I am organized and prepared. My team has been scheduled and trained. I have thought through transitions, led planning meetings, and put everything in place for us to have a perfect service.
And the service starts. And everything falls apart.
A vocalist trips walking on stage, breaking her wireless bodypack. The display software crashes, leaving us without lyrics for half a song. And to top it off, the fire alarm gets pulled accidentally, forcing us to evacuate the building midway through the message and leaving us no choice but to skip the special closing song we’d rehearsed for hours.
Such is the life of a church TD.
Endless amounts of preparation, all undone by the unpredictable nature of life.
For many of us, that can be a hard reality to live in. The never-ending pursuit of excellence and the unwillingness to accept anything less than what we think is the best is part of what makes us so good at what we do.
But as much as we strive for it, that perfectly planned existence sometimes only exists in our minds.
In reality, equipment breaks, volunteers cancel, and mistakes happen.
So how do we manage without going crazy?
Master the act of preparation
Our daily workflow must be one that aims to create structure and eliminate variables. Performing preventative maintenance to keep gear operating at peak performance. Treating every rehearsal with respect and seriousness. Scheduling volunteers well in advance. Communicating expectations to the team so everyone has clarity on their roles.
God is a God of details, so I should be willing to focus on them too.
Focusing on the details is never optional. God is a God of details, so I should be willing to focus on them too. I honor Him by honoring every aspect of the role and influence he’s blessed me with, regardless of how mundane or nominal it may seem.
Maintain the attitude of flexibility
But at the same time, I can’t be so locked into an ideal plan that I’m not willing or able to adjust when things change.
In the world of live event production, something is always going to change. People will make mistakes, no matter how much they’ve rehearsed. Equipment will break, no matter how much it’s been checked. The set list or the sermon notes will get tweaked, no matter how long it took you to load the original content.
I can’t be so locked into an ideal plan that I’m not willing or able to adjust when things change.
In those moments, I have a choice. Can I provide others the grace to allow for change? Am I willing to adapt with a healthy, can-do attitude? Can I honor my team and the leaders around me by having a flexible, calm, servant-like approach, even when I’m frustrated on the inside? Can I work to solve the problem instead of complaining about how it ruined my plans?
The two worlds can’t exist without each other. Without structure and planning, I can’t have backup options for when things go wrong. But without me modeling a flexible, graceful attitude, my team will never feel supported enough to strive for their best in the first place.
By embracing both preparation and flexibility, that’s how I truly unlock the door of unlimited potential.
