MILITARY GREEK LIFE Magazine JAN/FEB 2016 23
Zakariah Bass of Zefer Media, LLC joined the United States Army in 2004 and was medically retired in 2009. He is married to an Air Force active duty service member.
Zakariah is a published author, publishing “Making of an Infantryman” in 2012. You can purchase his book through Barnes & Noble and Amazon. He was recently accepted into a year long fellowship program at the Writers Guild of America in Los Angeles and he is currently working on another novel. He started Zefer-Media, a production company in 2015 and is available for hire.
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You know who they are but you don't know them. You barely see them and when you do, it's probably at a high profile event with a little glitz and glam. They don't show up to community service. They miss official meetings. They don't contribute any ideas. But, they manage to make it into the group photos! They claim your organization on resumes or when they're tyring to impress people. They wear the T-shirt with the Greek letters everywhere they go but ultimately, they might be giving your organization a bad name. They're among you, distracting you from your purpose. So, how do you deal with them?
THE VALUE OF
HIGH STANDARDS
What happens when members start to second guess their affiliation and flock to other organizations or denounce membership all together because things are just out of order? Eventually, the word gets out and it becomes a public affairs nightmare. Word of mouth goes far. There's nothing like introducing yourself to someone as a proud member, in good standing with [fill in organization here] just to have that person make an assessment of you based on previous experiences with others.
There is a lot of work that goes into building a positive brand that can quickly be altered by individuals displaying behaviors that present them in a negative light. In turn, their behavior will become an unsatisfactory mark on an organization and the people affiliated with that organization.
There's a saying about first impressions being lasting impressions and the military Greeks will need to work hard to make sure it's a good one. The value of the MGLOs will be judged by its members and their behaviors. Standards must be taught and enforced. Otherwise, the T-Shirt Wearers will destroy your brand.
TIME FOR AN
INTEGRITY CHECK
There's a certain level of self-reflection that has to take place for leaders, members, and potential members to examine why they are in a MGLO or why they want to be a member. It boils down to one thing - INTEGRITY. If you are currently in a MGLO or considering joining, be clear about your intentions. Be honest with yourself and why you're doing what you do. It's not just about what you can get out of it- affiliation, prestige, the colors, jackets, and hand signs. It's also about what you bring to the table. Think about how much time, energy, and effort you're willing to contribute to the goals, mission, and vision of your selected MGLO. Are you willing to do what’s right when things are going wrong? If you can’t honestly answer these questions, you might be a part of the problem.
MENTORSHIP WANTED
It’s important for organizational leaders and mentors to address issues T-Shirt Wearers bring to an organization. Take the opportunity to mentor and in turn hold individuals accountable to maintaining the standards that they have promised to uphold through membership. Leaders and mentors provide a wealth of information and if there’s one thing that exists in the MGLO community- it’s a plethora of leaders and mentors.
Let’s discuss how and take action to mentor T-Shirt Wearers into fulfilling their role and meeting their potential in their respective MGLO. It’s vital to the MGLO community’s legacy, public image, and brand.
#TshirtWearers
T-Shirt Wearers
HIGH STANDARDS, INTEGRITY, MENTORSHIP