No surprise here - I've been on the road all week. I started at a brand new interest group at Minnesota State University, Mankato and have spent the last two days at our colony at University of South Dakota. This colony is doing really well. The men are very smart, fun, down to earth, and they really live the mission and vision of the Fraternity. Being so new, they struggle with what most new colonies struggle with - their identity. This led to many great conversations with their members tonight and I felt inspired to share some thoughts from our discussions in hopes of comments from the brotherhood.
I often ask how you can sell a product if you don't know anything about it. If I were a car salesman but I didn't know how to turn on the headlights of the car, what kind of gas it took, or where the spare tire was - you would think I was an idiot and this was a hidden camera show. This applies to recruiting men for a chapter when you have no idea who you are or what you are looking for. How can you recruit members when you don't know what you are? It's a struggle and sometimes leads to a difficult conversation. Today the conversation centered around something that I have talked with more Phi Kaps about in the last 3 months then I have over my entire life... spirituality. Let me start off by saying that I have never met a Phi Kap that was not welcoming of any and all religions and our organization does not discriminate. However, for marketing and recruitment purposes, how do we sell ourselves? Are we "the Catholic Fraternity" or are we "a Fraternity with high ideals, moral standards, and that fosters spiritual exploration?" It seems that this is something that many of our chapters struggle with as well. What if you walk the walk but don't talk the talk? There are many people out there who live the same values that we expect our members to live but they may not necessarily identify with being Catholic. Do we scare them away with the Catholic label? Should we push our Catholic heritage in recruitment and marketing to fill a niche or void in our communities? How do we create a balance? I know that University of San Diego and Nebraska have successfully sustained themselves as strong groups who are very connected spiritually. How did they do it? How can we take what they have done and help our other chapters and colonies accomplish the same comfort with our heritage and how we fit into our respective Greek communities? How do you create a diverse group while still serving society, Fraternity, and GOD?
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Fraternity Staff Position Available
Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity is now accepting applications for the Assistant Director of Chapter Development position. Primary responsibilities include managing the expansion and colony development program, as well as assisting with recruitment and operational training and assistance for our collegiate groups and the (iServe) Network. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s Degree, strong written and verbal communication skills, experience with facilitation and presenting, as well as a strong understanding of Greek Life. Applications will be reviewed as they are received with an anticipated start date of June 1, 2009. To review the job description please visit our website. For questions or to apply, submit a resume with salary history, cover letter, and three references to Anita Kerlin, Director of Chapter Development at anita@phikaps.org.
An Evolution in Leadership
In earl April the Fraternity Board met in Indianapolis for their annual spring meeting. This meeting also marked the two year anniversary of me having the honor of serving as the Fraternity's Executive. As I reflect on how the organization has evolved over the past two years, I can't help but get excited about what's to come.
Just two short years ago, I was sitting in my first Board meeting as the Interim Executive, unsure of what my own future would be, let alone the future of the Fraternity. It was at that meeting that the Board made the decision to focus on the future, rather than try and analyze the past. It was that decision, to invest our time and resources into our successful future, that completely changed the culture of those Board meetings and the Fraternity. With a clear Mission and purpose, we have been able to make decisions that serves the best interest of our members.
As we prepare for the August Convention in Columbus, OH, we will be losing one of the key members of the Board, our current President, Robert Stalder, who has been an excellent role model of servant leadership for Phi Kappa Theta. In addition to the loss of Brother Stalder, we will also have two new collegiate members serving on the Board beginning in August. We look forward to having these new faces on the Board and are confident that the hard work done over the past two years will continue to provide us a solid foundation as we build Phi Kappa Theta's future.
Just two short years ago, I was sitting in my first Board meeting as the Interim Executive, unsure of what my own future would be, let alone the future of the Fraternity. It was at that meeting that the Board made the decision to focus on the future, rather than try and analyze the past. It was that decision, to invest our time and resources into our successful future, that completely changed the culture of those Board meetings and the Fraternity. With a clear Mission and purpose, we have been able to make decisions that serves the best interest of our members.
As we prepare for the August Convention in Columbus, OH, we will be losing one of the key members of the Board, our current President, Robert Stalder, who has been an excellent role model of servant leadership for Phi Kappa Theta. In addition to the loss of Brother Stalder, we will also have two new collegiate members serving on the Board beginning in August. We look forward to having these new faces on the Board and are confident that the hard work done over the past two years will continue to provide us a solid foundation as we build Phi Kappa Theta's future.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Life Lessons - Living in Fear
More often than not I think we all live in fear. Sadly, I think too often we make decisions out of fear instead of out of the desire to make said decisions. I find I'm struggling with fear in my non-work life and it makes an interesting transition into being a member of a Greek organization. People "Go Greek" because they want to feel like they are a part of a greater something and to feel accepted. That's often the same reason people gravitate towards athletic teams, churches, or any other kind of group. You enjoy the topic, it's relevant to you, and you enjoy feeling like you are a part of something bigger.
If we think about recruitment we often forget to ask people to join our organizations because we are afraid to get the "no." We take "no" so personally, even though they are not refusing us, just membership into our organizations. We are all afraid of rejection because we think it will make us look stupid so we would then, feel stupid. Think of all the other things in every day life that we don't do because of fear. We don't take risks. We don't enjoy life to it's fullest. We don't stop and live in the moment because we think too much about the repercussions of our actions. I'm not saying you should make irrational decisions by any means, but I think we could all benefit from a little less fear and a little more confidence.
Sean Stevenson is a brilliant man, and if you have never heard him speak before - you need to. He talked once about this concept of "Crazy Eights." Basically, it's the insane emotional rollercoaster that we send ourselves through over and over and over because we let our feelings run our lives instead of taking control of how we feel. Ask those men to join the Fraternity. Go over and sit at a table with people you don't know and get to know them (Step one of the five step recruitment model). Challenge yourself to do something great. Don't let fear run your life or dictate the decisions you make.
If we think about recruitment we often forget to ask people to join our organizations because we are afraid to get the "no." We take "no" so personally, even though they are not refusing us, just membership into our organizations. We are all afraid of rejection because we think it will make us look stupid so we would then, feel stupid. Think of all the other things in every day life that we don't do because of fear. We don't take risks. We don't enjoy life to it's fullest. We don't stop and live in the moment because we think too much about the repercussions of our actions. I'm not saying you should make irrational decisions by any means, but I think we could all benefit from a little less fear and a little more confidence.
Sean Stevenson is a brilliant man, and if you have never heard him speak before - you need to. He talked once about this concept of "Crazy Eights." Basically, it's the insane emotional rollercoaster that we send ourselves through over and over and over because we let our feelings run our lives instead of taking control of how we feel. Ask those men to join the Fraternity. Go over and sit at a table with people you don't know and get to know them (Step one of the five step recruitment model). Challenge yourself to do something great. Don't let fear run your life or dictate the decisions you make.
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