My mind was on the verge of popping like a white head zit!
Ewwww gross…!!
Sorry, I’ll stop with the graphic analogies.
My tasks ahead were:
- Setting up this Sundays worship set list.
- Typing up lyrics for new songs.
- Ordering a new projector light bulb.
- Taking the piano to get it repaired.
- Taking the old mixer for repairs.
- Dealing with an incompetent keyboardist.
- Meeting with pastor about incompetent keyboardist.
- Redesigning the stage.
- Designing a sound engineering booth.
- Rehearsal.
- Bass lessons with pastors kid.
- Send out emails and text messages
- Auditioning new team members
- Setting up prayer meeting.
- Team Bible Study
I believe there’s more tasks that I had to do that week. Yes, that was just a week.
Keep in mind this was just at church. I’m also also a professional musician and instructor. I also had to practice for my gigs. I had to prepare lessons and I had to teach between 40-50 students that same week.
I was an octopus, DIY, “Yes Man”.
I was the DIY Worship Leader.
This was ages ago of course. It’s an experience and lesson on what “Not to do” in leadership.
Besides Jesus. Delegation is your savior. Having the DIY mentality is good but don’t take it to heart.
Become a Lifelong Learner
I am a student of learning. When something interests me I wanna read everything about it and put it into action. God has placed that gene in my DNA.
Most people assume after graduation you don’t have to learn anymore. Wow, what a terrible concept.
One time during my break after teaching a class at the Yamaha music school. I was sitting in the teachers lounge studying my Jazz theory book. A young cute female piano teacher fresh out of college came by.
Piano teacher: Hey, Roland. What ya doing?
Roland: Studying jazz theory.
Piano teacher: Kool, for a test at school?
Roland: No, for knowledge.
Piano teacher: Why? Once you’re done with school you don’t have to study anymore.
Roland: Are you serious Miss cute piano teacher? Wow! I must be wasting my time. I better stop and hop right back onto Facebook….
Piano teacher: Whatever!
Jiminy Cricket!! What’s wrong with this society?
Learning is great and please keep learning until God brings you home. Just don’t be an octopus and try to do everything.
As I write this blog, I have many tasks that need to be done that I could and should delegate to others.
But…
I need dinero (money in Spanish) to pay the people I hire. The time will come when I will outsource most of my tasks so I can concentrate and spend to serve God and you guys of course.
I’ll list the tasks that I do for this site and place an asterisk next to the task that I need to delegate.
- Content
- Blogs/articles
- Books, videos, etc
- Character development
- Cartoons
- Marketing*
- Finance*
- Site management *
- Seo optimization *
- Keyword research *
- Site redesign
As you can see all I basically want to do is create great sustainable valuable content that can help you achieve your worship team goals.
And I do draw my cartoons. I love it. Here’s a how I create my cartoons. Click here.
Moses Learned his lesson.
Straight form the bible here is how Moses learned on how to delegate. It’s a long one but read through it.
13The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fearGod, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
Exodus 18:13-26
Check it!
It’s a matter of managing your priorities and your time. And most people are horrible at doing this. Most people spend time doing meaningless things that are not productive nor necessary.
Everyone uses the term: “I don’t have time.” This term has been played out and is said incorrectly.
What peopl are really trying to say is, “It’s not important to me and I’m not willing to make time.”
It all depends what’s important to you.
If you’re not sure on how to re-prioritize your tasks and manage your time. Here is this great video by Brian Tracy on time management.
I highly recommend Brain Tracy’s teachings as it has helped me a lot in my management skills. Click here.
How do you find the right people?
That’s a great question. If you tend to have a small group or big group it’s important to know what extra skills each team member has.
It doesn’t have to be a team member it could be someone else that volunteers in another church department.
But.. Remember this. If your team member is not willing to put in the time even though they are skilled at the task. You have got to find someone else who is willing.
The question is “Will”
Don’t hire based on skills alone, hire mostly based on attitude and willingness.
The saying goes: “Hire slow and fire fast.”
When a team member is willing but isn’t skilled train them or hand them unimportant tasks like: replacing the projector light bulb or even taking the piano for repairs.
Look for an assistant that is competent and willing and your leadership will be taken to a whole new level.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this lesson on delegation please share this with your neighbor.