I often find it hard to differentiate between a random series of events that lead to a particular outcome and God's Will. One of those two things brought me to the technical ministry position I hold today. It certainly wasn't because I charted a course on my own and made it happen. It just...happened. A job offer fell through. A relationship ended. I moved. I was invited to a friend's church. I volunteered in the Worship and Arts ministry. And suddenly I was working for a church. Maybe you feel the same way about your position as the director of some facet of technology within your ministry. If you are anything like me, you were drawn to the role through an area of interest, and you were given authority over that area mainly due to your technical expertise, keen sense of humor and dashingly good looks...well, maybe just technical expertise.
At first, you could handle everything yourself. You were, after all, the most qualified to do everything within your area. However, if you are part of a healthy, growing ministry, things will likely change over time. There will be more responsibilities, tasks, and venues than you can handle on your own, and your team of volunteers or staff will grow. This is a fantastic development assuming you are able to grow as well.
We can easily become territorial about our equipment or responsibilities.
There is big difference between being the only person in charge of an area and managing a group of people in charge of an area. There is also big difference between managing gear and managing people. Additionally, there is a big difference between directing production and directing a department. Many times in ministry the first person within an area of expertise automatically becomes the leader of that area when additional personnel are added. The problem with that system is most of us start out as gear geeks, not leaders. If we don't figure out how to bridge the gap, it can have serious repercussions. I have seen what happens when a person's position morphs into a leadership role and exceeds his or her leadership skill set. It can get pretty ugly. The team is dysfunctional, and nobody is happy or satisfied.
There is a natural tendency as a Technical Director to guard one's turf. We can easily become territorial about our equipment or responsibilities, but creating a highly functional team requires the exact opposite: team building, knowledge sharing and delegation. We have to be willing to give away ourselves, our expertise, and our functions for the betterment of the team and the ministry as a whole. In order for a TD to be successful in these areas, he or she must already have these skills or be willing to invest the effort to develop them.
If you remember earlier, I mentioned a random (or predestined) series of events. Fortunately, some of those events in my journey included opportunities for leadership development and a graduate degree including courses in management. So when my role changed more and more into managing people rather than projects and equipment, I had a head start. I have, however, watched others hone their leadership skills by becoming students of leadership. It is absolutely something that can be learned by studying other leaders. Finding a mentor, reading books, and attending conferences are all excellent ways to increase your leadership potential.
You can, however, start being a better TD today by simply practicing better leadership. If you have trouble in the areas of team building, training and delegation, the best way to get started is to get started. Seriously, just get started. Sure it would be faster to just do it yourself, but teach another team member how to do it. Maybe it would be done a little bit better if you did it, but delegate it to someone else and allow them to step up to the challenge. Maybe your idea is the best idea, but gather the team together and allow them to discuss it as a group to determine the best course of action. You might be surprised with the ideas that are formed. But what will not be surprising is the way your team begins to flourish and you begin to thrive as a leader.
