Unsplash.com; Glenn Carstens Peters
In a live environment like that of church production, it’s inevitable that something is always going to go wrong: gear doesn’t work right, a last-minute change undoes hours of preparation, or a key volunteer forgets to show up on time.
While those can easily become “hair on fire” or “chicken with its head cut off” moments, the level of panic (or lack thereof) that results is often a direct result of certain types of systems the team has in place.
What does that mean?
For athletes, soldiers, surgeons, etc., stress levels in intense moments are mitigated when they just focus on how they were trained. Thus, the urgency of the environment loses its ability to throw them for a loop. They take a deep breath and recall the countless hours of routine that helped them prepare and develop their skill level.
That same concept is one that can and should be applied to live production. Having effective processes and systems in place helps determine protocols that can be relied upon consistently, regardless of the pressure level of the environment.
Here are three key thoughts to remember and to work on putting in place:
1-Having a detailed system of preparation is crucial.
Checklists are perhaps one of the most important resources that any tech leader can utilize. In many churches, the team relies on one main leader (whether paid or volunteer) to do a majority of the setup or operation for a service.
If someone who didn’t understand the gear had to come and turn it on last-minute in an emergency, could I create an easy-to-understand, “idiot-proof” document that could walk someone through the critical steps?
In those cases, it’s inevitable that leader feels some pressure to always be available to run an event or provide on-call support, even when trying to disconnect or take vacation.
Having a thorough checklist system in place can help this situation tremendously.
If someone who didn’t understand the gear had to come and turn it on last-minute in an emergency, could I create an easy-to-understand, “idiot-proof” document that could walk someone through the critical steps? Perhaps even consider using pictures and creating a troubleshooting guide as well: if this button isn’t blinking red (insert picture to show where it is), then here are the steps to make it blink.
Often we as leaders lean towards doing everything from memory because we’ve done it so many times. But what happens if I’m called to fix an urgent issue in another part of the building, and I get distracted during my preparation in the main auditorium?
Instead of running the risk of forgetting to turn something on or format it, I can now rely on the checklist to help keep me on track. And better yet, with a simple checklist, I can use that as a training tool to help guide others through the process so they can learn how to execute key tasks.
Documents like pre-service checklists, troubleshooting guides, procedural notes/operations manual are all key tools that can be utilized....
Documents like pre-service checklists, troubleshooting guides, procedural notes/operations manual are all key tools that can be utilized. By having these systems in place, it helps ensure that preparation is thorough and as many potential problems as possible are headed off before they become issues.
Furthermore, gear maintenance can be addressed in the same way.
Regular patterns of preventative maintenance (lamp changes, software/firmware updates, etc.) are necessary to ensure that equipment is always functioning at an optimal level, and provides an opportunity to discover issues during the week instead of them popping up during a service.
And even having an organized system of gear storage is important too. If a converter catches fire during a service, or I discover a short in an audio patch cable, I want it to be as easy as possible to find the spares/backups that can be utilized. I don’t want to dig through a pile of empty boxes or a rat’s nest of cables just to find what I’m looking for.
2-You must have a thorough training process.
As it was noted above, when stress levels rise, peoples’ responses tend to reflect the level of training they have received.
When something goes wrong, have they been trained on how to constructively think through the problem and deduce what steps to take next? Or have we only trained them to be a “space bar All-Star” in ProPresenter who knows how to do nothing but advance to the next slide?
An effective training process is like an interstate on ramp: at the top, you’re going zero MPH, but by the time you get to the end, you should be able to go 70 and merge into traffic without causing a pileup. As you’re picking up speed, you don’t subjectively stick your head out the window to gauge wind movement and guess how fast you’re going…you look at your gauges, which then tell you where you’re at.
An effective training process is like an interstate on ramp: at the top, you’re going zero MPH, but by the time you get to the end, you should be able to go 70 and merge into traffic without causing a pileup.
Training should be the same way: an objective system that allows progress to be made based on what the gauges read. But too many times, we “don’t have the time” to train someone, or after they shadow for a couple of weeks, we say “they feel ready”.
These are the people who struggle when there are issues or last-minute changes, and as leaders, we set them up to fail in these moments. It’s easy for them to feel discouraged or embarrassed because of a failure or shortcoming they had, when it was really our fault to begin with for putting them into a position they weren’t prepared for.
But having a thorough training system in place can fix this. For every position on the team, write out a list of benchmarks that each trainee should hit. What are all the tasks, terms, responsibilities, etc. that the person needs to know in order to serve effectively on a weekend? Allow that to be the basis for the training process so that there’s intentional investment into not only teaching a new team member how to execute a function, but also why that process is important and what to do if something doesn’t work.
The goal is to also to train in critical thinking, not just in task execution.
3-Practice clear communication.
It can be easy as leaders to take for granted the fact that everyone knows what we know, or that we’re communicating to others as effectively as we think.
However, especially when dealing with volunteers, we often have to force ourselves to go above and beyond when communicating, because that’s one of the key ways we set our teams up for success.
It all starts with clarifying expectations. This can range from character expectations (attitude, lifestyle, etc.) to positional expectations (what it means to be a good audio engineer) to team expectations (call times, attire when serving, etc.).
I can’t expect others to read my mind, and I also can’t hold someone accountable for standards I never clearly communicated.
I can’t expect others to read my mind, and I also can’t hold someone accountable for standards I never clearly communicated. So if I have an expectation for people on my team, I need to ensure that I’m constantly communicating that to them. If I have quality standards for a certain position, I must make sure that I’m not only sharing those consistently, but I’m also clarifying the steps necessary to get there.
Communicating details about service flow and roles is critical as well. Using a tool like Planning Center or Shoflo is a great way to delineate important notes about a service. Pre-service meetings or huddles are necessary gatherings to walk through pertinent details of an event to ensure everyone is on the same page. And effective communication from a director or producer is imperative to ensure that the team is well-prepared for transitions and next steps.
Ultimately, a live event is a direct reflection of the preparation that went into it. If it runs smoothly, that’s usually an indicator that the teams were well-trained, communication was effective, and everyone was prepared to execute their roles.
But even if something falls apart or goes wrong (whether it’s beyond the team’s control or not), how the leader and team respond in those moments is a reflection, as well.
There are few things better than knowing that you can rely on an effective and proven system to help get you through your duties. That’s what can help bring a sense of peace in a brewing storm.
