Why Great Tech Directors are as elusive as a Four Leaf Clover
Being a great Tech Director requires 4 different skill sets to come together in an individual who wants to serve his church: Technical Prowess, Artistry, Operational Management and Leadership. Most churches find folks with perhaps 2 or 3 of these attributes, but finding all 4 is as rare as the four leaf clover or the fabled nearby leprechaun.
All 4 of these skill sets are required to make the leap from maintaining the status quo to developing a vibrant team and multi-year vision to support the ministry and creative vision of a community. Drop any of the skills and you’ll either get mired down in chaos or fear of change.
Let’s define each of the skill sets and why they’re essential to make a great Tech Director:
Technical Prowess: The ability to understand, troubleshoot and operate audio, video, lighting and network equipment. They don’t have to be the best in the world at each discipline, but they should have basic competency in each area. Designing and integrating systems is a whole other skill set, which they may or may not hold.
Artistry: Mixing Sound, Designing Lighting and Directing Video are all Artistic endeavors. These jobs are creative in nature, and they act as lenses through which the community will experience the music, drama and message. The TD needs to be part of the creative team as a collaborator and enabler. Many TD’s feel it’s their job to reign in unbridled creativity and set (un)reasonable limits to what’s possible. Great TD’s integrate themselves in the creative process, providing feedback and direction with realistic solutions that break down the barriers to achieving a creative vision.
Operational Management: Great TD’s have a plan in place. They are in tune with the ministry and creative vision of the church. Moreover, they know what it will take to support that vision at every step along the way. They are proactive, maintain equipment, upgrade as needed and catch potential problems before they occur. They ensure that each technical system is designed for stability and with careful consideration for its end users, namely the Pastors, Volunteers and Technicians who grace the Tech booth each week.
Leadership: Great TD’s can lead, and they lead by connecting with people around their ‘why’. They articulate a vision of the future and build a bridge to get there. They develop and nurture their team, they take the heat when things go wrong and they develop the corrective action needed to make it right. As a leader, they develop relationships with key stakeholders, and clear the barriers to achieving the vision.
Perhaps you’ve found your leprechaun TD who exhibits many of these attributes. If you have, hold on to them and honor them for their commitment to your community!
If you’re struggling with your tech team, please read on. There’s another way to get this job done. Consider the kinds of jobs a technical director does around your church. Generally, they fall into one of three Categories:
- Management & Execution
- – Scheduling of Volunteers and Technicians
– Oversee technical needs for services, including setup and functional testing
– Produce Special Events
– Build ProPresenter Decks
– Editing weekly content
- Operations
- – Ongoing Maintenance of Audio, Video, Lighting Systems
– Planning, Purchasing, Designing and Installing Equipment Upgrades
– IT/Server/Web services
- Leadership
- – Big Picture Planning, budgeting & assessing of future needs
– Liaison between Worship Arts and other Ministries needing AVL
– Nurture Community and connection for the Tech Team
– Recruit, Develop and equip Volunteer teams
THE PROBLEM
Each category needs a unique set of experience and skills to do well. While some of the jobs need to be handled by someone with authority at a leadership level, other jobs could be handled by an intern or junior.
THE SOLUTION
Perhaps a better approach would be to work towards a future where some of the jobs can be handled by existing staff or volunteers, or a part time junior staffer, and others are contracted to a capable local team with the expertise to get it done.
| Management & Execution | Operations | Leadership | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CONTRACTED | – Produce Special Events | – Ongoing Maintenance of Audio, Video, Lighting Systems – Planning, Purchasing, Designing and Installing Equipment Upgrades – IT/Server/Web services | – Big Picture Planning, budgeting & assessing of future needs – Nurture Community and connection for the Tech Team – Recruit, Develop and equip Volunteer teams |
| JR INTERNAL ROLE | – Build ProPresenter Decks – Oversee technical needs for services, including setup and functional testing – Editing weekly content | – Liaison between Worship Arts and other Ministries needing AVL | |
| INTERNAL | – Scheduling of Volunteers and Technicians |
HOW TO MAKE IT ALL WORK
Kungpow offers local contracted Technical Direction for churches that need a Technical Director, but can’t afford to have one on staff full time. We tap into our network of TD’s and technicians to ensure your facility is well maintained, your creative team is unblocked and your volunteers are fully trained and ready to handle whatever comes their way. Currently, we offer this service in the 805, 301 and 818 area codes. Please contact us if you would like the peace of mind that comes with having a TD on staff, without the salary expectations.
- Senior Technical Director to handle budgets, collaborative creative meetings, event design, training, maintenance planning, etc.
- Access to our technical staff to handle maintenance and special setups.
- Our commitment to your organization is to plan and execute a Technical Ministry that closely aligns with your Values and Mission.
Do you really need a full time Technical Director?
Budgets are tight, giving is down and priorities get shifted. It seems like communities of Believers want to know that their giving is going towards the mission of the church, not to a huge staff managing a sizable facility.
Perhaps it’s time to assess whether you really need a full time TD.
The Technical Director job is a catch all for every technical concern around the church. The job requires executive level planning and team development skills, as well as technical and production chops. Technical Directors are responsible for getting it done, both today and in the future. It can be challenging to find a candidate that has all the relevant experience to do this job at a high level. Most churches end up with a Technical person that can maintain the status quo, but is unable to effectively develop teams or plan for a better future.
Lawrence Sumlong TED
