personal one-on-one coaching are great ways to help your folks feel more competent and engaged. If you are a supervisor or boss, take the time to coach folks in areas that you are more competent in. DON’T JUDGE them personally just because you know the area very well. And don’t just offer your assistance. Provide your expertise in the form of one-on-one training, and then follow up to see if they have learned what you have taught.

If you are not a supervisor or manager and you provide your team members with one-on-one time then you are a leader and will soon be a manager if you wish to be.