I did price changes, today. And helped a few guests at the same time. I worked. If I was approached by a second language customer there s a few tm s to call over...it's all good. We re working...I usually remain present to show my support for the guest experience and to build relationships to better meet the needs of the Target business.
TL Behaviors - Improvement of Leadership
- Thread starter helloxbritty
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It's suggested to take the target diversity training class again.
I kind of get it, but there’s only been a handful of times. One time I was trying to just do my job and stock shelves. I’m a very understanding and kind person, but this particular individual had a very thick accent and I just couldn’t make out what they were saying. I tried pointing to my phone and offered for them to type into google translate, offered to just walk and they could show me what they needed etc, but they just wanted to tell me.
I just wanted to help these people but they kept switching inbetween broken english and their full native language to gossip to each other. This was obvious by the body language, snickering, covering mouths and whispering into the other’s ear etc. Basically making fun of me, just an employee, for not understanding their language. Unfortunately no one else in my store, to my knowledge at that point, spoke that language.
I’m not going to say anything about who should speak who’s language, because that doesn’t matter. But being about as white as someone could possibly be, this scenario happened several times over my time at Target and it was really embarrassing…
I just wanted to help these people but they kept switching inbetween broken english and their full native language to gossip to each other. This was obvious by the body language, snickering, covering mouths and whispering into the other’s ear etc. Basically making fun of me, just an employee, for not understanding their language. Unfortunately no one else in my store, to my knowledge at that point, spoke that language.
I’m not going to say anything about who should speak who’s language, because that doesn’t matter. But being about as white as someone could possibly be, this scenario happened several times over my time at Target and it was really embarrassing…
redeye58
Hasta Ba Rista, Baby!
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As the saying goes:
What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Tri-lingual.
What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bi-lingual.
What do you call someone who speaks only one language? American.
As Commie has suggested, maybe start learning the other language as a way to help guests as well as not being left out.
Imagine their surprise if you happened to respond to them in said tongue?
I'm still trying to pick up common phrases in ASL & Spanish as I have a lot of regular clientele who use both.
While it's not perfect, some of my folks appreciate my effort.
What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Tri-lingual.
What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bi-lingual.
What do you call someone who speaks only one language? American.
As Commie has suggested, maybe start learning the other language as a way to help guests as well as not being left out.
Imagine their surprise if you happened to respond to them in said tongue?
I'm still trying to pick up common phrases in ASL & Spanish as I have a lot of regular clientele who use both.
While it's not perfect, some of my folks appreciate my effort.
hmm.... *not* bother me
continue to *not* bother me
Amalgamation of TLs over time
- play favorites- stand around and gossip
- not answer calls on the walkie (obviously excluding restroom breaks, etc.)
- not do basic TL tasks like help vendors, answer the phones before store opens, etc.
- steal fixtures that are in use -- like take an entire shelf from a set POG or SP
- take credit for other's work
- willfully destroy other's work
- ask for a back up cashier when the TL is more than capable of ringing out the *one* extra guest in line aka standing at the front, calling for help on the walkie - just as easy for them to cashier
- Fill up guest carts/3-tiers/U-boats with crap and abandon them around the store or the backroom
- Dump *all* the shit into the fixture room making it a heath hazard
- Stock product incorrectly -- over stock, mis-stock
- Set incorrectly
- Clean out fixture room by throwing e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g away
- leave trash everywhere - salesfloor, backroom, etc.
- hide in an office
- fail to hold their team accountable for basic tasks -- like pricing, reshop, keeping backroom neat, etc
- failing to plan
- not working ahead as much as possible
- tearing down a set (like Seasonal) and making a huge fucking mess in the process
- taking advantage of the DEOs (higher expectations and workload) while not holding the IONs accountable for anything
- not following up with team members - especially ones that are working in a new area or working on a new task
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First off I want to say thank you because your posts were some of the most informative and helpful for me when I was working at Target. I’m not trying to be rude at all, but if Target wants to move forward with their new nametags that show if you speak ASL/Spanish etc, they need to pay their team members and team leads to reflect that. I have the utmost respect for Commie as well, and I think that I have shown that in my time on this forum, but setting the baseline standard at being bilingual is a big stretch. If you live in an area of the US that has a much higher percentage of people speaking something other than English as their native language, that’s one thing.
In the part of the south that I live in, however, the population is probably 80-85% white. The store that I worked in’s demographic had an even higher percentage of southern white people. I just don’t understand how you can assume that all people who speak english natively that work at Target should just go learn a second language.
Correct me if I’m wrong here, but the joke that you quoted Commie saying in the top of your message, implies that if an American doesn’t want to learn a second language, they’re racist. That’s fine, but can you explain why the joke shouldn’t go both ways?
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I don’t speak Spanish, I will stay to help out on translating on terms. Those folks are guests too.
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The joke isn't implying that folks who don't want to learn a second language are racist.
It's mostly implying that the American school system has really failed us by not making a second language a requirement.
People in just about every country in the world can speak more than one language and it's pretty damned sad that we as one of the richest in the world can't seem to get past that.
It makes you better at your own language, it gives a you a better understanding of the culture and people whose language you have learned, and apparently makes you learn better (see study below).
So as one of the people who discovered the hard way that I can't keep a second language in my head, ADHD plus a few fun cognitive disorders, I appreciate and envy the fact that most people can.
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JiJi
if it fits, it ships
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Well, I'm not with spot anymore but here's some things on what NOT to do as a TL:
- play favorites
- not jump in and help when things get heavy instead of yelling at us over the walkie
- said verbatim "it's not my problem, you need to take that up with <ETL>" when I told her I needed to be at the packing station due to an injury hindering me from running around for OPU - you're the TL, it IS your problem, YOU need to make accommodations for your team
- take credit for other people's work
- have a "holier-than-thou" general attitude
- take away half the tasks that one TM has been doing for literally months and months because "those are tasks for Leads" and then not do them
I may be slightly biased here but yes those are some of my experiences. She was/is a terrible lead, she has caused EVERYONE to quit in the last 8 months, and isn't even training anyone properly from what I've seen.
redeye58
Hasta Ba Rista, Baby!
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I'm also in the south - Texas - where people are always bemoaning those who don't speak English & grousing about signs in both languages.
Everyone knows that Texas was a part of Mexico a couple hundred years ago & still has a significant Latinx population so I fail to see the problem with attempting to learn yet another language (or phrases) even at my advanced age.
Thing is, you don't HAVE to learn another language but don't complain when others are conversing around you in their native tongue, even if you THINK they're talking trash about you.
Compare that to being in the minority & hearing others, KNOWING they're talking trash about you.
Don't like leadership that puts an esl employee on the salesfloor with such a thick accent that it took 3 calls by them on the walkie..and ME walking over to find them standing over a huge spill in Chem. VERY much a safety issue for everyone. They do well in guest services where lingo is limited to a quick transaction. But being responsible for guest and co-worker safety at this point is irresponsible.
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additional training maybe needed. speak slowly to that tm, so they can understand you.
Oh my gosh what a great suggestion for training. If Target can send $$ student TM s to school...perhaps include esl course offerings from the Community Centers or local night courses etc... to help continue TM language acquisition. They then have the entire team to practice with on the job! This TM knew exactly what to do in this instance of a spill- clearly understood her training to stay with the spill and call for assistance- sadly no one understood AT ALL what she was saying over the walkie. I recognized her voice so after her 3rd rapid call I sought her out where I last saw her.. Proves my point perfectly that it is poor leadership to put her in that predicament to jeopardize safety.
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Anyway.
Like:
-Setting realistic goals. Focus the TM on the actual key task for the day
-Ability to use and Target lingo effectively.
-Recognition. Constructive feedback if there isn’t anything “worth” recognizing and it’s a growing trend the TM may not be aware of.
-Fostering mutually beneficial teamwork. Don’t just tell the team to “blitz a section” and ignore who’s getting what work done.
Don’t like:
-When they demonstrate ignorance of a very common knowledge work thing. Like not knowing that TLs are included on the executive schedule and as such have access to the executive schedule and can tell someone which ETL is in on a given day.
-An inability to train others on complex tasks due to poor communication skills. If I have to ask multiple follow up questions to understand one step of a process then you’re probably skipping steps that you take for granted.
-Passive or outright aggression when someone asks leads to bring keys for anything.
-Getting in the way of a TM who knows how to manage their own time. Or “explaining” something to a TM who clearly understands the concept already. Obfuscating missing opportunities with simply not having unlimited time.
-Airing grievances about other TMs/leads in front of regular TMs.
-Gaslighting, lying, keeping important information from others.
-Refusal to hold only certain TMs accountable.
Like:
-Setting realistic goals. Focus the TM on the actual key task for the day
-Ability to use and Target lingo effectively.
-Recognition. Constructive feedback if there isn’t anything “worth” recognizing and it’s a growing trend the TM may not be aware of.
-Fostering mutually beneficial teamwork. Don’t just tell the team to “blitz a section” and ignore who’s getting what work done.
Don’t like:
-When they demonstrate ignorance of a very common knowledge work thing. Like not knowing that TLs are included on the executive schedule and as such have access to the executive schedule and can tell someone which ETL is in on a given day.
-An inability to train others on complex tasks due to poor communication skills. If I have to ask multiple follow up questions to understand one step of a process then you’re probably skipping steps that you take for granted.
-Passive or outright aggression when someone asks leads to bring keys for anything.
-Getting in the way of a TM who knows how to manage their own time. Or “explaining” something to a TM who clearly understands the concept already. Obfuscating missing opportunities with simply not having unlimited time.
-Airing grievances about other TMs/leads in front of regular TMs.
-Gaslighting, lying, keeping important information from others.
-Refusal to hold only certain TMs accountable.
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My ETL is epic in this way he will ask a lot what my thoughts are on a certain situation.
We sometimes have competiotions to see who can do it better. 😂
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Mr. C She was both racist and stupid. Behavior like that is deplorable. Hopefully the Karen won't come back. We had many folks who among themselves spoke a middle eastern language. Great workers, very nice folks. Thankfully I never witnessed an event such as yours and if I did I would have gone "Captains Voice."
If a tl angers me. I audit their area meticulously. And then laugh as they get buried under freight.
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I don't have that kind of time. I did recently happen to know that my TL had flexed out a shit ton of throw pillows without locating them so fulfillment inevitably INF'd several of them. I was asked to do those suspect tasks. Bad idea, TL, bad idea. Not my area. Those all went to 0.
Worst TL? Not my TL but other TLs in my building refuse to hold anyone accountable because they don't want them to dislike them, making for a good cop/bad cop dynamic in the store. Leadership involves having uncomfortable conversations. The previous TLs in my area refused to hold anyone accountable for anything and now I look like the bad cop for making them own their work centers 100% and holding them accountable when their zone slips, giving them timelines, and constantly correcting their previously allowed behaviors. Not correcting inappropriate behavior on the spot enables more negative behaviors.
Best TL? They focus on training and development, aren't afraid of leading and having corrective action, but are also human and make sure they maintain the human aspect of the job. For instance coaching a TM for attendance is necessary, but understanding they had a death in the family and asking what they can do to support them in their time of need. Or understanding that you cannot expect the same performance in terms of speed from a 20 year old as a 75 year old.