Time Flies When...

It seems that nearly everyone in our worship team believes that time management is something that should be a part of our code of ethics and that we are not doing as well as we should at achieving it. Interestingly enough, time management is also a hot topic for Rory Noland. Immediately after his discussion on the "Deadly Four," he discusses time management. He states:

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A team's code of ethics reflects the core values of that team. If rehearsal is an important value, it'll be important for everyone to be on time. Punctuality then becomes a value statement that says in effect, "Rehearsal is a high value to me, so it's important that I show up on time." If respect for others is a high value for team members, punctuality would also be considered a courtesy. It's basically saying, "I don't want to be late, because I don't want to waste everybody else's time by having them wait for me." A team's code of ethics puts forth the level of commitment needed by all team members. It sets the standard for how the team operates. In this way it becomes a change agent of sorts. If you don't model the team's code of ethics, you will change your behavior if you want to stay part of that team. (96, Heart of Worship)

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To Noland, time management is a crucial component for the general ebb and flow of a worship team. He even went as far as to include a list of the 13 most essential "Marks of Professionalism" as a means for establishing good time management for being a part of a worship team:

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1. Be on time for rehearsals

2. Be ready to perform in all aspects (warmed up, instrument mechanically set, all equipment available)

3. Take care of your instrument

4. Bring a pencil to rehearsal

5. Listen to your conductor

6. Mark your music - do not trust memory

7. Constantly listen and adjust pitch and volume while playing

8. Be ready for entrances

9. Sincerely attempt to play the part correctly

10. Play second or third part with as much enthusiasm as the first part

11. Practice music between rehearsals and continually strive to improve

12. Interpret as the conductor wishes

13. Do not miss rehearsals

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It seems particularly interesting to note that not everything on this list is about time management during rehearsals. He alludes to the fact that time management for the whole group begins with a commitment on a personal level.

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Yet, the time management conundrum is a tricky one because everyone looks at what is a good and bad use of time differently. What may seem as a waste of time to one person may actually seem like a good use of time to another. An example of this that stands out for our worship team is whether or not socializing during the first few minutes of practice takes away from practice time or develops fellowship and camaraderie. Thus, we need to begin the tricky process of figuring out what we collectively think is a good use of rehearsal time and what should be completed outside of worship time.

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Your task for this post is to begin the process of trying to figure out what good time management would look like for our team. When preparing to share your view, think about the following questions that were posed by many of you during the last post and follow up discussion:

1. Do we feel that we should be able to have time to get to know each other and develop interpersonal relationships during practice?

2. Do we feel that we should be absolutely ready to play through our first song right at 6:30 or should we allow time for set up, warm ups, and mic checks?

3. Do we feel that we should set an ending time for practice to help keep us focused? (i.e. practice always ends at 8:30)

4. Do we feel like we should clear our schedules and devote our Thursday evenings strictly to rehearsal with the knowledge that it could be a long or short night depending on the musical and relational needs of the team?

5. Do we need a worship team navigator that runs practice for that Thursday (will rotate every Thursday depending on the talents, skills, and needs of the set)?

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As you mull over the five most strongly questioned viewpoints and try to decipher what good time management should include or omit, feel free to add additional ideas and/or mash the viewpoints together to create something new. On Thursday, we will take a look at everyone's input and begin crafting a better time management strategy.