How healthy is your music team

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY MUSIC TEAM

• They are highly motivated – a healthy music team will find it easy to get its people to do what is required as everyone is enthusiastic about seeing things get done and God be exalted. Productivity is high and events are enjoyable and successful.
• There is freedom to express the gifts – In a healthy music team every individual is able to creatively express the gift/talent that God has bestowed on them. The spotlight is not limited to any one individual but everyone has the same opportunity to bring what they have on the table.
• Growth- A healthy team will grow in numbers, it will grow in skill. It will actually look for opportunities to grow, constantly going to seminars that will make them grow, sometimes even inviting those who are doing exploits in the Praise and Worship scene to come and teach their team.
• Attracts talented and skilled individuals – even prominent and established musicians want to join this team because there is a positive vibe about the music team, there is something good going on and everyone wants to be a part of it.
• Constantly innovating and doing new things- healthy teams know how to recognize and seize good opportunities, they know how to adapt to technological and operational changes and are constantly innovating their processes, stay ahead or in line with current music industry trends.
• All age groups are represented – In a healthy team both the young and the old play and sing in the band and choir.
• There is good leadership – Good leadership is one of the main characteristics of a healthy team. The music team will have a good relationship with the worship pastors and deacons, there is trust and when correction is needed the music team readily accepts it as it is given in love and without malice! There is a clear defined structure and the music team does not mind complying with any instruction given as they understand it and see the benefits of its implementation.
• Works as a team – there is cooperative effort to achieve the common goal!

THE SYMPTOMS OF A SICK MUSIC TEAM

• Highly demotivated – a sick team does not love what they do and just show up because they have no option or because you are paying them. It’s hard for any work to be done and people are usually threatened or arm-twisted for work to get done.
• Constant excuses – the team constantly gives excuses of why they can’t make services or practices.
• Absenteeism – the team is constantly not available for various ministry events even if notice is given way in advance before the event.
• Attracts untalented and unskilled individuals – the new people who come to join the music team might just be people who are learning or people who can’t even sing or play.
• Focused on an individual – only one person is dominant in the singing or giving of ideas and all other people are just there to do what the dominant individual require.
• Focused on past exploits and no longer innovating – you constantly hear about the past and how things would be done in the past or how an awesome album was done in the past but then there is no mention about the future and how the team can innovate to be better and do new things.
• Leans towards a particular age group – an unhealthy team will have one age group represented. Maybe it will just be the old folk and the young people won’t want to be a part of it because it will be old fashioned. The other extreme is just young folk and the old people won’t want to be a part of it because it is just noise and a lot of guitars.
• There is no confidence in the leadership – Once a music team loses faith in its leaders or in the direction they are taking, then their loyalties are fray and they cease to wholeheartedly follow. There is no trust and the leaders themselves might not have a care and concern for the team but just a care for getting the work done.
• Poor Communication and Blurred chain and unity of command – the music team is constantly confused, frustrated and are constantly guessing. There is no avenue to communicate back to leadership for clarification. Instructions come from different leaders and sometimes those instructions will be conflicting with each other and the music team does not know which to follow.