Archived What do you like/dislike about your ETLs?

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I barely know any ETL's - except for the one who chastised me about not going up to back up cashier one day. I had just left the registers about 20 minutes before and made my own decision that it was some one else's turn to back up since my zone was trashed (there were plenty of sales floor TMs to help). She just happened to walk by as I was zoning.

I wouldn't have minded the chastising really. I know about "guests first" and that back up cashiering is part of my job. If she had just said, "hey, I know it sucks when you are behind in your zone, but you've got to go up if you aren't with a guest", I would have been fine with it.

But the language that she used just about made me gag - it was so over the top - this entire story about how every guest leaves Target potentially thinking good thoughts or bad thoughts and guests may leave the store thinking good things about Target if they don't have to wait in line or thinking bad things about Target if they have to wait and how, by back up cashiering, I am single handedly in control of that guest's final thought about their experience at Target that day. I'm thinking to myself, "It's back up cashiering, not Middle East peace negotiations". The sheer "Target-speak" of that little speech dropped her down about 10 notches on my opinion chart.
 
medusasdaughter said:
OMG! You silly, little, whine crackers. Do you have ANY FREAKIN idea of the amount of stupid reports and paperwork that we are REQUIRED to submit EACH and EVERY day??!!!??? NO! You DON'T!!!!!! Just GET OVER IT!!!!!
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OMG! You clueless, big, kool-aid swillers. Do you have ANY FREAKIN idea how long any of the endless projects you PILE on us actually takes to accomplish? Do you actually KNOW how to do any of the REQUIRED tasks of our jobs that we have to do EACH and EVERY day? We know, so you GET OVER IT please. 😎
 
medusasdaughter said:
OMG! You silly, little, whine crackers. Do you have ANY FREAKIN idea of the amount of stupid reports and paperwork that we are REQUIRED to submit EACH and EVERY day??!!!??? NO! You DON'T!!!!!! Just GET OVER IT!!!!!
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I think you'd be surprised.
There are many of us who have had management positions or military positions before we came to work for Spot.
We are perfectly aware of the balance that goes into actual management.
And as was pointed out before if the STL put all their time into making sure the store was run perfectly but didn't set much time on the floor I think most people would be fine with that.
However part of the ETLs job description is leading by example.
Being out there and having a handle on what is being done (or not done as the case may be).

You want the respect of your team, throwing in with them helps.
At the very least proving that you know how to do the job goes a very long way.
Do you have to be as good as they are, of course not.
Had you better be able to teach someone how to do it correctly, damned right.

Now if Spot was a well run company that relied on competence instead of metrics you wouldn't be filling out so much stupid reports and paperwork.
 
I have an ETL that fills me with dread every time I walk into the office. I just know that I am going to be encumbered by more work than my four-five hour shift can handle.

I like that he is motivated, but I don't like that he doesn't spread the work load out. It would help me meet my PMR quota, and I might actually get everything he wants done instead of copping crap from it. I think a good ETL needs to realize that we have our jobs, and if it is that important - maybe they should make it possible to have it be more of our focus. Doing things here and there to help out the store is fine and all, but when someone feels like they should be in back room, carts, or whatever else other than the job they were hired for - that kind of blows.

Also, I think that recognizing TMs is kind of important. My fellow TPS get recognized for little things here and there; clean carpets, passing out coupons, etc. I get two PMRs in one night? Nothing. I think some ETLs should look past what they see and ask around. There's always recognition to be had, even if they aren't there to witness it themselves. They can ask others. Hell, even an every once in a while "Thanks for this, or that" is better than the silent treatment. I don't need a silly card, but a little appreciation goes a long way to inspire motivation. Especially to new folks.
 
Recognition is weird. Some want it, others abhor it.

I'd assume a large majority prefer it overall though.

Only me and my stores Intern that I know absolutely dislike it.

We both seem to take the stance thatt recognition is in fact typically demeaning. If someone congratulates me for something I didn't feel was difficult it feels to me as if that persons expectations of me are so low that even the ordinary and mundane is perceived as going above and beyond.

If I walked up to a TM entering the building and said, "Wow, you put your shirt on the right way, arms through the sleeves, neck through the neckhole, even did up all the buttons." it'd come across as patronizing and mocking. Many of the things people get recognized for at my store are that basic and simple though.
 
I will admit , I don't know how much paper work a stl, etl has to do. I do know that they are paid a hell of a lot more than me and they don't have to worry from year to year...if they will have enough average hours to keep their benefits... So, do I feel sorry for them and all their paper work?.....No, I don't .
 
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I like an ETL that knows how to manage people. Sometimes these young whipper snappers (ugh... aging myself here) that are hired right outside of college have no clue what it means to be a manager, only a boss. I have one now that micro-manages and will not lift a finger to help -- she says she will but then she doesn't. She was doing her micro managing thing and when I did not respond to it very well, she pulled me in and chastized me because "she is an ETL and I should speak to her more respectfully."

Admittedly, I was like that at one point (I'm a TL) but I learned my lesson and now I am extremely hands on and with my team working right along with them.
 
I understand that people in leadership roles cant always get down in the trenches with their team. They have to be able to see whats going on etc. We have been told by a srtl in my store that he isn't there to do manual labor that's what he is paying us to do. He went on to say if he had to push freight or backstock then that means someone in the logistics process wasn't doing there job. He then went on to add that he wasn't paid to do manual labor, He was paid to make sure we did the manual labor and did it fast and correctly. . HE doesn't pay me to do anything. Spot does...in matter of fact my money comes from the same place his does . Secondly, when you cut hours and trucks are being rolled over into the next one, backstock isn't getting done ( not because of laziness but because you are cutting hours) then there is nothing wrong with YOU grabbing a pda and backstocking or getting a box cutter and pushing freight. If the freight is sitting in the backroom, or sitting on a pallet and not on the floor it cant be sold....sales make payroll.
 
tgtguy said:
I understand that people in leadership roles cant always get down in the trenches with their team. They have to be able to see whats going on etc. We have been told by a srtl in my store that he isn't there to do manual labor that's what he is paying us to do. He went on to say if he had to push freight or backstock then that means someone in the logistics process wasn't doing there job. He then went on to add that he wasn't paid to do manual labor, He was paid to make sure we did the manual labor and did it fast and correctly. . HE doesn't pay me to do anything. Spot does...in matter of fact my money comes from the same place his does . Secondly, when you cut hours and trucks are being rolled over into the next one, backstock isn't getting done ( not because of laziness but because you are cutting hours) then there is nothing wrong with YOU grabbing a pda and backstocking or getting a box cutter and pushing freight. If the freight is sitting in the backroom, or sitting on a pallet and not on the floor it cant be sold....sales make payroll.
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I don't know. I sort of agree with the concept that management is management and sales floor workers are sales floor workers. Once in a blue moon, I can see a manager doing an underlying job, but not every day or even often. Their job is to manage. I don't want my airplane pilot passing out drinks and I don't want my surgeon making sure the bathroom has toilet paper.
 
PT Target said:
I don't want my airplane pilot passing out drinks and I don't want my surgeon making sure the bathroom has toilet paper.
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The difference is that those two examples (surgeon, pilot) are actively required to do things. ETLs are actively doing... nothing? I get it. Planning out schedules, doing paperwork, etc, takes time. There's no reason, though, that an ETL should be sitting at TSC during a closing shift and playing Trivia Crack or Flappy Bird for 8 hours.
 
So, if we followed your example of the surgeon and pilot...that would mean that if a guest came up to me while I am heading up front for break ( I am a backroom team member) and asked for help in HBA...I could say no. I only work in the back. The truth is I cant do that...because at the end of the day if I don't help that guest and they don't spend money then the store doesn't make sales which means no payroll ...which means we all suffer...We are suppose to be part of a team , a group of people working together for a common purpose and or goal We are all here to help the guests, drive sales and make a profit for the corp....and sometimes that means at a etl, stl, srtl, is going to have to get their hands dirty....and as far as the surgeon getting some toilet paper...he can walk by the empty toilet paper roll in the bathroom all day long because its just not his job to replace it...but trust me the second he sits down on that potty and needs some toilet paper hes going to wish he had replaced that roll
 
I get along extremely well with all of my ETLs and STL, except of course the ETL I work under for Sales Floor. It always seems he is VERY quick to jump on people before he even gets to see the beginning of the big picture, I am not sure if it is because I work under him (I am a PA) or not, he is definitely NOT the guy you want to go to when you have a problem.
 
RCKing said:
General consensus is just be on the floor, listen, and be involved. Not going to lie though... I will always have a grid on me, of course, and I will ask TM's if they know who else is coming in(same day only, not tomorrow or next week). I do this to make sure that know who will be working with them in the same workcenter for game planning purposes. As a former TM I do know the feeling of appreciating when a leader hops in next to me. That is why I will hop into cafs, or help backstock with the BR, go to softlines and fold tables with the team, superzone the cd browser with my elec tm, etc.... I mean I can't do this everyday, but more often than probably usual for an ETL, just to let the TM's and their workcenters know that I am aware of the work they do for me and the store.
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I always like former TM TLs. They don't forget where they came from and understand what TMs do.
 
Nauzhror said:
Recognition is weird. Some want it, others abhor it.

I'd assume a large majority prefer it overall though.

Only me and my stores Intern that I know absolutely dislike it.

We both seem to take the stance thatt recognition is in fact typically demeaning. If someone congratulates me for something I didn't feel was difficult it feels to me as if that persons expectations of me are so low that even the ordinary and mundane is perceived as going above and beyond.

If I walked up to a TM entering the building and said, "Wow, you put your shirt on the right way, arms through the sleeves, neck through the neckhole, even did up all the buttons." it'd come across as patronizing and mocking. Many of the things people get recognized for at my store are that basic and simple though.
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As a high potential TL, my TL has spoken to me about sometimes my lack of recognition. I like genuine recognition, not the small things recognition unless it benefits the store or sales in anyway. You turned on your PDA this morning! GTC for you!
 
All of our TL, ETLs included will jump in and do something on the floor. The only one that doesn't is our STL who loves to micro-manage. He can very well tell you to do this and this and that, but won't lift a finger to touch a tub or flat or even a three tier. I don't think I've ever seen him even push one. When we were out of a ETL-LOG he took over, where he came from, and instead of lifting a finger to get the job done like all the other ETL-LOGs and SrTL Flow, he just stood in the racetrack and watched everyone and commented on everything they were doing wrong. I was disgusted. He still does it but I've come to the conclusion he won't change. So I get along with him, he likes me, I will have my own way of managing a team.
 
RunForACallBox said:
Nauzhror said:
Recognition is weird. Some want it, others abhor it.

I'd assume a large majority prefer it overall though.

Only me and my stores Intern that I know absolutely dislike it.

We both seem to take the stance thatt recognition is in fact typically demeaning. If someone congratulates me for something I didn't feel was difficult it feels to me as if that persons expectations of me are so low that even the ordinary and mundane is perceived as going above and beyond.

If I walked up to a TM entering the building and said, "Wow, you put your shirt on the right way, arms through the sleeves, neck through the neckhole, even did up all the buttons." it'd come across as patronizing and mocking. Many of the things people get recognized for at my store are that basic and simple though.
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As a high potential TL, my TL has spoken to me about sometimes my lack of recognition. I like genuine recognition, not the small things recognition unless it benefits the store or sales in anyway. You turned on your PDA this morning! GTC for you!
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When they used the 'not giving enough recognition' one year as a reason for a crappy raise even after I'd been the golden boy all year I decided to to start giving out GTC cards every day because I was pissed off and that's how I roll.
What I found was it got to be pretty easy because there were so many cool people I worked with who did go above and beyond all the time.
The HR ninja who is multi-tasking the phone and four people who have questions about their paychecks/schedules.
The backroom steel master who is able to park that pallet of weird shaped signage when no one else could touch it.
The plano TM, a former truck driver from Canada, who helps the guest from Guiana that nobody can communicate with because his French his sort of like hers.
In big and small ways there are people who do something special every day and if you look you can recognize it.
 
My thing is - if you're going to recognize someone for cleaning the floors, why not recognize people that did something really important? I'm usually pretty content with doing what I do, and that's why I work - not to be pat on the back. However, when I walk into the office and there are cards for cleaning floors and doing general things, and I caught two PMRs in one night - nothing. It feels like favoritism rather than genuine recognition. Many people so things away from the eyes of other team members and leadership. Sometimes guests don't want to go up to the cashier and say, "Oh, that new girl - she helped me pick up five buckets of heavy as hell cat litters and put them in the cart for me. I'd like to leave a card!" I just feel as some of the recognition in the store kind of gets put there to rub certain faces into them they're so insignificant. Just like, "Hey, everyone else is doing great, but you suck. No recognition for you. We don't care."

Some people are great hard workers and no one will ever notice. Others will be genuinely crappy and do something splendid one day and everyone will notice. Since I have held jobs, that's just what I've come to terms with.
 
I found it hard to write VIBE cards. It's easy when someone goes above their requirements but typically it was the same people doing it. Then the mediocre TMs would complain about the same people getting recognized. So, I printed out generic VIBE cards with a space for the TMs name. Example: Thanks (insert TM ) for showing up on time today or Excellent job on pushing ( insert department) today. ( insert TM) , you are a valuable member of our team.

This is something my TMs would have hated about me. Things got worse for the final 2 months when I knew I was leaving and was waiting for my clearance. Promises were made but I did the complete opposite - only to the poor performers ( i.e. can I have a few weekends off and get 40 hours Monday- Friday...sure I'll schedule you for every weekend only)
 
I like my ETLs for the most part. While they don't hop on lanes and backup cash with the exception of GS, they do sort strays, push CAFs, collect abandons, vibe, and zone.. Yes, it's mostly PAPR and MMB, sometimes market or toys, (my ETL-GE loves to push PAPR), but it is nice to see them out on the floor doing what we do, helping the same guests we do, etc, even if it's not a whole lot since they do have ETL stuff to do.

I hate the amount of walkie-cheerleading they do. Example: One TM shouts out another TM for helping with a team lift (we actually use those at my store for the most part) and the LOD goes "wooh nice job vibing (TM's name)!" And this compels EVERY ETL in the ENTIRE STORE to repeat the same sentiment one by one.
 
I strongly dislike the incompetence of the 22-year-old ETL-GE of my store (who is thankfully departing next week). She has scheduled me against my availability five times now, and she's done it to several others. Previous boss never violated my availability.

STL is a grade A humorless micro-managing asshat who constantly walks around with a stick jammed up himself, hovering over TMs and coming up with idiotic rules that no one wants to follow.
 
Heh, team lifts. STL always glares at me when she sees me doing them solo, she doesn't seem to buy the "team lift means use both arms" sentiment.
 
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