How To Unstick Your Lowest Fader: EDUCATOR
Personality profiles box you in. The Five Faders teach you how to fly and become the healthiest version of that Fader and how to raise your other Faders when love requires it.
We all have every Fader. But it could be stuck at the bottom.
I want you to have the necessary tools to move your Faders. Sliding Faders that haven’t moved in years can feel unnatural, difficult, or uncomfortable. So this is a series of how to unstick your lowest Faders.
Today you’ll learn how to free your inner Educator Fader.
The Educator is a Mentor that embodies wisdom and capability. They bring out the best in others, helping everyone to be well-equipped.
Like each Fader, the Educator Fader is crucial to have on your team. We must value this Fader!
There are probably some myths you believe about this Fader. Maybe you’ve experienced the unhealthy expression of the Educator we call the lecturing and debating Know-It-All. You know, the kind that points out how we’re not doing it right…like your Facebook wall during a pandemic?
But replace that image with a healthy Educator. We call it the Mentor - someone who brings out the best in others. This is our aim.
Next, look inside your heart and notice what’s coming up. “He’s always telling me how to do my job.” “Don’t ask her; she’ll give you a thirty-minute lesson.” “It’s not my job to help those slackers grow.” “None of my team members (who need to) want to grow.”
How will you deal with this self-talk? You must confess and replace it. “Lord, I don’t know everything. Help me to humble myself so I can learn from others.” “Give me grace, energy, and Your strategy to help my team grow.” “God, help me connect to their hearts so I can hear their frustrations and help them move forward.” “Father, give me Your heart for my team. Teach me how You see them and help me partner with You in their ‘becoming.’”
Lastly, here are some practical strategies to grow as an Educator.
Realize This
It’s your job to help your team grow.
Let that sink in. It’s your job to help your team grow. You don’t have to be the expert, nor do you have to be able to teach every instrument. Far from it! But you do need to provide learning opportunities and create a culture that desires growth. How do you create a culture that desires growth? (Certainly a million-dollar question!) Turn up their dissatisfaction, paint a compelling vision, and give them a first step. Read more at adlibmusic.com/worship-fertilizer/8.
Keep It Simple
Since you don’t have to do the training, you do not need to reinvent the wheel. What resources are available to you other than the usual conferences? Rehearsal coaching sessions are where a coach comes to your regularly scheduled rehearsals and helps your team be the best version of themselves. They listen and make observations and practical suggestions, serving as somewhat of a producer.
Ask Them
Your team is made up of experts…in knowing their needs. Ask them what areas they’d like to be more comfortable and confident in (not better in). Then look for resources - videos, books, articles, Worship Fertilizers, workshops - that support those areas.
One such resource is our Adlibbing video called “Building Your Team.” There are several linked articles and a Musician Self-Evaluation. This will help your team figure out how they may want to grow.
Bring in Help
Someone on your team has a higher Educator Fader than you do. Ask them to show you how to listen, prepare, rehearse, think, and play…as an Educator.
Lastly, try one of these “How to get along with me” for Educators:
Look for mentoring opportunities on the team
Ask me to explain it to you, to tell you how something works
Ask me where it’s found in scripture
Look to me for insight
Show up when I schedule a training event
You can also find resources on the Educator Fader in past Fertilizers by searching by that topic: [https://www.adlibmusic.com/worship-fertilizer/category/Educator+%28Faders%29]
Next week, we’ll get your Producer Fader unstuck.
-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)
How To Unstick Your Lowest Fader: EDUCATOR (Nº 371)
