Before You correct Your Team…Ask Yourself This!
Can I be honest?
I’ve had more difficult conversations with team members over the years than I can count.
Some were about being late. Some were about showing up unprepared. Others were about attitude, social media, or choices they were making away from church.
Those conversations are never easy. But after more than 30 years of leading worship and production teams, I’ve realized something:
Sometimes the problem isn’t that someone refused to meet the expectation. Sometimes I never made the expectation clear in the first place.
I assumed they knew.
Then something happened, I corrected it, and suddenly it felt personal to them. From their perspective, I had just created a new rule because of something they did.
That’s why clarity matters.
A clear conversation before someone joins the team can save you from a much harder conversation later.
Talent Isn’t the Only Thing That Matters
We all love talented people.
Somebody walks into an audition and can really sing or play, and we immediately start thinking about where we can use them.
Production leaders do it too. Somebody knows audio, lighting, video, or ProPresenter, and you think, “Thank You, Jesus. We found somebody.”
I get it.
But talent can’t be the only thing that qualifies someone for ministry.
When someone steps onto a platform or serves in a visible role, their life comes with them.
That doesn’t mean we expect perfection. If perfection were the requirement, none of us would make the team. We all need grace, and we all have places where God is still working on us.
But people should understand the beliefs and values of the church before they join the team. We need to talk honestly about integrity, relationships, sexual purity, alcohol, social media, and personal conduct.
Social media has made this even more important.
People may see someone onstage for 20 minutes on Sunday, but they can see what that person posts, shares, likes, and comments on all week long. Our platform is no longer limited to the church building.
What we do online can build trust, and it can also slowly tear it down.
So don’t wait until there’s a moral issue or an inappropriate post to explain the standard. Let people know what the expectations are before they say yes.
What Does “Prepared” Actually Mean?
Years ago, I had a newer drummer join our team. He had done well in his audition, so I knew he could play.
But when he arrived for rehearsal, it became obvious pretty quickly that he didn’t know the songs. There was one song in particular that he just didn’t have.
I spent a good part of rehearsal trying to help him find the right patterns and work through the arrangement. Afterward, I pulled him aside and said, “This isn’t acceptable. You came in unprepared.”
We made it through the first service, but he still didn’t have it. So I told him, “I don’t want to see you again until it’s time for the next service. Put your headphones on, listen to these songs, and learn them.”
That was probably pretty direct.
But the entire team was being affected because one person hadn’t done the work beforehand.
Looking back, though, I had to ask myself a hard leadership question:
Had I ever clearly explained what I meant by “prepared”?
Maybe I told him to learn the songs. But did I explain that rehearsal wasn’t where we started learning them? Did he know that he needed to come in knowing the arrangements, patterns, and transitions?
We expected excellence, but I’m not sure I had defined the expectation clearly enough.
That experience taught me that telling someone to “come prepared” isn’t enough. You have to explain what prepared looks like.
Rehearsal shouldn’t be the first time someone learns the material. Rehearsal is where all the prepared parts come together.
We aren’t asking for perfection. We’re asking people to take their responsibility seriously, honor the rest of the team, and come ready to offer God their best.
Call Time Means Ready Time
Time expectations may sound like a small thing, but they affect everybody.
If the call time is 7:30, that means you’re in your place and ready to begin at 7:30. It doesn’t mean you’re pulling into the parking lot at 7:30 with coffee, breakfast, an instrument, and half of your morning still in your hands.
When one person is late, sound check gets delayed. Rehearsal gets rushed. Somebody else has to cover something that wasn’t their responsibility.
Being on time isn’t just about the clock. It’s about respecting the mission and the other people who showed up ready.
We need to be clear about call times, Planning Center responses, schedule changes, and what someone should do when they can’t serve.
Talent may get someone noticed, but dependability is what builds trust.
Tell People What They’re Saying Yes To
People also need to understand what serving on the team will require from their lives.
How often will they serve? How long will the day be? Are there rehearsals, meetings, development nights, or special events?
We aren’t trying to control people’s lives or own their calendars. People have families, jobs, school, and plenty of other responsibilities. Different seasons of life allow for different levels of commitment.
But people need to know what they’re saying yes to.
Sometimes the healthiest answer someone can give is, “I can’t make that commitment right now.”
That’s okay.
It’s much better than saying yes without understanding the expectation and then continually letting the team down.
The goal isn’t just to fill a spot on the schedule. The goal is to help people serve faithfully and stay healthy for the long haul.
Put It in Writing
This is why I believe every worship and production team needs a written covenant or a clear set of expectations.
It doesn’t have to feel cold or corporate. It doesn’t need to be 47 pages long with an attorney standing nearby.
It just needs to explain what you believe, what you value, and what serving on the team requires.
Walk through it before someone joins. Let them ask questions. Make sure they understand the commitment they’re making.
And then revisit it with the team from time to time. Don’t create a document, put it in a drawer, and pull it out only when somebody gets in trouble.
Leaders also have to model what we’re asking from everyone else.
If I expect people to be prepared, I need to be prepared.
If I expect people to be on time, I need to be on time.
If I expect people to receive correction, I need to remain teachable.
If I expect integrity, they need to see integrity in me.
Setting expectations isn’t about making it harder for people to serve. It’s about caring for people, protecting the mission, and building a healthy team.
Don’t wait until there’s a problem to explain what matters.
Set the standard before the stage.