Examples of Leadership stealing time

[Sparkle5]

Alot has been discussed regarding on the clock behavior of TM s that result in Coachings to Corrective Actions to Firings. What do you say to yourself as a TM when you realize the TL that is only available via walkie when you need assistance is actually on the walkie in the parking lot while having a cigarette? Thoughts, questions, concerns, do any of you work under TL s that regularly steal time or down right loaf?

 

[Black Sheep 214]

I had an ETL who wasted time constantly when the SD was out of the building, but was a little busy bee when the SD was around. You could deduce whether or not the SD was on deck by observing this ETLs behavior. If their hand was on a pallet jack, the SD was in the building. Of course this was the same ETL who micromanaged everyone else, looking for loafers in every area on their way to Starbucks for another cup of coffee…🙄

 

[Hope4Future]

I (and most front-end team members) were very frustrated by one GSTL/SETL who didn't do anything except ask guests for surveys. I really believe that she was one of the reasons that so many team members left my old store.

She only seemed to back-up if an ETL asked her to and she usually hid in her office doing god knows what. Unfortunately, I think no one in leadership said anything to her because she had been working there for 20+ years (longer than most members of leadership).

 

[happygoth]

All smokers steal time, comes with the territory.

Rank has its privileges. I'm not too concerned about unproductive leaders as long as they aren't waving it in my face. I had one TL that was way too chummy with a few TMs in our area. They would "zone" in a cluster and talk nonstop. Or sit around bullshitting in TSC. One time they were actually making a TikTok dance video on the salesfloor! So unprofessional.

If you're going to goof off and be a crappy manager, at least hide it a little better!

 

[IhateOPmodel]

All smokers steal time, comes with the territory.

Rank has its privileges. I'm not too concerned about unproductive leaders as long as they aren't waving it in my face. I had one TL that was way too chummy with a few TMs in our area. They would "zone" in a cluster and talk nonstop. Or sit around bullshitting in TSC. One time they were actually making a TikTok dance video on the salesfloor! So unprofessional.

If you're going to goof off and be a crappy manager, at least hide it a little better!

Smokers are the absolute worst at stealing time. There was a TL at my store years ago who would take a 15 minute smoke break every hour, they eventually got fired.

TLs order food all the time at my store, they punch out, order the food, pick it up, come back and punch in, then the sit around and eat. It's always more than 2 of them.

 

[Rarejem]

All smokers steal time, comes with the territory.

Rank has its privileges. I'm not too concerned about unproductive leaders as long as they aren't waving it in my face. I had one TL that was way too chummy with a few TMs in our area. They would "zone" in a cluster and talk nonstop. Or sit around bullshitting in TSC. One time they were actually making a TikTok dance video on the salesfloor! So unprofessional.

If you're going to goof off and be a crappy manager, at least hide it a little better!

"All smokers" is not a fair statement and what exactly is "the territory"? Smokers at our store, including leadership, smoke on their breaks and/or lunch and that's it. Broad, generalized statements that use words like "all" and "everyone" piss me off. Mostly respect your posts, but your bias is showing here.

 

[happygoth]

"All smokers" is not a fair statement and what exactly is "the territory"? Smokers at our store, including leadership, smoke on their breaks and/or lunch and that's it. Broad, generalized statements that use words like "all" and "everyone" piss me off. Mostly respect your posts, but your bias is showing here.

Was not trying to insult anyone and you are right, it's not all smokers. But a good many. I'm a former smoker and just commenting on my personal observance in public and private. Smokers will often take more breaks if they are able to. For instance, a cashier or someone else who can't leave their post without their absence being noticed can't/wouldn't just run out for a smoke whenever. But if one's job is less structured or they aren't being monitored, it is highly likely that they will take more smoke breaks.

My husband smokes but he is not hardcore and frequently goes all day without a cigarette when not working. At work, he does just what you said, smokes on his breaks and that's it. But his job is fast-paced and he can't leave the office without someone noticing.

 

[MxTarget]

They could be on break? Almost all of the leaders I’ve ever worked with who smoked only did it during their lunch or break.

 

[Ringwraith917]

Say nothing. Do my job. Go home.

Will I do you a favor? No I'm busy.
Well I stay late to help out? No I have plans.
Well I come in on my day off? No

 

[Sparkle5]

Typical day of our leadership...8 am clock in immediate break (as in grabbing food and drink and taking it to the office) ,office (respective TM s begin to attempt to walkie contact their workcenter leader and receive delayed or no response), 9:45 -10:30am Leadership group Starbucks break led by SD during which TM s attempt to walkiecontact them with delayed to no response, 10:30 am TL s begin to walkie respective team members asking simply for their location('Henry, what s your 20?"). 11:00 to 4 TL s walk a few times thru their workcenters with eyes on their mydevice and still rarely to never respond to TM s...
Once in awhile they will have a pat on the back party for successful metrics they had no role in achieving but for their name being "TL".

 

[sunnydays]

sounds like your store has a toxic leadership culture! sucks. that would never have flown at my old store

 

[InboundBoss]

My typical day as a TL...Get to store and unlock @3:15am check email & truck info. Punch in & Let my unloader in @3:30am (if he shows up). Head to back & see/deal with mess left over from previous day. Try & set line as best as able. Let rest of inbound team in @4:00 am, typically 2-3 TMs will show up on a good day. Unload truck, depending on call outs may take anywhere from 3-4 hours. At this time my inbound TMs are done for the day, so I'm left with emptying the trailer, cleaning the line area, cleaning around the docks by myself, oh & did I mention that I have no receiver so I have to check in all the vendors & deal with all that entails. If I'm lucky I'll get to take my 1st break but usually I just race to the clock to punch for lunch so I don't hit compliance. After my lunch it's time to send a sweep & close the trailer up. I have been in contact with my GM TMs this whole time but now I get to really check in with my floor team, if they haven't been dragged into helping SFS which is typically the case. After checking in with them & giving them instructions I head to the computer to send out my daily status emails. I then punch out @noon & head home feeling defeated & beat down. I left Target 1.5 years ago due to no support from my ETL, SD. I was not allowed to discipline anyone for call outs, hence I had a team that hardly showed up, I was not allowed to hire anyone.

Just know Not all TLs are bad or scamming the system. Some are out there busting their ass for little to no recognition or support.

 

[DBZ]

I had an ETL who was a smoker. He definitely smoked more when the SD wasn't there, but he worked his ass off. If there was no one there to get carts, he did it. He didn't micromanage, but he also didn't put up with BS. He didn't really care what you did off stage as long as the work was done. On stage you better be on brand.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Typical day of our leadership...8 am clock in immediate break (as in grabbing food and drink and taking it to the office) ,office (respective TM s begin to attempt to walkie contact their workcenter leader and receive delayed or no response), 9:45 -10:30am Leadership group Starbucks break led by SD during which TM s attempt to walkiecontact them with delayed to no response, 10:30 am TL s begin to walkie respective team members asking simply for their location('Henry, what s your 20?"). 11:00 to 4 TL s walk a few times thru their workcenters with eyes on their mydevice and still rarely to never respond to TM s...
Once in awhile they will have a pat on the back party for successful metrics they had no role in achieving but for their name being "TL".

What crap leadership! At my store you had to be at least an ETL to be that useless...

 

[Tessa120]

Was not trying to insult anyone and you are right, it's not all smokers. But a good many. I'm a former smoker and just commenting on my personal observance in public and private. Smokers will often take more breaks if they are able to. For instance, a cashier or someone else who can't leave their post without their absence being noticed can't/wouldn't just run out for a smoke whenever. But if one's job is less structured or they aren't being monitored, it is highly likely that they will take more smoke breaks.

My husband smokes but he is not hardcore and frequently goes all day without a cigarette when not working. At work, he does just what you said, smokes on his breaks and that's it. But his job is fast-paced and he can't leave the office without someone noticing.

I had a job where everyone had a paid 30 minute break for lunch. Smokers had to deduct to the minute from that 30 minute lunch. One woman never had lunch because she blew all her 30 minutes on smoke breaks every single day. Sadly, she could and would inhale an entire cigarette in 2 minutes so that should tell you how addicted she was.

 

[IWishIKnew]

My TLs pretty much always answer walkie calls on break/lunch, so I would assume either that the TL was on a break when they answered or they've certainly spent enough time working on their breaks to justify some extra time here and there.

But that's my TLs and none of them are smokers, but the (few) smokers among the TMs that I know smoke on breaks and don't loaf, so I might have a rosier perspective than would be warranted at your store.

 

[BackupTL]

Smokers are the absolute worst at stealing time. There was a TL at my store years ago who would take a 15 minute smoke break every hour, they eventually got fired.

TLs order food all the time at my store, they punch out, order the food, pick it up, come back and punch in, then the sit around and eat. It's always more than 2 of them.

Fwiw working lunches are a thing too. Where I doubt that's what's going on, but technically if they're talking about work it needs to be paid.

Our SD will do working lunches for our business unit statuses occasionally.