If they could play four chords ( or whatever musical equivalent on their instrument ) and had a pulse , they were on the schedule . Probably the very next week .
Later , I bolstered the process to avoid repeating early mistakes , but I never fully structured and standardized the process . As a result , my ambiguous system caused issues :
• Potential new team members weren ’ t sure what the process was .
• I was recreating the process to some extent every time .
• There was no way to maintain clear standards and consistency from audition to audition .
What ’ s the solution ? Plan out ( and document ) a clear process for someone moving from interested to invested .
2 . Audition Process Too Quick This next blunder is where you have a process , but you move too quickly through it . You don ’ t get to know the team member well enough and may invite someone who ’ s not truly qualified .
You need time to make sure this person meets the musical standards of your worship ministry , but also fits the culture of your team .
I can tell you this was one of my mistakes with Carl . So what ’ s the solution to this blunder ?
Use an intentional multistep approach for your qualification process . You need to think through and answer this question : “ What are all the steps it should take to move someone from interested to invested ?”
When you attend the upcoming webinar , we ’ ll be talking about all those steps . AND , we ’ re giving away an exclusive tool called the 31 Audition Killers Checklist . This will help you see where your audition process steps need improving .
3 . Solo Decision Making If you need a multiple-step process , you
also need multiple eyes and ears involved in that process .
I know of a worship leader who interviewed and invited a vocalist to join the team who they thought had a decent voice and could stay on pitch .
During this person ’ s first rehearsal , one of the other vocalists shot the leader a look that told him otherwise .
Apparently , he had neglected to see if this vocalist could sing harmony . Had any of his current vocalists been at the audition , they probably wouldn ’ t have missed that .
4 . No Flake Filters There are steps in the qualification process that keep flakey people off your team — hence , “ flake filters .”
A flakey person is someone who ’ s not committed , or who might be gung-ho for a bit , but will “ flake ” out later .
If your audition process is too easy , they can get in too easy . ( Read that sentence again .)
Flakes may include the following :
• The Eager Beavers . These are the folks who are ready yesterday to join your team . Not every eager beaver will flake out . But I ’ m always a little cautious with people who are a little too gung-ho to join the worship ministry .
• The Half-Hearted . These people are likely there to fill a need or gap on the team . They might have the right skills , but if their heart isn ’ t in it . Help them find a ministry that they can be passionate about .
• The Crazy-Busy . Everyone is busy . But there are those people with exceptionally full ( and often erratic ) schedules . If you struggled to get a person scheduled for interviews or auditions , ask yourself : Will he or she be available enough to be on our team ? And if they will make Sunday a priority , will he or she have time to meet the preparation standards of our team ?
• Super-Talented ( And They Know It ) Musically , these people are flakes because they too often rely on their skills and experience and will “ wing it ” rather than learn their specific part . Relationally , they ’ re toxic because of their arrogance . ( Not all , but some .)
So , how do you keep out these flakes ?
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