| One of the things that most people love about being | | | | functioning together by creating normal patterns. |
| a part of a sorority or fraternity is being part of a | | | | Some people will naturally become the leaders - or |
| group. There's just something about people that | | | | they'll become the leaders by a group vote - and |
| draws them to groups of like-minded people. In high | | | | other people will start following them. |
| school, you had different cliques, and now you have | | | | Step Four: Performing |
| fraternities and sororities. | | | | This is the part where everything clicks. Your group |
| But any group of people is simply a group of people | | | | has fun together, and they get things done, whether |
| at first. Unless you do something to take a group and | | | | it's throwing the best block party or raising the most |
| make it into a team, it won't matter if they're all a | | | | money for your favorite charity. |
| part of a group with the same name. Turning a | | | | It takes most groups a while to go through all this, |
| sorority or fraternity into an actual team can take a | | | | but there are a few things you can do to help the |
| little bit of effort because it's not like you're an | | | | process along. |
| athletic team out there competing against other | | | | First, don't fight it. The storming phase can be pretty |
| teams, which is an instant way to turn a random | | | | annoying and difficult, but you have to get through it |
| group into a functioning unit. | | | | before you can form group norms. If you're a group |
| There are, though, a few things that you can do to | | | | leader by default, try to get everyone to talk things |
| make your sorority or fraternity function like this. | | | | through at this point. |
| First, though, you have to understand a little thing | | | | You can also help the process by giving the group |
| called the group process. If you've had basic | | | | teamwork-oriented things to do. If the new |
| sociology, you may already know a little about this. It | | | | sophomores are having issues working together, |
| goes like this: | | | | assign them a project that they have to get done, |
| Step One: Forming | | | | whether it's deciding how to decorate a room in the |
| During this phase, the group is just coming together. | | | | sorority house or throwing a barbecue party for the |
| This is what happens after school starts or after | | | | rest of the fraternity. Having to accomplish a goal is a |
| Rush Week when you bring a whole new set of | | | | great way to force a group to figure out how |
| people into your group. | | | | they're going to work together. |
| Step Two: Storming | | | | It's really hard for a huge group of people to function |
| At this point, everyone is pretty much trying to | | | | together like this. One way to help your fraternity or |
| figure out their roles. There might be some backbiting | | | | sorority work like a team is to split it up into groups |
| and bickering because people with strong personalities | | | | of five or six people who have specific goals to |
| are going to want to gain the upper hand. | | | | accomplish. Forming smaller teams is way easier than |
| Step Three: Norming | | | | having one person be in charge of twenty people, |
| Once the group is done storming, they'll start | | | | and you'll get a lot more done this way, too. |