FEEDBACK

What’s something that we can do to better ourselves? Besides watching a YouTube video or reading a blog (ironic, I know). Something to take home and ponder and build off of. Here’s the answer: feedback.

Occasionally, asking for feedback can be your greatest tool. Asking from your

pastor or worship leader can help extend your reach in your gift and as well as in your leadership. Ask for feedback on tone, would they prefer your playing on the downbeat or not, or maybe even if there’s anything you can work on.

Now, what we need to do is not take feedback personally. Constructive criticism is supposed to be just that, constructive, to build you up. Sure, hearing something on the negative side might sting in the moment, but the goal to take that and make it something wonderful. Dwelling on the negative can cause you to sour and resent your leadership. Your leadership’s goal is to see you succeed in His kingdom, they will not go out of their way to tear your down.

Applying feedback is where the real work is. Taking what was actually brought to our attention and seeing it to fruition. Whether it’s turning your amp down a couple notches, being a bit more polite to a brother or sister or maybe showing up on time, it’s hard to find a good enough reason to not grow in these areas. The feeling of stepping up to these kind of things is honestly beautiful. The times that I needed to shape up in a specific area and make some changes left me feeling accomplished and my relationship and creativity with my team only grew stronger and our time in worship enhanced because one of us took the effort to better ourselves or change a few habits for our team.

For our leaders, when giving feedback or constructive criticism, please be gentle and choose every word with love. Sometimes, we’re caught in a mood or have been itching to tell a team member something that’s been bothering you for quite sometime and when the opportunity comes, we just give it to them. This can leave the absolute worst impression. I’ve seen it happen before my eyes, teams fall apart, relationships severed, feeling like any trust in their leader is totally destroyed. All because of a few words that drastically shaped someone’s future in the worst possible way.

Let’s be great with one another and help each other grow to our full potential and worship Him collectively in spirit and in truth.

-AO