Our romanticization with the Christmas season creeps up earlier and earlier each year. Thanksgiving, desperately hanging onto hope and attention, is marginalized with department stores and radio stations playing a game of Russian Roulette as to who will start the holiday playlist first. It is also the inevitable period when church production directors and tech personnel can be found nervously pacing the back hallways, fraught with trembling minds and destitute hearts, wondering if they will once again survive their respective Christmas productions.
Preparation for any large event can be done so in various forms. It requires a keen art of balance, insight, humor, knowing your capabilities, and yes, standing up for your production team. We've all too often sat in Christmas planning meetings–or lack thereof–with the deer-in-the-headlights look while Hollywood-grade aspirations are put up on the board for consideration:
“We'd like to recreate the downtown street scene from ‘It's A Wonderful Life' here in our auditorium…”
“The children's program will have 38 speaking parts, 20 of which will be under the age of 4…and they need to be wireless…if possible.”
“What's our policy on live animals in the sanctuary, particularly penguins? And can we create an Arctic-themed slide and pool for them…and I'm sure you can light the water in the pool, right?”
“The children’s program will have 38 speaking parts, 20 of which will be under the age of 4… and they need to be wireless…if possible.”
Regardless of the size or scope of your Christmas services, having a plan for preparing your technical team might very be the best idea to go up on the board.
Ask, Delegate, Ask Again
Week-in and week-out, many churches run in a quasi-clockwork fashion. A few wrinkles might surface here and there, but for the most part our technical teams see familiar territory. Especially in the work of our volunteers, we need that level of predictability to ensure plans are executed at a high level. In the case of special events and holidays though, the technical requirements are often considerably different. This points to a distinctly varied set of roles and expectations for your team members. To think you can operate in a business-as-usual fashion for the upcoming Christmas season is not only misguided, but fails to take advantage of potential training, delegation, and growth --- growth not only from your team, but you, as a leader.
There's a timeless axiom that says, “If you want better answers, ask better questions.” Thinking in terms of preparing a team, we should implement better questions from the outset. Who do we have? What are we trying to accomplish? How we do put the best people in the best spots? Perhaps appearing shrewd, these basic tenants are often overlooked. And it's never too late to know where you are going and how you are going to get there. Better yet, share these with your team. People like to know the plan, the backstory, the goals, and how these each factor into the desired outcome.
Andy Stanley, noted author and pastor at North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA, has written widely on the topic of leadership, and quite extensively regarding its function within the walls of the church and in one's spiritual life. He presses the question when saying, “As leaders, we are often tempted to try to do everything. Generally this leads to widespread failure. We must ask ourselves where we (and others) add the most value.”
Too often we see leaders in all sectors trying to shoulder the weight of the world while the rest of their teams --- who are more than capable of adding tremendous value --- sit idly on the sidelines. Rally your team together, get them into meetings, delegate responsibility, and be surprised at the insights and ideas that spring forth. People love rising to the occasion, yet we sadly underestimate many of the abilities of others. A quick inventory will reveal the areas your team will add the most value, which in turn plays a tremendous role in the overall success and health of the group.
Train and Train Some More
Humans have an internal propensity for success. We want to do well and see positive results. In order for that to happen, your technical team needs training. Often we think of training only in terms of a once-a-year, all-day marathon where we try to rifle through every nuance of a certain position or skill. What about the small moments where ten seconds of advice or direction could greatly benefit a volunteer or other team member? That's training at it's best; a continual process that comes in both large and minute doses. You can't expect people to give that which they have not received.
The Communication Game
“Good words are worth much, and cost little”, said English poet George Herbert. The more you communicate with your team, the better prepared they, and you, will feel as the Christmas season approaches. Again, it sounds like a no-brainer but is often forgotten. It's not the job of your volunteers to know every detail of weekly staff meetings, tweaks, and creative sessions, but you should keep them in the loop. Updates about potential changes, time commitments, and expectations are vital. Avoid dumping loads of new information in the heat of the moment.
In the same vein of keeping your team updated on the technicalities of Christmas, show your humanity as well. It's OK to not have all the answers, because nobody does. Let this shine through. Vulnerability is tough, at best, but will go a long way in showing your awareness and limitations. Your approach to being a technical director should be a natural extension of your personality and philosophy. We all approach life in various forms, but the important thing is to do so in a manner that is sincere and honest.
Show You Care
Hopefully this goes without saying, but thank your team. Thank them often–even during the weeks leading up to Christmas–showing genuine appreciation. Pick up a pen or pencil and write a small note of encouragement and thanks. Handwritten notes never go out of style and will pay dividends in letting others know that their efforts were valuable and contributed in ways both seen and unseen.
Preparation for any event can always fixate on the urgent and obvious, but taking time to ask the right questions will undoubtedly help you and your team grow in a positive direction during this Christmas season.
