At Delta Phi Epsilon we have an outstanding group of eight women who are described as, “The feet on the ground”. These eight women are a part of the International Leadership Consultant Program and they spend their working days assisting all 109 chapters with their daily operations. With the new virtual operation that the ILC Program has taken, these eight women could now be described as, “The hands on the mouse”. I am honored to be one of the eight. My experience as an ILC has brought me highs, lows, lessons learned, and opportunities for growth along the way, in just my first 90 days.
One constant that helps me feel accomplished each day is goal setting. The point of setting these goals is to ensure I do not lose motivation throughout the work day. When I write out these daily goals, it encourages me to continue working throughout the day until my goals are accomplished. Likewise, when working directly with collegiate members, it is important to acknowledge when they accomplish their goals. Directly helping collegiate members reach their goals, becoming their support system at a professional level, and encouraging them to strive for excellence has been a very rewarding part of my ILC journey thus far.
Being an ILC, comes with some struggles to overcome. Self-doubt is one obstacle I am working on and the program is helping me to overcome. Of course with any job, or day for that matter, you have bad experiences. I have been very pleased however, that none of my bad experiences have come from any of my colleagues or any collegiate members. My bad experiences have come from two different things; wifi troubles and self-doubt. First let’s talk about the wifi troubles. Unfortunately, where I live does not have good service or a reliable wifi connection. The issue hasn’t affected my ability to get my work done, but it has been an added stressor into my work day.
Secondly, I think I speak for many people when I say that self-doubt is a common struggle. My doubts stem from feeling like I do not know enough on certain topics. Many chapters come to me with the different challenges they are facing and sometimes, I am unsure of how to help them. When I am unsure, I go to a supervisor for advice. I have been working on becoming more comfortable with slowing down my response times to find the most helpful and accurate information to send back to my chapters. This is something that I will have to continue to work on and not let my lack of knowledge in some areas determine how I feel. No one can know every nuance of sisterhood readily. I am starting to understand that the support system is there to lift me up and move me forward.
Even though I have only been an ILC for just over a month, I have already learned many lessons that I will be able to carry with me. The first lesson that comes to mind is setting boundaries. My work day is typically 9:00-5:00 during the weekdays. Of course recruitment workshops, LT meetings, and one-on-one with chapter officers can create the need to be flexible with my schedule. But, by setting these boundaries it gives me time to do things that I need to do for myself, things like go to the store, go on a run, or just relax in front of the TV. Almost every day that I have been an ILC, I have learned something new about myself, about the operations of Delta Phi Epsilon, and about a collegiate member with whom I am working. Learning is growing and I am sure having quite a bit of personal development in this program!
The last thing I will touch on is the opportunity for personal and professional growth that I have begun to embrace through my experience. We were able to attend a wide range of workshops during our month of training. These workshops gave me information and a perspective that I would not have received without this program. The workshop range varied from a two part Mental Health First Aid training, to a Hazing Prevention Webinar, to a workshop about Expanding Beyond the NPC Worldview. All of those listed workshops, and many others, have helped me grow professionally, but also personally.
All things considered, I would say that throughout this next year I am in for a treat. From working and guiding collegiate members, to working on my confidence, remembering to set boundaries, and to appreciating all of the opportunities for growth that I will encounter, I am excited for this opportunity that I have been given. Throughout this next year, I hope to make a positive impact on the hundreds of sisters I will meet. I hope to improve their collegiate experience. Lastly, I hope that by giving my all to this position I will be able to grow and develop daily, professionally and personal, and as a sister in Delta Phi Epsilon.
Madison Pecht is an alumna member of the Alpha Epsilon chapter at Kennesaw State University and a current International Leadership Consultant. Madi currently lives in Georgia.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 – 2022 International Leadership Consultant Program. You can learn more information and apply, by clicking here. Interested in learning more about the program and have questions answered? Join us on November 12 for an interactive webinar, “Want to be an ILC?” You can register for that here.