What Are We Solving?

There is a terrific book out there called Building a Story Brand. One of the components of this book’s teaching is that we need to know what problem we are trying to solve with our respective organizations. There is a lot more in the book, and I recommend you pick it up, but for now, let’s focus on this concept—what problem are we solving with our organization’s existence?

What do you do? I want you to really think about the answer to that question deep in your heart and soul.

What does your chapter or community do?
What problem do you solve by existing?

If I am being honest, most chapters I have worked with give similar answers to this question and that’s ok. The hard truth is fraternity and sorority membership collectively has the ability to solve the problem of lack of belonging on a college campus, but no one chapter does that- most chapters do that. If we assume that truth and live in it for a moment, I find myself wondering- “what else is there?” I think there is a lot, but the specifics of what else are really up to you.

What problem can you solve?
What could you and your members do right now together that could uniquely impact each other or your community at large?

This can be something as simple as an Instagram reel campaign about what to do in the first weeks of college (you solve the problem of overwhelm in the first weeks of school) or as big as setting up and staffing a recycling and compost center (you solve the problem of environmental waste on your campus).

The message is simple: when we gather we matter and we are called to be more.

What is your more?
What else is there in what you do?

Ask your members what they wish for, and I bet their hopes and desires will move you from “Siblinghood and networking” into world-changing work.

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 Written by: Dr. Colleen Coffey-Melchiorre, Growth Consultant