As a volunteer techs, we tend to be very detail oriented, plan ahead, check it three times type of people. This makes it very easy for us to get frustrated, when others (perhaps church staff or special music volunteers) are unprepared or don’t seem to have a plan. It’s easy to complain or be frustrated, but don’t fall into that trap. Keeping a good attitude is important. Yes, we often scramble to change or add something in the next five minutes, so take it as a challenge. God has put you here because you can accomplish the job so take joy in the challenge of your work. Instead of letting bitterness grow, open up lines of communication. Often, the person doesn’t realize the difficulty of what they are asking. Take a minute to kindly share why something won’t work or how they can make sure it will work the next time.
Church staff, consider the tech challenges of your next service and plan ahead. It can be frustrating to your tech team, when they have everything set up and you come in at the last minute with an entirely new plan. Send out an e-mail or use planning software, so tech plans can be made and you can have tech team input. Finally, realize that sometimes things change at the last minute. It shouldn’t be the norm but it does happen. I’ve been in situations where the tension between the tech team and the church staff was at a boiling point and my job was to get them to play on the same team! Let’s not forget that we’re striving TOGETHER for the faith of the Gospel!