Not All Management Is the Same

Ministry leaders: If you apply the same management style in all situations, you'll never see growth.

I learned this from a quote by Blake Smith, a Forbes-featured marketer, entrepreneur, and start-up founder—here's what he has to say about "shaping behavior, whether on your team at work or at home":

"Routines, systems, and mastery tend to grow through clear correction.

Aesthetics, culture, and hospitality tend to grow through clear affirmation."

This strongly applies to worship ministry, since it's a confluence of art, systems, protocols, and people. 

Let's examine where correction and affirmation tend to work best, and then see where both approaches can be combined to help your ministry flourish. 

The Misconception

I've seen the pendulum swing both ways, where leaders are either too heavy-handed with correction or too gentle with affirmations. 

Too heavy

• Disaffects your team

• Creates a "walking-on-eggshell" dynamic

• Stifles creativity

Too gentle

• Inconsistency in delivery

• Chaotic atmosphere

• "Higher" performers are more likely to move on

Why does this happen, where we gravitate to either swing of the pendulum more than the other? 

Largely, it's because of what we've learned from those who've managed or raised us:

• Parents

• Pastors

• Teachers

• Mentors

You've collected the experiences of how you received correction and affirmation from each of these people, and then you re-create it within your own setting. Is it a bad thing? Not necessarily, especially if we've learned from well-rounded and well-meaning figures. But there's always a bias toward one extreme over the other, and to get back to "center," you need to objectively and consciously practice the right application, which requires knowing when to deliver ocrreciton vs. affirmation.

When to Use Correction and Affirmation

Like Blake said above, correction is used best when you are addressing problems in disrupted routines, systems, or helping others master their craft. Affirmation works best in making aesthetic calls while also guiding how relationships are built within a team and how that team connects to the congregation. Here's where it can all play out:

Wrong words, chords, lyrics, and grooves

In this case, it's best to use correction that is direct and gives the objectively right solution. I like to use, "Hey guys, let's check the chord in measure [x]," or, "Singers, here's the correct melody and harmony paired together."

Poor planning (rehearsal materials, tardiness, etc.)

This one needs to be used to address behavior, not character. Affirm that you want them to do well on the team and to be an integral part, but they need to understand that their part must be done faithfully to make the entire project work. Guide them toward solutions that maintain accountability and give them measured, attainable goals to win.

Misaligned flows (signal mapping, treatment of audio channels, building/maintaining infrastructure)

For the tech people, this means creating power and signal flows that are easily mapped and accessible, which helps pinpoint problems and disruptions in the system. For musicians, this can also apply to effects/gear/amps/etc. Generally, there are accepted standards of signal flow (i.e., "dry" effects like overdrive and compression are placed before "wet" effects in a pedalboard), so point your team to those things. If things are out of order, then you can objectively correct the flow. When it comes to infrastructure, balancing efficiency and redundancy is something that takes time to learn how to do well. 

It's often that these positions require a lot of "grunt" work, so affirm your team members' presence and commitment (if they're showing up faithfully), and then guide them to improvements that they can implement. Sometimes, it's as simple as, "I know there's a problem in the DMX light rig. It could definitely be a bad cable or LED fixture, but before we go down that road, let's check to make sure the first send in the stage is in the right spot." Train them to eliminate the simple fixes first before getting into the weeds of a problem. 

Asking for changes in tone and technique

This is a great balance of affirmation and correction, where you can praise someone's execution, but then give direction on what you would like them to change. In a worship band, this often comes down to drum orchestration, strumming vs. fingerpicking, unison vs harmonized vocals, etc. 

Finding the Balance

There are some cases where more correction can be applied, like situations that are mostly objective observations with concrete solutions. On the flip side, there are some subjective and nuanced observations where affirming your team in their work will motivate them to higher levels of execution and adaptation. The goal is to help each team member hone in their process and craft, and you have to be CLEAR on what needs to be changed, while pointing them to the solution. It's a way you can edify, encourage, and exhort them, striking the right balance and delivering the necessary message for the moment.

Be blessed 👊✌️

BTW you should totally go follow Blake Allsmith if you want to scale up your brand, plus optimizing how you integrate your family + work life.