WORSHIP TEAM COACH
[ WHY LATENESS HURTS YOUR TEAM (MORE THAN YOU THINK) ]
Jon Nicol
BAD: It’s the beginning of rehearsal, the band Loss #4: Loss of focus for the team member. the late. If you want to start rehearsal at 6:45,
and vocalists are ready to go and—“Whoa! It takes a while for the team member to settle don’t move rehearsal time to 6:30. That
Wait, where’s _________?” Whichever person in and focus when they’ve just blown in from penalizes the prompt.
it is—drummer, guitarist, sound tech, alto—it something else. The loss goes beyond just the doesn’t matter. The team isn’t ready. That’s time they were absent.
2. Talk with your team about why promptness
matters. Those “Late Losses” above are an
bad. But it could be worse.
Loss #5: Loss of focus for the leader.
easy place to start.
WORSE: You scan the platform at the start of Late people can throw a worship leader off her rehearsal only to find half the team NOT there, game. A well-planned rehearsal can become 3. As the leader, be early (AND the most prepared
and the other half are still setting up. But it gets a piecemeal practice session. Just one tardy person in the room). When you’re on top of your
worse than this. team member may not knock the whole game, you can roll with issues better. And,
rehearsal askew. But add another issue, like most importantly, you’re setting the example.
WORST: You, the leader, fly in late and attempt to a random tech glitch to the rehearsal, and the jumpstart a rehearsal to make up for lost time. late person is compounding the frustration level 4. Change your language. For my team, I changed
Unfortunately, you find the team is following of the leader. our “start” time to “ready to play” time. It
your lead. (See the “Worse” scenario.)
communicates that on-time ≠ arrival time. And
Loss #6: Loss of time and energy outside rehearsal.
with that...
Late. Tardy. Unpunctual. Not prompt. Whatever When a leader has to confront a chronically we call it, it’s hurting our worship teams more late person, he/she is likely to experience 5. Start on time. Every time. Yes, even if you’re
than we think. We’re going to look at eight ways confrontation anxiety. So now an in-rehearsal missing half your band. Most people walking
that lateness is damaging our ministries. Then, issue is requiring time and emotional energy into a rehearsal already in progress should feel
we’ll dig in to a few practical steps that leaders outside of rehearsal. a healthy dose of social pressure to not let that
can do to change this culture-corroding issue.
happen again.
Loss #7: Loss of accountability.
When tardy team members go unchecked, it
But there’s always that one guy (or girl). So…
EIGHT LATE LOSSES gives permission for others to ignore the start Loss #1: Loss of rehearsal time. time. And when the leader is the chronically 6. Confront the chronically late person. Show
This loss means rehearsal goes longer or late person, it screams, “Be late!” to the whole grace AND speak truth. Lead with questions
some of the preparation gets pushed to team. that show concern for them, not accusations
Sunday morning.
that condemn.
Loss #8: Loss of foundational values.
Loss #2: Loss of soundcheck/warm-up time. Showing up on time should be a foundational 7. Run a fun, but efficient rehearsal. Late team
Unlike a midweek rehearsal, the Sunday behavior for any worship team. If a team loses members will try to justify their tardiness with,
morning soundcheck is NOT open-ended. So the expectation of that behavior, other values “But we waste so much time at the beginning
whatever time the late person wasted is now start slipping. Five minutes here or there will not anyway….” Take away those excuses.
gone. cause widespread bedlam and anarchy, but it
will begin to erode the standards of your team.
Again, promptness and lateness are both
Loss #3: Loss of respect among other team foundational habits for your worship ministry. On
members. one, you can build a culture of high standards
People may, on the surface, seem to excuse SEVEN STEPS TO LATE-PROOF YOUR TEAM and respect among the team members. The
or tolerate a chronically late team member. But What can you do to begin to late-proof your other keeps the bar perpetually low and sows
deep down, resentment and frustration grow worship team? Here are seven tips to change disunity within the team.
over time: “This person is wasting our time. the culture of lateness on your team.
AGAIN.”
And with that, I’ll wrap. I’m about to be late for
1. NEVER move rehearsal time to accommodate
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November 2017
rehearsal….
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