The last few pages of this thread are entirely reflective of why Modernization is massively flawed. Being a GM TL now gives me a firsthand view of it everyday. It pits everyone against everyone else and then creates animosity between all team members over levels of importance. I’ll preface this by saying: I’ve done pretty much everything in the store at some point or another. Logistics, Front End, Pog and Pricing, SFS, Remodels.... whatever is necessary really. They all have elements that make them difficult depending on what time of year it is, how many team members you have, or what the current requirements of said jobs are.
I think the most physically demanding are easily SFS, POG, and GM roles. You have zero downtime in those areas. They are all structured within brutal timeframes. I run SFS around the holidays.... one day I racked up nearly 20 miles because I try to watch OPUs with myself and one other person, while I coordinate the regular SFS workload too. You have to watch INF, pack times, more batches dropping in, goal times, etc. It’s a beast, and if you’re not on it, it will eat you up.
POG is difficult because of the weekly timeframes and elements to huge sets. BTS and Christmas are flat out monsters. New shelving, displays, shippers, 40 page VA guides, coordinating 30-40 pallets of freight, the actual setting of the POGS, backstock, batches, EXF... and all within super tight windows. They’ve wanted Christmas set in 48 hours in the past. Any former POG TL will tell you how difficult that is.
GM is difficult now due to amount of work required in such a short time on an everyday basis. Zoning, reshop, autos, one for one batches, truck, backstock, pricing, revisions, SP’s,.... it’s a little like trying to empty an ocean.... with a bucket. There are steps you can take to make it easier ( making sure SFQ quantities match capacities and on hands are accurate), but it takes time and even if you own a section... more than one set of hands is involved there and you usually can’t trust that set of hands to be as efficient as the DBO’s might be.
Front End to me is about multitasking and the mental game. It’s essentially about knowing where to put your pieces in a half formed puzzle when said puzzle needs to be completed fast. It can be tough during heavy volume times up there and if you get call ins. I will say this: there’s a lot of standing around and talking up there for the first hour every morning in my store. The GM team members aren’t terribly happy when they see that because they get crushed everyday from the get go. That and any unnecessary backups are met with extreme irritation. Here’s the key to me: Front End is an exceptionally important facet to running a good store to me and it needs a leader who knows how to be as self sufficient as possible. Backup will always be necessary with the way corporate runs things, just be sure it really is essential when you call for it.
Bottom line here is: everything is important but corporate is making it very hard on even the best people right now by not being good at what they do. Lack of training, ridiculous workloads, inefficient equipment, changes to tasks that are inexplicably dumb, and complete befuddlement when things aren’t 100 percent in every area. The guest is the most important thing, but all processes matter. I wouldn’t go back much to a store if:
1. I could never find what I needed in store. And even if I could order it online, it’s still not convenient for any item I’d like right then and there.
2. The store was a mess and I couldn’t find anyone to help. That’s a huge part of guest experience and add on sales. Had a lady buy nearly a whole bedroom set the other day from me just because I found her a pillow case in the back and upon seeing it in person... wanted me to get her the whole Opalhouse set.
3. I waited for a long time in line because things were clearly not being run right up front. Good checkouts do matter for sure.
4. If workers just didn’t seem to care. We all wanna go to a place where we feel like our needs matter. Just human nature guys and gals.
Finally, I’ll say this: if you work hard and you work for me... I have your back all day and everyday. My track record gives me credibility in discussions with other leaders, whether they’re ETLs, SDs, or whatever else. I protect my good people because I’m not where I am without them. You go after one of them, you better have good reason. I consider myself the buffer between them and any nonsense they get about unreachable tasks. My people really are my people and their well being matters to me. Always will.
