When I was writing a previous post on training, it occurred to me that I haven’t written about the one thing that we never want to talk about as TDs; removing people from the tech team.
It seems completely counter-intuitive, after all. We’re told by leadership over and over we need to be growing our team; recruiting and expanding; adding more to the volunteer ranks.
And while that’s true to some extent, the reality is not everyone can thrive on the tech team. In fact, most cannot. I’ll say it again in case you missed it:
Not Everyone Can Thrive On The Tech Team
This is not meant to sound exclusive or arrogant. It’s not meant to make people feel bad. However, it is reality. Not everyone has the temperament or skill set to do a great job in tech. And that’s OK. We have to get rid of this idea that just because someone wants to serve on the tech team they should.
It Takes All Kinds
People volunteer for all kinds of reasons. Some people will fill out the form because the pastor asked for volunteers, and as someone who likes to serve and be helpful, they checked the tech box. They may not have any ability or inclination to do it, but hey, they’re happy to try. There are a few areas people can serve where “happy to try” is acceptable. Tech is not one of them.
Some people have a little bit of background in production and will come to a new church and try to serve. These were often the ones I had the hardest time with. They may have been the “leper with the most fingers” at their last church (of 75 people) and could figure out how to push the fader up for the pastor’s mic. But standing behind a modern, large format digital console is a whole different ballgame. That’s OK. Don’t equate different with bad.
Some people volunteer because they think it will be fun, but they can’t figure out how to skip commercials on their DVR. They may not be the best choice for the tech team.
Figure It Out Early
I always had a conversation with my new recruits right off the bat in which I spelled out very clearly what the requirements were for the position. I clearly defined the time commitments, the training required and what I expected them to bring to the table. I gave them an easy out—if you don’t want to do this, it’s cool. Just tell me now.
If they started to falter over the next few weeks, I had that conversation again and again asked if they really wanted to do this. A lot of times, they admitted they didn’t. Time to move on.
Sometimes, you inherit a team that is just not up to snuff. Sometimes it’s because they were never trained properly. I always start with the assumption that I can help people get better. However, if after spending time with them and determining that they are not right for the team, I move them out quickly and graciously.
It’s dangerous to keep someone in a position who clearly doesn’t belong because you need that position covered.
God Provides—On Time
Sometimes, I believe God will withhold a perfect volunteer until we step out in faith and create the space. I can’t tell you how many times I would somewhat fearfully move someone off the team because they weren’t up to the task, only to have someone who turned out to be a rock star show up the next week.
The new rock stars almost never showed up before I created the space on the team, however. In fact, I’m not sure they ever did. Sometimes we went a few weeks without anyone, but it was better than having someone who was doing a terrible job. And my faith grew every time.
We have to remember that we’re not serving our boss, our congregation or even the pastor ultimately. We are serving God when we are in the role of tech team leader. We have to have faith that He called us to that role, and that He will provide for our needs; including team members. Don’t let your fear hold Him back from bringing you the right people.
