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Thanks! Helpful advice is greatly welcomed!
Archived RedisRad and GSTL question
- Thread starter pellinore
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Thanks! Helpful advice is greatly welcomed!
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M
mxrbook
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RedisRad, don't pay attention to Imerzan. He's a former GSA who couldn't handle the pressure and left for WalMart as I recall. As far as Stupid Rules, I sometimes think Stupid is his first name instead of a descriptor of Rules.
My store has 74 total employees, we are ULV. 2 GSA's and 1 GSTL. :/ We don't have a single CA. I was once guilty of being a cashier that didn't ask. My GSTL just took me aside and calmly confronted me about it. Being personable helps. I think stressing that asking person after person is obviously very trivial, but it is part of being a cashier at target.
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Yikes! That's so little! It'd be so much better if I had even one more GSA. So then it'd be the same as your store. Just to cover all the shifts at least! But no CA?! Holy moly that blows :-/
I think being rejected by the whole store has started to make my cashiers see that I'm on their side of the fence. I can definitely see some of them coming around.
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Rejected isn't the right word... I meant Ignored and disregarded lol. They're starting to confide in me more and come to me and shoot the crap with me. It's nice.
B
Barcode
Guest
Nah Wally was temp. Making $25/hr doing CCNA/IT work for a technology firm. If I made excuses for half as many things as RiR, they'd probably fire me since I'm the only IT guy really. Pressure? Yes... I get paid to make things work and to find solutions to the problems I am tasked with. My bosses are busy and don't have time to babysit the IT guy.
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I don't think she's making excuses so much as venting to us about the things that are deeply broken at her store.
It sounds like she is making best efforts to fix the problems but could use some ideas and support in that direction.
It sounds like she is making best efforts to fix the problems but could use some ideas and support in that direction.
B
Barcode
Guest
So you look to your cashiers for validation?:huh::huh:
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Validation? Lol no. When you come into a store with such a low morale, and you're a person that truly cares about your team, it's nice to see them understand that and come around to trust you. I'm not the first newbie to target that has to break down that wall. I'm just pointing out the positives that I have had an impact on.
And yes, I'm mostly venting and looking for advice. Not only am I new to spot, I'm new to a role as supervisor. I've always been guest service, sales and a cashier, on that 'team member' level. so moving to the other side is a tough transition. I love it but whether you think they are excuses or not, I feel as if I was thrown into a bit of a chaotic mess that I could use peer support on.
I do have a few people on my side, but we just don't work together often enough for them to do that much. They've done a few coachings for me at least.
Anyways, I'm glad to see you're doing a job you love now. I would never bash someone for doing their job, even if they're having a tough time. I try to stay positive. Once I turn things around in my store, I intend to move up and be a go to ETL and a great leader. May take some learning but I'm up for the challenge.
M
mxrbook
Guest
Congrats, Imerzan! I guess Target did you a favor by trying to performance you out after four years. You should have jumped earlier for $25 an hour and bosses who don't pressure you.
M
mxrbook
Guest
I'm not a Target suck up.
How does one reply to negative contributions other than on the thread? I'm getting a little weary of the poster who refuses to say his/her little nasty comments in public. Come out in the open or STFU.
How does one reply to negative contributions other than on the thread? I'm getting a little weary of the poster who refuses to say his/her little nasty comments in public. Come out in the open or STFU.
B
Barcode
Guest
Well being pressured goes with any job really. They didn't start trying to get rid of me until I already wanted to leave -- they just didn't like the fact that i pretty much gave them the middle finger on a day to day basis and did my own thing. I left knowing I did MY job well, I was able to inspire and engage my peers and effectively handle all front end concerns without needing to call for assistance. Contrary to what people think, I did provide REDCard support for the team (when asked), and gave rewards (extra breaks,push one spot) to people who got them. I didn't give phony redcard announcements on the walkie (well I USED to when I was a newb), or hound the cashiers for more REDCards, I took a rather laid back approach and let my GSTL ***** people out if she so desired (provided she actually left the office).
Being exposed to both GSTLs and GSAs on this site, and in the stores, it has become ever apparent that most GSTLs are frickin clueless, and its the GSAs who know all the tricks of the trade. You'd be surprised how many GSTL/ETL-GE's asked me how things work/had me train them. So you'll have to excuse me if I don't take a lot of you seriously. Seriously, I try.
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Anywhere you go there will always be people that know more than you do. I could run circles around some of my old managers when I sold tvs and audio equipment, because I learned from fellow team members and old supervisors and just continued to acquire knowledge. Yeah, sometimes it was annoying when I had a question about something and my leaders had no clue, but I never hated them for it. I think what you need to be mad about is the leaders that DON'T CARE to learn anything.
Speaking for myself, I absorbed as much info as I could from my GSAs before they all left because I know how valuable that information is. I take the time to learn things I am unfamiliar with. I've worked at a few different retailers over the years, and in my experience I was more knowledgeable than a lot of my superiors. But I was happy when they wanted to learn, not mad that they didn't magically have the knowledge when they were new to that company.
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Were you told to "get off my nuts douche" too, or was that just me?
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mxrbook, I want to say something like "my balls, your mouth, now suck *****" but I won't. I will just view you as some little whiny kid who can't handle when someone is direct with them. You'll grow up one day.
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OK guys, that's enough.
Keep it civil.
We can disagree without getting personal.
Can we act like grownups and not members of Congress?
Keep it civil.
We can disagree without getting personal.
Can we act like grownups and not members of Congress?
sigma7
Former ETL-All the Things
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I always read stupid rules as stupidity runs the world.
RedIsRad will find a way to get the work done. That's why they're here asking for help. I never got the feeling they were whining. Just relating the situation at their store. And basically if you no longer work at target I doubt you realize how bad it's gotten in just the past month or so with hours being slashed to the bone. Our entire salesfloor team was on the lanes for an hour today because there were only enough hours for two cashiers until 2. So yeah, broken departments are a ***** to fix when hours are non existent but the sales are up around 20-40% a day and the green conversion score keeps getting higher.
RedIsRad will find a way to get the work done. That's why they're here asking for help. I never got the feeling they were whining. Just relating the situation at their store. And basically if you no longer work at target I doubt you realize how bad it's gotten in just the past month or so with hours being slashed to the bone. Our entire salesfloor team was on the lanes for an hour today because there were only enough hours for two cashiers until 2. So yeah, broken departments are a ***** to fix when hours are non existent but the sales are up around 20-40% a day and the green conversion score keeps getting higher.
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RIR, you say you have no GSTL or GSA with you correct? What are YOU doing about it? Who are you developing? Who are you reaching out to? How many interviews have you set up? You, and every whiny little **** on this forum, can get mad and think I'm an ass, etc. but nothing will change if you don't change it.
Your ETL shouldn't be doing coachings for you. If it's for a TM you don't see, etc. then get another TL to do it. Let's be honest here, that paperwork isn't that bad. It's annoying, it's useless, but it can be done when you're standing at the lanes or walking over to GS to audit the ESIM, etc.
It seems your main problem is staffing. Then do something about it. Go in tomorrow, tell HR to set up X amount of interviews for positions A, B, & C. Continue to do this until you're staffed. Then tell HR to keep a constant 1-2 interviews every week or so, so you can find that high caliber TM.
Stop looking to your ETL for anything, here's why. By the time they learn their position well enough to actually help, they are moved to a new one. The 1st 6 months they are clueless but that are going to change the world, from 6 - 12 months they finally know the job but don't know how to avoid problems, etc. 12 -18 months and they finally get it, but then they are moved.
If you honestly want help streamlining your processes and squeezing out every bit of productivity you can, I'll give you my email or text, I love doing that ****. But the first thing you need to do is realize that no one is as concerned about you as you are, so don't rely on others.
Your ETL shouldn't be doing coachings for you. If it's for a TM you don't see, etc. then get another TL to do it. Let's be honest here, that paperwork isn't that bad. It's annoying, it's useless, but it can be done when you're standing at the lanes or walking over to GS to audit the ESIM, etc.
It seems your main problem is staffing. Then do something about it. Go in tomorrow, tell HR to set up X amount of interviews for positions A, B, & C. Continue to do this until you're staffed. Then tell HR to keep a constant 1-2 interviews every week or so, so you can find that high caliber TM.
Stop looking to your ETL for anything, here's why. By the time they learn their position well enough to actually help, they are moved to a new one. The 1st 6 months they are clueless but that are going to change the world, from 6 - 12 months they finally know the job but don't know how to avoid problems, etc. 12 -18 months and they finally get it, but then they are moved.
If you honestly want help streamlining your processes and squeezing out every bit of productivity you can, I'll give you my email or text, I love doing that ****. But the first thing you need to do is realize that no one is as concerned about you as you are, so don't rely on others.
sigma7
Former ETL-All the Things
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RIR is the one doing coachings. Telling HR you need interviews isn't going to help if they don't think you need interviews. I'm a go-getter and I make things happen for myself, but I've worked in a store where the ETLs are oblivious to the actual problems in the store no matter how many times you tell them. We ran 4th quarter with 6 HL tms, 4 electronics tms, and 4 TLs altogether. It wasn't uncommon to close at that super with only three people in HL including electronics. No matter how much I told HR and my ETL that we needed to hire on a few extra people they wouldn't go for it bc we "had no hours for people." I never got support and got my own work done, but then I'd get pulled into the office for not getting the 5 other things each of the 8-10 ETLs that were there gave me to do. I was always told to develop tms and I did that. I had a couple TMs trained to help me out with my workload. Too bad it was only TLs and electronics tms that worked during the day. I closed HL by myself more than once during Xmas. And the ETLs did not care. Simply had no worries about anything until they'd get a red visit. I demoted and transferred to a different store. Shortly after all of those ETLs slowly started getting termed. Only one is left and he was actually decent.
All that to say that it is impossible to succeed in some environments when you have no power to actually get anything done at the level above you. I can't approve hires. I can't even schedule interviews. And the people that can clearly don't think you actually need new hires. That stores problems were systemic. It was a toxic, unsupportive environment. I talked to all of the 20 TLs at that store and they all felt the same way. Bakery, deli, and meat didnt even have enough tms and they're production areas. Like the deli was closed at 6 on the weekends more than once. Like, "sorry you can't get anything from the deli because there is no one to help you" closed. So I totally understand where RIR is coming from.
All that to say that it is impossible to succeed in some environments when you have no power to actually get anything done at the level above you. I can't approve hires. I can't even schedule interviews. And the people that can clearly don't think you actually need new hires. That stores problems were systemic. It was a toxic, unsupportive environment. I talked to all of the 20 TLs at that store and they all felt the same way. Bakery, deli, and meat didnt even have enough tms and they're production areas. Like the deli was closed at 6 on the weekends more than once. Like, "sorry you can't get anything from the deli because there is no one to help you" closed. So I totally understand where RIR is coming from.
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I never attacked you or called you an ass. If you are genuinely asking because you want to help, what I am doing is I talked to everyone in the store that was GSA potential and interviewed them. STL didn't agree and said no one in our store is appropriate for the position. We are not allowed to have another gstl because we would be over head count for TLs. I have done over 20 interviews (which all take about 20-30 min depending on how the interview is going) and only two of those were for GSA. No one is applying for the position. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to develop many of my team members because they are on correctives and/or the STL just doesn't want them up at the front end. Anyone and everyone that I CAN develop, I have been.
Also, I need a computer to write up the coachings, and my store doesn't have a portable one to use, so I have to leave the floor for that. And I will admit, I have only written a handful, so I am still getting used to the format. All the ones I did write, my ETLHR told me to rewrite because they weren't correct. And as far as my ETL doing coachings, yes she should because my GSA can't do it, and I do have another TL helping me with coachings from the Sales Floor, but that doesn't begin to put a dent in the amount that we need to complete. It's not hard paperwork, I just can't get away from the front to do it.
And I HAVE been in communication with HR to keep the interviews going, but like I said a few times, NO ONE IS APPLYING.
I wish I didn't have to go to my ETL but none of the other TL's (besides the one I'm actually friends with) will help because they know nothing or they are super involved in their own departments. They know it's a s***fest up there, so they choose to keep their distance. I'm well aware that my etl is clueless and forgetful, but that doesn't make it easier for me to do everything I need to in the amount of time I have.
I'm only giving this example to see what you would've done differently:
I came in to write the schedule and write coachings and correctives and conduct interviews. My coverage for the front lanes was a GSA (who has now quit) who called out. My GSA called out. My stl pulled me a couple minutes after I clocked in and said we had a surprise visit. I had to go get carts, fill some endcaps, etc etc. An hour later I try to get off the floor to hammer out my schedule. I have guest service covering the front. They don't have codes and don't really know how to run the front end smoothly (I was training them to help me...btw they quit too). I get off the floor for about 30 min, only to be pulled again and told that I have to stay on the floor. I explained to the stl that I am the only one that can write the schedule (because my etl whines about doing it and the hrtm's complain and get things wrong, leaving me with weird coverage and tm's scheduled against their availabilities). She tells me not to worry about it because "it'll get done." So I stay on the floor speedweaving, keeping things pretty, etc. Go to lunch, cover guest service lunch, now I try to escape for the last 3 hours to do schedules. Now I have to stop and do an interview. Cool that took another 30 min... get called to the floor for overrides and guest issues that are all time-consuming because the lod's are now nowhere to be found. I finish all my schedules except I only get halfway through my cashier fill. I email the HRTM and my ETL and my ETL HR explaining that per my STL I was unable to finish and they would need to do the rest for me....... Tons of mistakes and people to be called and call-outs and low coverage the next week that I now have to deal with.
The coachings? The correctives? The ordering? They never got done. They just pile up. The lanes were so busy and I was covering both guest service and the lanes that I didn't have time to coach my cashiers or teach them anything that day. I'm not saying I never develop anyone, as a matter of fact I'm amazed that I'm able to get anyone the hours TO train. Actually...I don't get training hours, I just teach them as much as I can as they are ringing people up. I don't ever take breaks... I need that extra 30 minutes every day. And I'm constantly getting questioned as to why I am at work an hour and a half after my shift ends... Well, I'm dedicated to fixing the situation.
This is an ongoing, every day thing for me. Minus the schedule, but my point is that I HAVE to have my etl help me because it is also her responsibility and without anyone coming into the store to help take some of the weight off, the problems rest on her shoulders too. As for the TL that does help me, we always plan to sit down so he can teach me things I need to know, but I inevitably get pulled to the front.
No joke, the other day I pulled one of my TMs aside to have a discussion about performance and an attendance issue and my srtl said "You need to get on a lane it's crazy" to which I replied "You can get on a lane and handle it, I am coaching a TM." (This was after I had walkied the LOD to get me backup so I didn't have to put that TM back on the register) I'm not twiddling my thumbs, I am trying to find time where it doesn't exist. In this situation I need someone's help. I couldn't ask another team lead to do that particular coaching because no one has rapport to give these coachings. They don't communicate with my team and I am trying to inspire these guys to do better, not just berate them to death so they quit.
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You are doing a good job, redisrad.
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Illegitimi non carborundum!
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S7, so do you have anything to say besides excuses as to why something can't be done?
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