Though this was written with a humorous slant to it, this article has so much truth in it I can't help but think "If only people actually understood this." So. If you're ever looking to really - REALLY - show love to a techie, I would suggest going this route. Seriously. This fits me better than Gary Chapman's Five Love Languages. I've given a few of my own thoughts on each section of this article as well, which are all in brackets. Enjoy!
You’ve heard of the Five Languages
of Love. Those are for normal people. For techies, a different approach is
required.
by Mike Sessler
Words of Affirmation
This doesn’t look different, but the
implications are far greater. Most techies only hear words of dis-affirmation;
“The mic’s not working,” “The camera is out of focus,” “It’s too loud,” “The
light is in my eyes,” “It’s too soft...” the list goes on. The quickest way to
a techie’s heart is to tell them they’ve done something well. This is good
advice for anyone, but it’s important to know that techies are used to dealing
with a barrage of complaints on a regular basis. Thus, any time anyone has
anything to say to them, they are typically on the defensive from the start. In
fact, I know some techs who never hear anything from leadership except
criticism. I suggest saying a few positive things here and there; it makes it a
lot easier to hear criticism when it’s appropriate.
[True. Words of affirmation is one of my top love languages, and as a techie, well... like the article said. It can be rough sometimes.]
Be On Time
This looks similar to Quality time,
but it’s quite different. Most techies I know are First In, Last Out (or as we
say in the trade—FILO). At our church, my tech team arrives at noon on
Saturday, and doesn’t leave until everyone else is gone. On Sunday morning
we’re the first in again at 7:30, and are still coiling cables long after
everyone else has a table at Chilli’s. We show up early because we want to make
sure everything is set up and ready to go when the band arrives making sound
check and rehearsal as quick and productive as possible. Want to exasperate a
techie who’s already been there since 7:30? Show up late, then take your time
getting your station set up, then act impatient during the soundcheck process.
It’s no fun to sit around for 30 minutes with nothing to do while waiting for
the band to show up, especially if we’re blamed for sound check running long
(and we usually are). Be in place and ready to go when you’re supposed to be
and your techie will feel very loved.
[Story. Of. My. Life. Psalm 15 talks about the qualities of the one who can walk with God, and one verse says "he swears to his own hurt and does not change." In other words, you keep your word no matter the cost. And if you've agreed to the times for rehearsals, or meetings, or whatever, just be there.]
Similar to receiving gifts, we like it when gear manufacturers show up with good swag, plain and simple. In the last few years, with the economy suffering, the quality of swag has gone downhill. This does not show love. If we’re going to spend a whole day on a show floor, walking around looking at gear and eating sub-standard convention center food, we want to at least take home some decent stuff. EV gave me a sweet little Leatherman mini multi-tool over Christmas. I felt loved. Yamaha gave me a really nice fleece coat. I felt loved. A pen with your company logo on it? Not so much. Unless it’s a Pilot G-2 .5 mm black. Then maybe. But I can get those at Staples. And it’s easy. So probably not.
[This would be my brother... :)]
Acts of Load-In and Load-Out
We techies do a lot of work. We move Steeldeck, road cases, cables, lights, speakers, mics, drum kits, guitar amps and so on. The guys and gals who work in a portable church setting are deserving of special recognition. The Bible tells us that many hands make for light work, and the same is true for what we do. If you see two guys pushing a bunch of cases in, ask if you can help. Please ask, because sometimes we have a system and your help doesn’t, well, help. Most times though, and extra set of hands of two can really make our lives easier. It’s also important to note that techies are not technically janitors, though that’s not apparent in our day to day lives. Almost every week we pick up bottles of water (most of them opened with .25 ounces missing--the classic one-swig per bottle), sandwich wrappers, broken drum sticks and various other detritus left behind by the musicians. If you want to share some love with your tech team, pick up your own trash.
[Or at least have some appreciation for the work techies put in to make bands/worship teams/pastors/etc look flawless.]
Food
Specifically, bacon. Forget touch, we like to eat. As I said, we work really hard, and we do so for long hours. Having a steady stream of food makes the tech booth a happy place to be. I know of one non-techie church leader who used to regularly bring the tech team treats, lunch, donuts, coffee, whatever (Jan, you’re a hero to all techies everywhere!). Do you think her tech team was happy and would do just about anything? You bet! Here at Coast, we have a great group of volunteers who bring breakfast every Sunday morning. A big steaming plate of bacon sure takes the edge of a 7:30 AM call time. We also have people bring in lunch and dinner during really big production seasons like Christmas and Easter. I can work 12 hours a day a lot easier when lunch and dinner show up at regular intervals.
[As a techie, I often forget that most people can't function if they're hungry. I've worked so many shows/concerts/etc where food just isn't an option where time is concerned, so we just go hungry. And usually it's so late when we get home at night that I would rather sleep than eat. Want to bless your tech team? Or your worship team, for that matter... Feed them. It makes things run a lot smoother when we're not hungry and tired because of an empty stomach.]
[This section holds my only exception to this article... Unlike many techies, I am VERY much a physical touch person. Rough night? A hug can go a long ways....... Trust me.]
So there you go. A few quick thoughts on how to show love to your local tech crew. A well-loved and appreciated tech crew will move mountains for you; learning their love languages is an investment worth making.
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