- Joined
- Apr 13, 2013
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- 1,035
Nice editHey former ETL, thanks.
just sayin'
and you can tell the drones and Corp disciples.
Nice editHey former ETL, thanks.
While your point is well-taken, and some of Target's newer senior bigwigs are millenials, CEO Brian Cornell was born in 1958. He's definitely not a millenial.Millennials do the culty bullshit thing at every company they're allowed to run, so look forward to it being universal pretty soon. All of em are shat out of the same business schools these days... Target is far from the only company that got flipped/turned upside down by a rampaging Millennial with a "vision". Apple I believe was the O.G. pioneer of this type of corporate "culture" back when everybody else was still content to get they capitalism on from 9-5, Monday through Friday, show up, do some paid work for your boss and go the fuck home, nice and utilitarian. Quoth the Millennial, "Nevermore."
As my mother-in-law always says, "It's their shoe store".
Large, successful retail corporations need uniform policies and procedures to maintain a consistent standard throughout hundreds or thousands of stores. There is not much room for free thinkers or innovators. This applies to many retail companies.
Do you have a link to the "before you sign your life away" post?This is the best post on here I've seen since the infamous "before you sign your life away" post.
Do you have a link to the "before you sign your life away" post?
Good points. Far too many "young eager folks" who are getting Bachelor's degrees today are not being taught critical thinking skills (how to think for yourself, how to independently analyze, how to see a different person's point-of-view) as well as they were in the 1990s. Your point about MSUATGA is right to the point. While right now Target is benefiting from the COVID-19 economic shutdown, if the COVID-19 aftermath becomes an ugly long-term serious recession, Target will not be exempt from the pain facing other businesses.Which is a great idea, IF all the stores actually followed policies and procedures. There is a reason ASANTS is a thing.
The pressure to meet standards results in STLs (or whatever they call them these days) MSUATGA (making shit up as they go along) because they really have no understanding of leadership and how to manage due to Spot keeping them in dark and feeding them bullshit. By having mostly young eager folks (Rock was an outlier) as the bulk of their STLs who only know the Target method, they cut their own throats.
And on Star Trek, the redshirts always dieCults always wear red.
I can just say that I was at stores that no longer exist. Lol. I agree about the old days!YEA! Now that I dont work for Target, I remember you worked in Omaha right? I was at 1777 mainly, but trained at 2383 and 2125 too. I miss those days, back when Target was actually a team and felt like Target.
I second every word he typed. I make much more at a different company, 40 hours, M-F with holidays and benefits Target never would dream of offering! I tell everyone I know left behind to consider moving on... for most, the grass IS greener on the other side from Target.I can't believe you left your high paying job at Target, I guess you weren't so good at your job anyways.
Good observations. In some areas of the company, like development of products and purchasing decisions, there is room for "free thinkers or innovators" but they are still subject to the "the bean counters".As my mother-in-law always says, "It's their shoe store"..... Large, successful retail corporations need uniform policies and procedures to maintain a consistent standard throughout hundreds or thousands of stores. There is not much room for free thinkers or innovators. This applies to many retail companies.
Good observations. In some areas of the company, like development of products and purchasing decisions, there is room for "free thinkers or innovators" but they are still subject to the "the bean counters".
As for store operations, I think policies and procedures need to be consistent. It would help if Corporate marketing would simplify some tricky or (arguably) deceptive promotional practices, such as some of the category "$10 Target gift card" deals, which then force store-level staff to deal with angry guests.
Although far, far worse than what's happening at Target: I recall that for a couple of decades Wells Fargo (another Minneapolis-based company formed from a merger of Norwest Bank with California-based Wells Fargo & Co.) had embraced an aggressive growth strategy: aggressive cross-selling products and services to the customer base, no matter what it takes. It was based on a theory that a customer with just one product (like a plain savings account) is less likely to remain a loyal and profitable customer, and more likely to switch banks if a better deal comes along. By cleverly and aggressively cross-selling multiple products to a customer (checking, savings, line of credit, credit card, debit card, safe deposit box, home equity loan etc.), the bank has created a "relationship" with the customer. You'll give the customer some discounts on product pricing, but there's a much higher statistical likelihood that a "relationship banking" customer will be much more loyal and profitable than a one-product-only customer. The problem arises when Wells Fargo leadership became so obsessed with the "cross-selling" and "relationship banking" business model that they put enormous pressure on all customer-facing employees to meet aggressive sales quotas, basically at all levels of the organization pushing people to do "whatever it takes" to sign up customers with multiple products. You can read countless stories about how that all turned out when it blew up in Wells Fargo's corporate face in 2016.
Every once in a while, when we talk about Redcard sales goals, unconsciously I think about what happened when low-level Wells Fargo employees were pushed to do "whatever it takes" to aggressively peddle bank products to each and every customer, regardless of whether or not they needed the products.
Lol 😂@Rock Lobster
We didn't converse too much but it was always nice seeing a fellow leader who actually understood the nuances of the log process.
I was never a Kool-Aid drinker so to speak, and it held me back greatly. I left after 12 years to pursue a 9-5 in the tech industry and I can echo everything you say.
The one thing that I can't escape even after being out of retail for years - is whenever I have downtime I feel the overwhelming urge that I -should- be doing something productive. That has never left me. I'm interested to see if you feel the same?
@Planosss are you still here man? Fuck off.
PS: I know that's going to get modded - worth it.
@Rock Lobster
We didn't converse too much but it was always nice seeing a fellow leader who actually understood the nuances of the log process.
I was never a Kool-Aid drinker so to speak, and it held me back greatly. I left after 12 years to pursue a 9-5 in the tech industry and I can echo everything you say.
The one thing that I can't escape even after being out of retail for years - is whenever I have downtime I feel the overwhelming urge that I -should- be doing something productive. That has never left me. I'm interested to see if you feel the same?
@Planosss are you still here man? Fuck off.
PS: I know that's going to get modded - worth it.
Amen. I left my "etl" role a little under a year ago as well not near as long and some of you but long enough. My current job I also find myself finishing my work so quickly and staying focused, while others are on phones and just chatting away. But I've always had that in me to stay focused and get the job done. With your other posts as well I 100% agree. Anytime I was critical and asked why or said hey here is a more efficient way I felt like I was treated differently. If you can't question something to see if you can improve it then that company will fail because of lack of innovation. Eventually it felt like I was being pushed out while giving it 110% every day. I didn't get an exit interview nor even a goodbye from the STL or district. My team threw a going away party which was amazing and when I visit I get hugs so must have done something right. Basically I could tell they were going to spin it/had been spinning it that I was so bad etc. I could go on and on but you have summarized it so well. Wish you all the best.Yes!!! That is the hardest part right now for me. I work basically 8-4 M-F, and its not too hard of a gig. I get caught up on purchase orders for our company and have to ask around for what else needs done in our facility (I help different departments all the time and head to the floor in a manufacturing world). I walk by people at the their desks who are just on websites all the time looking at personal stuff between their work, and they time their work out so it takes all day. The retail side of me is used to always having to keep moving because we NEVER had the resources to get the work done, and my current job we ALWAYS have the resources to get the job done with time to spare.
Yes!!! That is the hardest part right now for me. I work basically 8-4 M-F, and its not too hard of a gig. I get caught up on purchase orders for our company and have to ask around for what else needs done in our facility (I help different departments all the time and head to the floor in a manufacturing world). I walk by people at the their desks who are just on websites all the time looking at personal stuff between their work, and they time their work out so it takes all day. The retail side of me is used to always having to keep moving because we NEVER had the resources to get the work done, and my current job we ALWAYS have the resources to get the job done with time to spare.
Curious about Michael's! What was so crazy? A d honestly, if people have never done retail they just can't understand or appreciate how much goes into it.After leaving Target I worked for Michaels for a bit, which was even more insane than Target (but the company leadership and structure was incredible).
I work in the defense sector now doing research and technical writing/testing in the cybersecurity realm, and I CONSTANTLY feel like I'm not doing enough work. It's been quite some time and at this point I don't think the gogogo retail mentality ever leaves you.
Curious about Michael's! What was so crazy? A d honestly, if people have never done retail they just can't understand or appreciate how much goes into it.
Amen. I left my "etl" role a little under a year ago as well not near as long and some of you but long enough. My current job I also find myself finishing my work so quickly and staying focused, while others are on phones and just chatting away. But I've always had that in me to stay focused and get the job done. With your other posts as well I 100% agree. Anytime I was critical and asked why or said hey here is a more efficient way I felt like I was treated differently. If you can't question something to see if you can improve it then that company will fail because of lack of innovation. Eventually it felt like I was being pushed out while giving it 110% every day. I didn't get an exit interview nor even a goodbye from the STL or district. My team threw a going away party which was amazing and when I visit I get hugs so must have done something right. Basically I could tell they were going to spin it/had been spinning it that I was so bad etc. I could go on and on but you have summarized it so well. Wish you all the best.
I have been with Target for a very long time. It wasn't always like this. Innovative thought, "challenging upward", E's of Excellence, sincere opportunities for moving upward, worthwhile training with an eye on helping tm's become their best, true guest first mentality, a real team spirit..... those are the things that kept me with the company. It is a very different place to work now... conformity and yes-man are nice ways to put it.