Throw out everything from your chapter experience. Most of your past stories and experiences will be a detriment. GreekLife is in a constant flux, things are changing at a rapid pace. Start fresh with a learner’s attitude!
Understand your job description. Know your role on the Advisor team. For success to happen, every role must function at 100%. One role breakdown affects the over-all success of the chapter moving forward.
Coach the undergrad in writing out his goals and objectives for his office. To coach is to improve performance, to provide training and development, to support, to encourage and affirm.
Responsibility with accountability wins every time. Helping the officer to be responsible for his office and then holding him accountable (weekly) to what he said he wanted to accomplish. Trust but Verify.
Consistent presence is paramount. You must keep taking the temperature and reading what is happening. Your presence provides security and lets them know your approachable to talk. Your presence allows you to immediately deal with live situations. Change is occurring at a rapid pace at the university environment, probably the most rapid of any environment. It also allows you to be a student of the present.
Be a learner leader of the constant changing fraternity culture as well as the university culture. Culture is the values, the rituals, the conversations, stories, language and the accepted or rejected behaviors of a fraternity. Its who we are and who we aren’t. The attitudes and actions of a group. Culture Suck is the attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, that resist and fight the mission, vision, and values of the established culture, counterculture. A sub-culture derails the culture and has power to influence and guide. Many times, they are the leaders not EXEC. They are the grenade throwers.
Integrity matters. Be honest and hold them to honesty. What ones says and what one does must be in alignment. To spin something is a half lie, it’s not being fully truthful. Its rampant in our society and is especially used in blaming and not owning a situation.
Build trust. If there is a trust breakdown, everything breaks down. Secrets or mask wearing, pretending is destructive. Character, competence and consistency builds trust. Your authenticity, that of your honestly, humility, and vulnerability are the most valuable qualities in building trust.
Patience, understanding, and kindness. They are boys and make lots of wrong decisions. Give grace. Don’t be a mean asshole. Delayed adolescence is a part of the culture. It’s not their fault. No what hills you need to plant the flag and make a stand, let the rest go.
Understand why they desire to be a fraternity man. They are seeking friendship a relational connection. They hunger to belong, that they matter. As an advisor how do you lead the chapter in a way that provides what they seek?
