Closing Team Leader Success

[Inboundbeast]

Do any seasoned team leaders have any insight on how they were/are successful in this role? I’m 6 months in and I feel more successful each and everyday but I feel as if my peers don’t understand my role some of the time.. i know it’s not my job to make plans in their workcenter or clean up their messes when they leave for the day.. Any sort of insight on this role is welcome

 

[MrT]

I know in my store it has been rough. We had an excellent closing lead that transferred and the one we have now is good too but newish in the role. It feels like most of the time they are just a second fulfillment tl. We recently have changed our schedules to have more leadership in the later parts of the days, mids and late mids. Communication with everyone is going to be key and unfortunately i expect you to have to push them to do that yourself. Good luck.

 

[Yetive]

A really good relationship with the SD is important. The CTLs in my district who have that are both really thriving.

 

[vyrt]

Do any seasoned team leaders have any insight on how they were/are successful in this role? I’m 6 months in and I feel more successful each and everyday but I feel as if my peers don’t understand my role some of the time.. i know it’s not my job to make plans in their workcenter or clean up their messes when they leave for the day.. Any sort of insight on this role is welcome

Keep in touch with the SD and be mindful that what they say is the final line and you report directly to them. So no matter what the other leads in the building say the SD trumps that anyways.
But still take a minute to stay global and realize the expectations from each other leader. If they’re all being super demanding pass that feedback along so everyone can be on the same page when it comes time to get plans from what they want done each night.
When I was a closing lead if the others didn’t give me any hard directions for their team members my only direction was to zone the brand. At the end of the day you can’t go wrong putting guests first.

 

[Planosss]

Brand and zone, that’s what I signed up for as CLosing TL. Soon ofo became my metric, inf and store close sfs became my metric, mountains of reshop became my metric. So I said fuck it and did it all.

 

[Anelmi]

^^ Wait. I thought you were Starbucks TL?

 

[Inboundbeast]

Thanks guys. I genuinely feel like a GMTL. Always running the gm business right when i get in and always supporting fulfillment. I try to make brand my #1 priority and obviously guest service above that, but i get coached in OFO and OOS metrics consistently by the GM&F ETL. I do have a strong partnership with my SD and we’ve been working through this

 

[Logo]

Brand and zone, that’s what I signed up for as CLosing TL. Soon ofo became my metric, inf and store close sfs became my metric, mountains of reshop became my metric. So I said fuck it and did it all.

Don't forget check out wait time! This too became my responsibility in addition to all of the above.

 

[allnew2]

i know it’s not my job to make plans in their workcenter or clean up their messes when they leave for the day..

This right here won’t make you successful. Saying you know it’s not your job won’t get you far with your peers or even your Sd. My closing leader dared to say that to me and she got a reality check really quick . It is your job to ensure safety at all times so if receiving is not clean in terms of safety and blocking aisle it is your job to make it safe, it is your job to throw and sweep trash at the end of the night, it is your job to ensure all departments are being worked by the tm after their leaders are gone for the day. Being a closing leader is running multiple departments at the same time when etls and leaders are gone. You lost me at it is not your job so I can only imagine what kind a partner you are in the building . But for sure not one that I would want.

 

[Inboundbeast]

This right here won’t make you successful. Saying you know it’s not your job won’t get you far with your peers or even your Sd. My closing leader dared to say that to me and she got a reality check really quick . It is your job to ensure safety at all times so if receiving is not clean in terms of safety and blocking aisle it is your job to make it safe, it is your job to throw and sweep trash at the end of the night, it is your job to ensure all departments are being worked by the tm after their leaders are gone for the day. Being a closing leader is running multiple departments at the same time when etls and leaders are gone. You lost me at it is not your job so I can only imagine what kind a partner you are in the building . But for sure not one that I would want.

I’ve never told any of my peers this.. what i’m saying is if they’re workcenter is on fire all day it is not my job to come in and fix it.. if they aren’t successful during the day then they can only expect so much… My SD encourages me to give that kind of feedback.. this has nothing to do with cleaning up physical messes lol. And like @vyrt said ^^ if they don’t leave me any plans then i’m not going to scramble to make a plan either.. brand and zone

 

[allnew2]

I’ve never told any of my peers this.. what i’m saying is if they’re workcenter is on fire all day it is not my job to come in and fix it.. if they aren’t successful during the day then they can only expect so much… My SD encourages me to give that kind of feedback.. this has nothing to do with cleaning up physical messes lol. And like @vyrt said ^^ if they don’t leave me any plans then i’m not going to scramble to make a plan either.. brand and zone

You are missing the point . It doesn’t matter if you said it to your peers or not , that attitude of it’s not my job is not something you should be proud of . It’s not about game plan from your peers . However if you care about your store you would figure out a strategy yourself . But seems like from your post you don’t care and like to do the bare minimum . Closing the store you are like an etl reporting to Sd. No etl would have the attitude you have spoken or unspoken .

 

[bloodyred]

communication with the closing lead on which TM's they need to keep an eye on, have performance conversations with if they see fit. GM/SS/FB/ TL's need to inform the closing TL's of any directives you have laid out for the closers and what expectations you have for them to accomplish. That is all the the Closing TL needs from the other leads as far a communication goes. The other end of the metric wheel. OFO's GMTL's can contribute so much to this, Pull and Stage Fills for specific areas, like toys and bed, so the DBO for those area's can sequence efficiently. Essentials is by far the highest lead unit for OFO, but not percentage wise if a dept like DOM or DEC HOME is not done, can lead to low score. The inbound unload team can be an great driver for OFO metric if they can be utilized for pull Fill stage before DBO's clock in. The main issue with all that is a combo; any lack of communication, staging vehicles that aren't done, and High Fulfillment stores pulling TM's into carts will fail sequence, brand, & metric for the whole store. Simply all TM's have to put forth 100%, there is no room for leisure work, like there once was. This unfortunately is leading to burnout, union talks.... if everyone puts in 100% they would see that the workload would be lighter. This is all easier said than done though!

 

[Jenim12]

You are missing the point . It doesn’t matter if you said it to your peers or not , that attitude of it’s not my job is not something you should be proud of . It’s not about game plan from your peers . However if you care about your store you would figure out a strategy yourself . But seems like from your post you don’t care and like to do the bare minimum . Closing the store you are like an etl reporting to Sd. No etl would have the attitude you have spoken or

YIKES. No other TL OR ETL is expected to make plans to bail out somebody else's work center, so why do you have that expectation for @Inboundbeast ? If I need something specific from my closing TL (that is REASONABLE), I will shoot them an email. If they get to it, great, but if not, no big deal. There is only so much extra they can get done with 1 or 2 closing experts that are stuck doing OFOs and picking OPU all night. I do NOT expect them to figure out what to do with my 3 pallets of repacks we're behind on, or do all my pricing for me, or whatever just I don't expect my ETL-HR to document coachings or type up CCAs for me. It is MY responsibility to make sure that these things are done and that I partner with them to get them completed. It is MY job to come up with plans for my work centers. I am not going to make plans to catch up style z-racks, because that is not my responsibility, job, or the expectation that anybody should have for me. Of course, I will find ways to support if that TL asks me for it, but that needs to fall on the style TL.

It's one thing to say "hey, fulfillment is slow I'm going to have them help catch up a stray vehicle or some abandon" but it is totally something else to start calling people I'm extra to finish or start setting old SPLs. It's not my Closing TLs job to start doing my job for me. They are there to maintain brand and service through the evening and make the best business decision for the store as needed

 

[allnew2]

YIKES. No other TL OR ETL is expected to make plans to bail out somebody else's work center, so why do you have that expectation for @Inboundbeast ? If I need something specific from my closing TL (that is REASONABLE), I will shoot them an email. If they get to it, great, but if not, no big deal. There is only so much extra they can get done with 1 or 2 closing experts that are stuck doing OFOs and picking OPU all night. I do NOT expect them to figure out what to do with my 3 pallets of repacks we're behind on, or do all my pricing for me, or whatever just I don't expect my ETL-HR to document coachings or type up CCAs for me. It is MY responsibility to make sure that these things are done and that I partner with them to get them completed. It is MY job to come up with plans for my work centers. I am not going to make plans to catch up style z-racks, because that is not my responsibility, job, or the expectation that anybody should have for me. Of course, I will find ways to support if that TL asks me for it, but that needs to fall on the style TL.

It's one thing to say "hey, fulfillment is slow I'm going to have them help catch up a stray vehicle or some abandon" but it is totally something else to start calling people I'm extra to finish or start setting old SPLs. It's not my Closing TLs job to start doing my job for me. They are there to maintain brand and service through the evening and make the best business decision for the store as needed

Im going based of her/his attitude by saying is not their job. I wouldn’t want to work with someone like that. I’m not expecting the closing lead to pick up the slack for anyone because the dbo picks up their slack in the morning anyway . All I’m saying the statement that was posted here as to not being her/his job left a lot to desire for from a mentality as such.

 

[Jenim12]

Im going based of her/his attitude by saying is not their job. I wouldn’t want to work with someone like that. I’m not expecting the closing lead to pick up the slack for anyone because the dbo picks up their slack in the morning anyway . All I’m saying the statement that was posted here as to not being her/his job left a lot to desire for from a mentality as such.

Right, but that is true- it's not their job. I don't think it's any kind of attitude thing, it literally is just a fact

 

[allnew2]

The Closing team continues the momentum from the team’s day of hard work to finish strong; they take care of the guest until the doors close each night. They have a deep understanding of each leader’s vision for their business, they prioritize through the eyes of the guest and have fun with the team while nailing closing routines.

At Target, we believe in our team members having meaningful experiences that help them build and develop skills for a career. The role of Closing Team Leader can provide you with:

Knowledge of guest service fundamentals and experience building and fostering a guest first culture across the store
Experience driving storewide sales volume and profitability results
Capabilities in developing effective business partnerships across store to achieve common goals
Skills in workload efficiency across the store including leading closing routines and coaching team members in all areas
As a Closing Team Leader, no two days are ever the same, but a typical day will most likely include the following responsibilities:

Demonstrate a service culture that prioritizes the guest service experience. Model, train and coach expectations to deliver the service standard
Understand your role in sales growth and how each area contributes to and impacts total store profitability
Problem solve and prioritize across multiple business areas to execute store strategies as initiated by the Store Director to deliver business results and store sales goals while prioritizing the guest experience
Be a partner to the store leadership team through communication and collaboration to influence current sales performance and workload deliverables, leverage daily check-ins, check-outs and leadership meetings as connection points
See total store operations through the lens of the guest, establish consistent routines and lead the team to ensure departments are zoned, in-stock, signed and labeled appropriately, setting the store up for success the next day
Use business planning tools to share priorities and business updates with store leadership
Take action to achieve performance goals
Expect and enable team members to stay up-to-date on relevant trends and products
Evaluate and recommend candidates for open positions and develop a guest-centric team
Lead team onboarding and learning and help close skill gaps through development, coaching and team member interactions
Establish clear goals and expectations and hold team members accountable to expectations; partner with leaders as needed to share performance feedback
As a key carrier, follow all safe and secure training and processes
Address store needs (emergency, regulatory visits, etc.)
Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias. Always demonstrate a culture of ethical conduct, safety and compliance; lead and hold the team accountable to work in the same way
All other duties based on business needs
Core roles for closing

 

[allnew2]

Right, but that is true- it's not their job. I don't think it's any kind of attitude thing, it literally is just a fact

I’m going to stop myself because I don’t want to disrespect any closing leads that actually care about their job and the store .

 

[Inboundbeast]

Right, but that is true- it's not their job. I don't think it's any kind of attitude thing, it literally is just a fact

If i receive bad communication/plans from my peers i still do my best to come up with plans or run their work centers even if they failed to pass on the message.. i’m stating facts that my SD instills in me. I am very passionate about running my store and developing my team and i’m just looking for other perspectives on this role honestly.. not trying to have issues in this thread

 

[Inboundbeast]

I’m going to stop myself because I don’t want to disrespect any closing leads that actually care about their job and the store .

I’m sorry but in what way does stating a fact give you the assumption that i don’t care about my job? Honest question…

 

[Jenim12]

If i receive bad communication/plans from my peers i still do my best to come up with plans or run their work centers even if they failed to pass on the message.. i’m stating facts that my SD instills in me. I am very passionate about running my store and developing my team and i’m just looking for other perspectives on this role honestly.. not trying to have issues in this thread

I'm with you! I was a closing TL, though pretty briefly, but I would definitely do the same thing. What does your current routine look like? Staffing? What expectation does your SD have for you? Any feedback?

 

[Inboundbeast]

I'm with you! I was a closing TL, though pretty briefly, but I would definitely do the same thing. What does your current routine look like? Staffing? What expectation does your SD have for you? Any feedback?

When i usually start my day, i get settled, grab a grid, i check myday, mpm (all metrics and notes), i read my email, i look at workbench, i go through myguest.. then i hit the floor and do an all store brand walk.. i assess brand and try to see what may need attention.. i check reshop and then i check the freight line and see what’s left for GM/food/and all Specialty areas.. this is when i find myself partnering with my SD and with the GM leaders and food leader.. we usually have normal hand offs (not everyday though) and we make some solid plans for their areas. Then i partner with the rest of my peers and essentially hand off. Then i’m essentially LOD for the rest of the night.

 

[happygoth]

Im going based of her/his attitude by saying is not their job. I wouldn’t want to work with someone like that. I’m not expecting the closing lead to pick up the slack for anyone because the dbo picks up their slack in the morning anyway . All I’m saying the statement that was posted here as to not being her/his job left a lot to desire for from a mentality as such.

You misunderstood the statement. The OP did not mean it the way you think.

 

[Inboundbeast]

@Jenim12 sorry i only answered the first question.. and staffing? If you’re referring to how many closing experts i have i only have 3 and i have enough payroll to schedule 1 during the weeknights.. if you’re referring to overall store somedays during the week after 9 i could only have myself 1 fulfillment TM and 2 guest advocates so we run very slim sometimes… my SD tells me to generally not worry about freight but help out if possible.. asks to help with OOS AND OFO’s but tells me to always prioritize guest experience and brand. Only feedback i’ve gotten recently is to hold my peers more accountable when they don’t leave good plans/communication

 

[Jenim12]

@Jenim12 sorry i only answered the first question.. and staffing? If you’re referring to how many closing experts i have i only have 3 and i have enough payroll to schedule 1 during the weeknights.. if you’re referring to overall store somedays during the week after 9 i could only have myself 1 fulfillment TM and 2 guest advocates so we run very slim sometimes… my SD tells me to generally not worry about freight but help out if possible.. asks to help with OOS AND OFO’s but tells me to always prioritize guest experience and brand. Only feedback i’ve gotten recently is to hold my peers more accountable when they don’t leave good plans/communication

That sounds pretty par for the course! Not much you can do with one expert, and it sounds like your SD is happy with your performance! It does sound like you do a lot of GM/Fulfillment though, how involved are you in follow up with F&B and Specialty?

Also, what does it look like with your handoffs with other TLs? Like are they asking for realistic things, or making sure there is a plan for their areas if they have evening TMs? If they aren't making plans or their plans are bad, what does your pushback and follow up look like?

I always try to partner with closing TL about specific things that would set us up for success. Like "hey we don't have a DBO in xyz department, can you guys try and target that specific OFO at night?" Or "hey we're getting 200 cases of this department, will you guys help with the zone for it?"

In return, I try and make sure I'm handing off ok to closing TL. Trash and bales are done, receiving is at least functional, I made calls to replace call outs for that night (even for other areas), maybe I pulled and stage certain OFOs, took care of PCV, no out of control abandons, whatever. I definitely feel like some people dump on our closers and set them up for a bad night and are shocked when things are rough in the morning.

 

[Inboundbeast]

That sounds pretty par for the course! Not much you can do with one expert, and it sounds like your SD is happy with your performance! It does sound like you do a lot of GM/Fulfillment though, how involved are you in follow up with F&B and Specialty?

Also, what does it look like with your handoffs with other TLs? Like are they asking for realistic things, or making sure there is a plan for their areas if they have evening TMs? If they aren't making plans or their plans are bad, what does your pushback and follow up look like?

I always try to partner with closing TL about specific things that would set us up for success. Like "hey we don't have a DBO in xyz department, can you guys try and target that specific OFO at night?" Or "hey we're getting 200 cases of this department, will you guys help with the zone for it?"

In return, I try and make sure I'm handing off ok to closing TL. Trash and bales are done, receiving is at least functional, I made calls to replace call outs for that night (even for other areas), maybe I pulled and stage certain OFOs, took care of PCV, no out of control abandons, whatever. I definitely feel like some people dump on our closers and set them up for a bad night and are shocked when things are rough in the morning.

F&B i am very involved.. the TL although will try to hand off poorly with me sometimes by saying “just have them do the same old stuff” and that to me says you don’t care about your department when you leave for the day.. so now we walk the line assess freight, assess OFO’s, and assess brand to ensure we can make a successful plan.. my SD wanted me to find a way to get better handoffs and this is what i had to do.. and the specialty sales leader hands off very well. Tells me what they want done and what to prioritize.. also if a leader gives me an unreasonable amount of workload (usually amounts of one for ones and freight) I always just say okay well what about guest service, brand, and reshop? I try to remind them of what my priorities are and sometimes that helps. Also i have no problem cleaning the trash and making bales but it’s nice when it’s already done