# Is Being TL Stressful?



## Havok (Apr 1, 2020)

There is a team lead at my store who is pretty much finished with the job. She's been really negative these last few days and has told me that she is done being held accountable for other people's actions and mistakes. She's a really hard worker, I see her sweating and hauling ass all the time. Her team have some bad apples but, what team doesn't? Anyway, I kind of wanted to become a team lead one day, but seeing how she's been behaving recently and seeing how frustrated she's become, I am kind of having second thoughts about ever becoming one.


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## NKG (Apr 1, 2020)

Havok said:


> There is a team lead at my store who is pretty much finished with the job. She's been really negative these last few days and has told me that she is done being held accountable for other people's actions and mistakes. She's a really hard worker, I see her sweating and hauling ass all the time. Her team have some bad apples but, what team doesn't? Anyway, I kind of wanted to become a team lead one day, but seeing how she's been behaving recently and seeing how frustrated she's become, I am kind of having second thoughts about ever becoming one.



I mean I'm the worse person to answer this [see NKGrant] but sounds right


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## sunnydays (Apr 1, 2020)

yes, but i dont think theres a management job in retail that isnt


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## copycopy (Apr 1, 2020)

Yes.


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## Black Sheep 214 (Apr 1, 2020)

Yes. It goes from stressful and frustrating on a good day to miserable and demoralizing on a bad day. And there are very, very few good days...


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## Hardlinesmaster (Apr 1, 2020)

Spot is going after your tl.


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## Fluttervale (Apr 1, 2020)

Depends.

It’s stressful if you have a bad team.  If you can’t trust them, if they go behind you to the ETL over nonsense.  It’s stressful when it’s fourth quarter and you’re getting bought out faster than you can pull and push.

But most of your stress can be mitigated with a good team.  You get a good team when you hold people accountable for their work and give them credit when they do well.  Holding people accountable for attendance is huge.  Once you get your team where they need to be, it isn’t too stressful.  The hardest part is getting your team where they need to be without running them off.


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## Planosss enraged (Apr 1, 2020)

its challenging, but in a good way. Like getting your tongue pierced. It hurts in the beginning, but then you get used to people shoving their cock down your throat everyday. People think you like it, cause why else would you have a tongue ring.


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## Captain Orca (Apr 1, 2020)

Spoken like a true, average mediocre Target team member.  And people get ridiculed for using the word Chinese as being racist?  Disgusting.


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## Far from newbie (Apr 1, 2020)

Your upper management makes a huge difference in how good/bad being a TL is.   I have been through both.
At one time we had a busy body HR with ‘favorites’, if you weren’t in the ‘click’ then you were made miserable.  Think Mean Girls, ganging up and ridiculing, embarrassing, micro-managing and finding fault at every turn.  Luckily, we also had an STL that completely had your back, would stand up and fight to bring order back.  What a mismatched set, but if there were 2 of the same it would have been unbareable.
    May be why it is best to be ‘liked’ by ETL, HR, SD, at least respected.  There have been tm that are not popular with a member of the upper management that tried to become TL, not a good idea because it can get ugly.
    At other times it depends on how good you are.  If your dept is doing great that makes them look good and they may be off your back.  But as soon as push is behind, data off, backstock clogging the back room, call-outs climbing, compliance violations......look out - you are about to be called on the carpet for any of it and I doubt you will be happy.


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## Dog (Apr 1, 2020)

Yes


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## happygoth (Apr 1, 2020)

I've had good and bad experiences as a retail manager, but they are all stressful to at least some degree. If you have a good SD it's not as bad, but even if they are supportive, the District leader could be an ass or other TLs may speak ill of you. Gossip runs rampant in retail. Everyone thinks they are hardworking and great and that others aren't pulling their weight. 

If you are the type that can let that stuff roll off your back, you may be ok, especially if the money is good. But it won't be easy.


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## Cinnamon2005 (Apr 1, 2020)

Yes


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## commiecorvus (Apr 1, 2020)

Captain Orca said:


> Spoken like a true, average mediocre Target team member.  And people get ridiculed for using the word Chinese as being racist?  Disgusting.



His comment was visceral and crude but certainly heartfelt, in a Hunter Thompson kind of way.
It was neither mediocre or racist.
Certainly not to everyone's taste but disgusting is always personal and not something for me to judge.
Sorry you were offended.


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## Havok (Apr 2, 2020)

I think the TL gave up today. I started my shift before her and got to overhear her huddle today in the morning. She at some point sighed and just told the team, "do whatever you want." I barely heard her on the walkie to check on her team today. I'm kind of worried if maybe she is bringing stress from home. She seems really depressed. I hope things get better for her. She's a hard worker and has been here since before I even started working here. Do you guys have these kind of days where you just kind of throw your hands up and day screw it? I know someone mentioned how demoralizing the job can be but, is it really that bad?


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## Havok (Apr 2, 2020)

Hardlinesmaster said:


> Spot is going after your tl.


I don't see why they would though.



Black Sheep 214 said:


> Yes. It goes from stressful and frustrating on a good day to miserable and demoralizing on a bad day. And there are very, very few good days...


That's rough. I like to think I have pretty thick skin but, if i had to walk into that every day, I would probably explode.


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## HardlinesGuy (Apr 2, 2020)

I’m not going to lie, I was pretty unhappy as an APTL. However, that was due to a combination of factors ranging from an APBP that micromanaged with very high expectations and a lack of support and camaraderie from other leadership in the building. Ultimately, if I knew then what I know now, I would have remained a TPS.


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## Rastaman (Apr 4, 2020)

Yes, and gets more stressful every year


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## Far from newbie (Apr 4, 2020)

Back in the day.....when I first became a TL, all new TL had to take a full days class at a local hotel conference center.  
The class was run by the DTL.  My biggest take-away from that day was this statement:  

“As a leader you are NOT responsible for doing anything, BUT, you WILL be held ACCOUNTABLE for ALL results “.   

 Meaning :
YOU won’t be doing any of the work but YOU will be the one in trouble if the work isn’t done well.

  We were told our main objective is to GET good metrics by getting the team members to deliver good metrics.
There are to be no excuses or scapegoats.  Metrics good, you’re doing great.  Metrics failing - fix it !
Your team can MAKE or BREAK you cause you cannot do all the work yourself.


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## Ringwraith917 (Apr 4, 2020)

Is grass green?
Do birds have feathers?
Is the answer to Life the Universe and Everthing 42?


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## redeye58 (Apr 5, 2020)

Ringwraith917 said:


> Is the answer to Life the Universe and Everthing 42?


Don't forget your towel.


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## Black Sheep 214 (Apr 5, 2020)




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## Havok (Apr 11, 2020)

Sounds rough being an actual TL. I've been given TL duties in the past and have been told I have leadership qualities in me, which made me excited about being a TL sometime in the future, but, I don't think I want it. Especially after seeing what some of you either went through or are currently going through. The TL I told you all about has left the store. I got to talk and hang with her before she left. She was in a rough place. She was really beating herself up. She blamed her team here and there but, I can tell that it was just the frustration talking because, she told me how much she cared for them all, but, how she kept failing to drive them to their full potential. Every problem she brought up began with "I" or "me". At some point, I actually wanted to hug her and tell her that she wasn't the problem, but, she probably wouldn't have listened if I did. Before she left, she said that she hopes that the next person who leads them treats them with respect and has the drive to push the team to their best.

I didn't know a job could do that to you. It made her feel like she wasn't worth anything and convinced her that she was the problem. I felt so goddamn bad when we spoke. I'm actually angry for her. I want to go up to her team and tell them that they suck so fucking much that the hardest working part of their team called it quits. That's scary, leadership, at least at Target, sounds like a real drag.


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## Captain Orca (Apr 11, 2020)

If you have a good team with brains and energy it can be ok.  Not great.  Ok.  If your team has no brains and is lazy it blows.


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## Black Sheep 214 (Apr 11, 2020)

How miserable your life Is as a TL depends a lot more on the quality of your leadership than the quality of your team. The worst team can be made into a great team over time, but if your leadership is poor or bad there is really nothing you can do about it. Spot has no working mechanism for holding leaders accountable for the way they treat their underlings unless there is provable harassment or discrimination, and they are notoriously hard to prove. There is nothing to protect the TL from the ETL, no complaint system, and the hotline is there to protect Spot, not the rank and file. If you happen to get a vindictive micromanager, your life will be Hell, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Not only will your life be Hell, no matter how well you perform or how good your metrics are, if your ETL wants you gone, one way or another you will be gone. I would not recommend becoming a Spot TL to anyone, it’s not worth it.

Edit: Spelling. Lost a couple of letters somewhere...


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## Spotman (Apr 11, 2020)

My ETL became my SD. All I have to say is a bad team and bad upper management just ruins it. I’m a TL And I can fully say I hate my SD. Between her and my HR, they choose favorites and are the best of friends. But the pay is good, so obviously I would never quit.


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## Bonzo (May 20, 2020)

If there's an upside to being a young male teamlead, it's that as long as they're not a COMPLETE dufuss, they're going to get all of the tail they want, without even trying to!!!


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## SallyHoover (May 20, 2020)

Bonzo said:


> If there's an upside to being a young male teamlead, it's that as long as they're not a COMPLETE dufuss, they're going to get all of the tail they want, without even trying to!!!


Oh yuck.


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## Bonzo (May 20, 2020)

It was nauseating to have to watch the blatent flirting up from girl TMs towards these male team leads, who otherwise would never have gotten the time of day from most of those girls.


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## TL Joe (May 22, 2020)

I've been with the company a little over 20 years, I've been a TL for 9 months. Target was actually my second job for a number of years and decided to give it a chance to see where I could go. I'm starting to regret that decision. I'll just say you'll never know unless you try for yourself, you may like it and be successful at it as long as you work hard and go after it


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## 60SecondsRemaining (Jun 1, 2020)

Havok said:


> Sounds rough being an actual TL. I've been given TL duties in the past and have been told I have leadership qualities in me, which made me excited about being a TL sometime in the future, but, I don't think I want it. Especially after seeing what some of you either went through or are currently going through. The TL I told you all about has left the store. I got to talk and hang with her before she left. She was in a rough place. She was really beating herself up. She blamed her team here and there but, I can tell that it was just the frustration talking because, she told me how much she cared for them all, but, how she kept failing to drive them to their full potential. Every problem she brought up began with "I" or "me". At some point, I actually wanted to hug her and tell her that she wasn't the problem, but, she probably wouldn't have listened if I did. Before she left, she said that she hopes that the next person who leads them treats them with respect and has the drive to push the team to their best.
> 
> I didn't know a job could do that to you. It made her feel like she wasn't worth anything and convinced her that she was the problem. I felt so goddamn bad when we spoke. I'm actually angry for her. I want to go up to her team and tell them that they suck so fucking much that the hardest working part of their team called it quits. That's scary, leadership, at least at Target, sounds like a real drag.



This is burn-out.  As in the actual moment of burning out.  The lead up of high stress, probably call outs, and giving up publically are the key indicators.

Target culture uses words like "coach" and "accountability" because they want it to be a positive system.  It isn't.  From the top all the way down to the SD the actual culture pushed is "Coach them out".  Rarely ever do ETL/SDs coach you as a TL and give you any advice or help you to succeed.  The conversation is "you need to do better".  Most of them have no clue how you can do that, but red metrics = bad.  Thats what it boils down to. 

Here's a personal example.

I was a Sr.TL in a medium volume store.  Originally I had backroom, instocks, plano.  Great - no issues.  Clean backroom, excellent brla (solid green for a year), strong transition process (sorted by aisle and palletized).  Rev log top in the region.

We picked up a new SD who had some issues recognizing that best practice is more of a guideline...and forced us to adhere strictly to some things that had been changed.  We had a separate flow tl and ran one down on headcount for plano in order to do that.  The process worked incredibly well.

She booted the flow tl, added that to my plate, and pushed us towards some bastardized version of modernization which completely shit the bed.  You can read my previous posts if you want more info.  Her final quote to me was "I dont need to know how the process works to manage it".  She took my leadership status forms and tried to turn them into coachings, the HR ETL wouldn't sign them.  Every attempt I made to ask for advice or ideas was met with "You need to figure it out"

I went through the various stages of burn out before eventually deciding I wasn't going to let her fuck me like that, so I coordinated with the HR ETL (who also hated her).  The HR ETL transferred out, price and plano TL retired.  Then I just called out every truck day leaving her to hold the bag while I found a new job.

Your TL hit burnout and gave up.  Once you get there, theres no coming back.  Now she may have been a shit leader, we'll never know.  But I would bet your store leadership didn't do her any favors as she was sinking.

My last day I was LOD and the RVP (f you Lydia) showed up.  Turned my keys in and left when she walked though the door.  SD was fired 3 weeks later.


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## BullseyeBabe (Jun 1, 2020)

I’m sitting here about to go work and my stomach is in knots. Friday I was called into the HR office again so my ETL could coach me. It was 2 against 1. 

Nothing I do is right. 

I was so proud to get promoted to TL. I still am, but I no longer have the joy and enthusiasm I once had. They’ve sucked that right out of me.

I think being a successful TL will depend on your store’s ETLS and SD. Most HR/ETLs are going to side with your ETL.

If you’re going for a promotion to TL I wish you luck. Remember this forum is a wonderful resource. Also, you can always head back to domestics and silently scream into a pillow.


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## 60SecondsRemaining (Jun 1, 2020)

BullseyeBabe said:


> I’m sitting here about to go work and my stomach is in knots. Friday I was called into the HR office again so my ETL could coach me. It was 2 against 1.
> 
> Nothing I do is right.
> 
> ...



I was very lucky that I had worked with this HR ETL for over a decade.  She was and is very much "for the team".  I still have a great relationship with her even now, years after moving on.


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## Lights (Jun 1, 2020)

The easy answer is yes, it's very stressful. If you need the money then go ahead and give it a try. I personally only got a $3.15 pay bump and after about a month or two I realized the promotion wasn't worth it. Still I gave it an entire year so I can write it on my resume. I think my biggest issue was leading the same team where I was once just a regular TM for and on top of that being the youngest TL in the entire store. It was awkward giving out countless coachings for work performance and attendance to try and keep my team focused. Like a lot of people have said on here a lot of has to do with your ETL and STL having your back and according to them I did almost everything wrong, and come November when we got all that extra freight I didn't get any extra help and it was a very horrible experience. I brought work home with me often thinking about how can I do a better job and it was just ruining my life at home. Just always keep in mind that you can always DEMOTE yourself back to a regular TM. That's exactly what I and many TL's at my store have done and let me tell you it was the best decision for all of our lives.  I put in for demotion exactly 1 year to the day into the job. After demotions we were much happier people. Believe it or not fast forward a couple years later and I once again want to try and become a TL, but this time for a different team other than the one I'm currently working for and just maybe a different store at that. I have a better understanding of what I did wrong and what I could of done better because I was being trained by a new stronger TL who see's me as a TL again in the future and he always telling me how I should run things if I were him, last but not least new ETL's are running my store so I would like to give it a try again.


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## Havok (Jun 1, 2020)

Lights said:


> The easy answer is yes, it's very stressful. If you need the money then go ahead and give it a try. I personally only got a $3.15 pay bump and after about a month or two I realized the promotion wasn't worth it. Still I gave it an entire year so I can write it on my resume. I think my biggest issue was leading the same team where I was once just a regular TM for and on top of that being the youngest TL in the entire store. It was awkward giving out countless coachings for work performance and attendance to try and keep my team focused. Like a lot of people have said on here a lot of has to do with your ETL and STL having your back and according to them I did almost everything wrong, and come November when we got all that extra freight I didn't get any extra help and it was a very horrible experience. I brought work home with me often thinking about how can I do a better job and it was just ruining my life at home. Just always keep in mind that you can always DEMOTE yourself back to a regular TM. That's exactly what I and many TL's at my store have done and let me tell you it was the best decision for all of our lives.  I put in for demotion exactly 1 year to the day into the job. After demotions we were much happier people. Believe it or not fast forward a couple years later and I once again want to try and become a TL, but this time for a different team other than the one I'm currently working for and just maybe a different store at that. I have a better understanding of what I did wrong and what I could of done better because I was being trained by a new stronger TL who see's me as a TL again in the future and he always telling me how I should run things if I were him, last but not least new ETL's are running my store so I would like to give it a try again.


I found out recently that things in my store are a bit different. You are not allowed to demote yourself. Your only option is to quit and reapply, and if they don't like you, you will not get rehired. Some TLs have tried before, and they were faced with either quitting and risk becoming non-rehireable or eventually getting fired. Some even quit on good terms are were still not rehired.


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## Havok (Jun 1, 2020)

60SecondsRemaining said:


> This is burn-out.  As in the actual moment of burning out.  The lead up of high stress, probably call outs, and giving up publically are the key indicators.
> 
> Target culture uses words like "coach" and "accountability" because they want it to be a positive system.  It isn't.  From the top all the way down to the SD the actual culture pushed is "Coach them out".  Rarely ever do ETL/SDs coach you as a TL and give you any advice or help you to succeed.  The conversation is "you need to do better".  Most of them have no clue how you can do that, but red metrics = bad.  Thats what it boils down to.
> 
> ...


Wow! Your SD sounded like a nightmare, and I'm glad she's out of the job now. I'm sorry that you had to go through all that crap though. My TL was a good person. I talked to her team and they told me that she was a good leader but, easy to take advantage of. Which is weird because, she did end up firing people before for taking advantage. I haven't heard it myself but, I heard that the ETLs sometimes make fun of her or make references to her when things in her department are not looking great. Pretty fucked if it's true. Management just seems like it's made out of all of our old high school bullies.



BullseyeBabe said:


> I’m sitting here about to go work and my stomach is in knots. Friday I was called into the HR office again so my ETL could coach me. It was 2 against 1.
> 
> Nothing I do is right.
> 
> ...


Hang in there! I don't know how bad things are for you but, I hope you find a way to make it better or find a way out before things get too bad. The problem is management not developing their leaders to be better. Maybe Target just isn't the place to develop leadership.


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## Captain Orca (Jun 2, 2020)

I used to hear much of the upper management spewing drivel such as "status with me", over use of the word "brand" stupid shit such as that while abusing folks.  Paid no attention to it, I didn't need the gig so I left.  Most of the good people left.


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## Black Sheep 214 (Jun 2, 2020)




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## Greenandred (Jun 2, 2020)

Lights said:


> The easy answer is yes, it's very stressful. If you need the money then go ahead and give it a try. I personally only got a $3.15 pay bump and after about a month or two I realized the promotion wasn't worth it. Still I gave it an entire year so I can write it on my resume. I think my biggest issue was leading the same team where I was once just a regular TM for and on top of that being the youngest TL in the entire store. It was awkward giving out countless coachings for work performance and attendance to try and keep my team focused. Like a lot of people have said on here a lot of has to do with your ETL and STL having your back and according to them I did almost everything wrong, and come November when we got all that extra freight I didn't get any extra help and it was a very horrible experience. I brought work home with me often thinking about how can I do a better job and it was just ruining my life at home. Just always keep in mind that you can always DEMOTE yourself back to a regular TM. That's exactly what I and many TL's at my store have done and let me tell you it was the best decision for all of our lives.  I put in for demotion exactly 1 year to the day into the job. After demotions we were much happier people. Believe it or not fast forward a couple years later and I once again want to try and become a TL, but this time for a different team other than the one I'm currently working for and just maybe a different store at that. I have a better understanding of what I did wrong and what I could of done better because I was being trained by a new stronger TL who see's me as a TL again in the future and he always telling me how I should run things if I were him, last but not least new ETL's are running my store so I would like to give it a try again.


Leading a team where you were previously a team member is tough. In my district you usually have to head a different department or store if you promote internally. when I started with Spot, I became friends with one of my coworkers. When he eventually became my boss, i had to act differently and more professional around him.


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## TheCartGuy (Jun 2, 2020)

Black Sheep 214 said:


> View attachment 10627


I second this.


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## Poofresh (Jun 3, 2020)

i was offered plenty of times from different etls.   ive said no, not even Pfresh assistant.  i am trying to stay in target not get stressed and quit.  ive seen amateur TL's and they leave after 3-4 months.


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## That BackroomGuy (Jun 3, 2020)

It's not horrible... I've been with Spot for just about 6 years. 3 as a Backroom TM, 1 as a "benched" TL, a weird year when I went on LOA to pursue another job, and just about a year as an official TL. I've been at the same store since, and have been a Market TL and now in Flex, which is the team I ran when I was benched. It's definitely challenging, as some of them have been on the team longer than you. They may still see you as part of the OG crew, which happens in my store. It's nothing too major, as performance conversations with them are pretty straight forward, and they definitely understand the position I'm in, but as long as there's that mutual respect it's no biggie.

I haven't been coached yet, I've had some meal violations, but nothing due to my performance. I've noticed a lot of TLs in my store don't really get coached, and we've only had one case of performancing-out due to the TL unfortunately getting burn-out, but that's an entirely separate post. 

ASANTS, but the job is definitely challenging, in a weirdly good way. I come from the highest volume store in my district, pretty high up there in region, too. I've worked at other places, and the amount of planning, leading and executing I've had to do at Spot definitely made other job's a piece of cake.


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## Lights (Jun 5, 2020)

Havok said:


> I found out recently that things in my store are a bit different. You are not allowed to demote yourself. Your only option is to quit and reapply, and if they don't like you, you will not get rehired. Some TLs have tried before, and they were faced with either quitting and risk becoming non-rehireable or eventually getting fired. Some even quit on good terms are were still not rehired.


Talk to HR about it or call the hotline. They even have demotion pay guidelines so it shouldn't be a store by store basis. I can be wrong though. When ETLs and STLs and all those big boys and gals don't like you I think they can say many things that aren't true just to get you to quit so they don't have to deal with you anymore. Who knows maybe it is a ASANTS thing I'm not completely sure.


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## Lights (Jun 5, 2020)

Greenandred said:


> Leading a team where you were previously a team member is tough. In my district you usually have to head a different department or store if you promote internally. when I started with Spot, I became friends with one of my coworkers. When he eventually became my boss, i had to act differently and more professional around him.


I heard about this too. That's how it should be but my store was always known "To do things their way" only because we are the biggest store in the city/state.


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## rog the dog (Jun 7, 2020)

The most stressful thing is when your version of how you're performing is different than your SD / ETLs. Doesn't even need to be that you're being coached out.

For example I personally feel like I'm absolutely kicking ass in this Market role I'm in, the workcenter has improved at least 2x since I've gotten to my store and district leadership always calls out my P fresh as being the best looking she's seen when she visits my store.

I Haven't been personally pulled aside to be congratulated on any of this, and instead my conversations with my SD are always what needs to be done and what's not done and not about anything I have done, which I feel is a lot.

She's not the worst, just doesn't realize how much small format TLs actually do. 

It's a role you sometimes have to work in wondering if you're doing good or not even if you yourself think so.


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## Able Acronym (Jun 7, 2020)

Black Sheep 214 said:


> Yes. It goes from stressful and frustrating on a good day to miserable and demoralizing on a bad day. And there are very, very few good days...


I'm in the process right now of trying to become a GSTL. At least I am already a GSA and I take the keys whenever I'm there. You just have to remain positive and have fun in the process


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## Able Acronym (Jun 7, 2020)

Greenandred said:


> Leading a team where you were previously a team member is tough. In my district you usually have to head a different department or store if you promote internally. when I started with Spot, I became friends with one of my coworkers. When he eventually became my boss, i had to act differently and more professional around him.


I feel that, I'm aiming for GSTL right now and it was weird when I started GSA. Now everyone just comes to me for directions


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## Tarshitsucks (Jun 11, 2020)

I am not even a team lead and job is stressful. I don't know how my team lead does it she is given 4 departments to run. She runs shit ave,Starbucks,Deli and Bakery. She sounds so frustrated whenever HR cut her perfectly made schedule to save money. They left shit ave half an hour to an hour without coverage sometimes leaving her pick up the slack when she was need elsewhere. Seting up interviews when people quit was hard because people didn't want the shit ave job. Obviously it not happening right now due to the virus but damn that's a lot of work for one person.


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## Captain Orca (Jun 11, 2020)

The mere phrase "meal violation" makes me want to pop an Omeprazole then wash it down with a PBR.


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## idkwhattodo (Jun 12, 2020)

Yeah, I’d definitely say it’s stressful considering I’ve watched our ETL/ SD break (or try to break) probably our most hardworking TL time and time again. My TL gets no help... just “well, this needs to be better.” It’s one of the reasons I became a GSA because my TLs (all left, but one) at the time had so much on their plate and I wanted to help.

I get burnt out just getting scheduled under Service and Engagement TL for an entire weekend with no other leadership to help. SD literally told me to respond to calls about guests wanting to speak to a store manager and got legit mad when I called her for a vendor that day because I can take care of it. The only reason I stay is because that one TL deserves sooooo much better and I know I can bring them some relief. I can run things in the front while they do the long list of tasks from ETL/ SD or we can tag team the tasks to get them done faster.

It’s just sad that this happens too often. Last year our long time TL left with no job lined up. Family and kids, but he just quietly put in his two weeks because he literally couldn’t take it. Other front end TL quit took less pay somewhere else only to end up doing that and working as a cashier at another Target because “he knew it all and zero pressure now.” Another left with absolutely nothing lined up. It’s crazy, but they are allllll so much happier now.


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## happygoth (Jun 12, 2020)

At my former job I had worked my way up to salaried manager. Stuck it out for a year and couldn't take it anymore so I stepped down to hourly manager. Spent three years in a department I enjoyed, then a new store manager came in and moved everyone around willy-nilly. Got stuck in a department I hated and still managed to hang in there for three years before I broke. I stepped down to a cashier position, that's how desperate I was to get out of that department. Despite losing a third of my pay, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

I got promoted to an hourly management position again about a year later, in a department I loved, and that's where I finished out my tenure with the company. All of this was in the same store too, which was great because I hate commuting.


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## Rastaman (Jun 13, 2020)

I took over Market in remodeled ST just before covid.  Last 3 months absolutely were me down. Luckily just got back from a 10 days off.

Every year the expectation is to produce better results with less hours.  It's a no win situation.  You need a peer or two you can vent to.

One of my peers who trained me for POG TL years ago says "no feelings in retail".  Ain't that the truth?


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## Havok (Jun 17, 2020)

That BackroomGuy said:


> It's not horrible... I've been with Spot for just about 6 years. 3 as a Backroom TM, 1 as a "benched" TL, a weird year when I went on LOA to pursue another job, and just about a year as an official TL. I've been at the same store since, and have been a Market TL and now in Flex, which is the team I ran when I was benched. It's definitely challenging, as some of them have been on the team longer than you. They may still see you as part of the OG crew, which happens in my store. It's nothing too major, as performance conversations with them are pretty straight forward, and they definitely understand the position I'm in, but as long as there's that mutual respect it's no biggie.
> 
> I haven't been coached yet, I've had some meal violations, but nothing due to my performance. I've noticed a lot of TLs in my store don't really get coached, and we've only had one case of performancing-out due to the TL unfortunately getting burn-out, but that's an entirely separate post.
> 
> ASANTS, but the job is definitely challenging, in a weirdly good way. I come from the highest volume store in my district, pretty high up there in region, too. I've worked at other places, and the amount of planning, leading and executing I've had to do at Spot definitely made other job's a piece of cake.


Haha, you remind me of someone I used to work with. He was also a market TL who lead the backroom team as a captain and went on LOA for a year for another job before coming back.


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## SwissArmyKnife (Jun 17, 2020)

My honest answer: it's not worth it if you have even the _slightest_ bit of uncertainty. It's so different now than it used to be. Competence used to get you anywhere, and being able to lead while getting work done made you the star. Not anymore. You have to be perfect. They have slimmed down the number of ETLs and the work that ETLs used to do on salary is now filtered down to team leaders who have to juggle it in 40 hours of work (heaven forbid you get a second of overtime). And now, it's all so personality-driven. It's not enough to be good at your job, because it's so subjective. Your metrics could be blood red but if you're in good with the ETLs and SD, then you're fine. Your metrics could be green but if they don't like you for any reason, they'll make you miserable. It's so inconsistent. And the pay isn't anywhere near worth the stress and the headaches. If you truly feel you want to give it a try, then by all means, go for it. You may really enjoy it, and more power to you. Just make sure you're going in with your eyes wide open.


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## That BackroomGuy (Jun 17, 2020)

Havok said:


> Haha, you remind me of someone I used to work with. He was also a market TL who lead the backroom team as a captain and went on LOA for a year for another job before coming back.


haha, you know, you’d be surprised to hear the stories of many long-term TMs/TLs. Surprisingly, many share the same story (not necessarily same departments). From my experience and conversations, we have some TLs that have been ETLs, TMs that have been TLs, etc. We also have a few TMs that have transferred from other districts who have also been benched previously! Not all have been at the same store, but our leadership has definitely seen all sides of Spot and have some stories to tell.


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## Havok (Jun 18, 2020)

That BackroomGuy said:


> haha, you know, you’d be surprised to hear the stories of many long-term TMs/TLs. Surprisingly, many share the same story (not necessarily same departments). From my experience and conversations, we have some TLs that have been ETLs, TMs that have been TLs, etc. We also have a few TMs that have transferred from other districts who have also been benched previously! Not all have been at the same store, but our leadership has definitely seen all sides of Spot and have some stories to tell.


True! When did you become TL for flex? Something you said just reminded me of someone I worked with. When you said there was a case of performancing out a TL due to burn out. That was me at my store, and the TL that took over is a good guy that I've worked with since I started. I don't know, I could be wrong but, I think you and I might know each other, haha.

Check this out.


			https://www.thebreakroom.org/threads/confession-time.25019/


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## Far from newbie (Sep 29, 2020)

An update on TL expectations:
Have you been told 80% of your time should be ‘leading the team’ 10% tasking and 10% administrative (emails/planning/documenting). ?
That really SOUNDS fantastic but I am having a REAL hard time pulling it off !  Anyone find a way to make it work ?

My perfect day - 
5 Hours - ‘Work alongside each of my 10 TM’s for 30 min - assisting, making connections, training/guiding,
  .5 hour - meal,
  .5 hour emails -  (15 min. To  Read at beginning of shift, 15 min send at end of shift - cause communication is key)
1 HR - planning/documenting/checking reports
1 HR task - the “extra“ thing that needs doing

My Actual Day - 
5:15 Arrive, Perimeter check, move some carts in the parking lot, wait for cleaners, Unlock, Disarm 
5:30 Punch in
5:30-5:40 Wait for 5:30 team to get in - Unlock door and give assignments
5:40-5:50         Print 4 grids, start an equipment sign out sheet, Get equipment, get keys for all
5:50-6:10  Wait at door to let 6:00 team In - give assignments , (sort re-shop while waiting)
6:10-6:20          Disarm receiving, unlock bays, Acknowledge truck, open compactor for cleaning crew, unlock fixture room, print pricing labels,
6:20-6:40 Wait at door to let 6:30 team in and give assignments (scan price change while waiting)
6:40-6:50         Try to complete Audit - easier recently - old Harlines audit Used to have 70-90 tasks !
6:50-7:10  Wait at door to let 7:00 team in - (read MyDay Communications on Zebra while waiting)
7:10-7:20           Let cash office person in - Really does takes at least 10 minutes to get in, get supplies, re-lock
7:20-7:40  Wait at door for 7:30 team  (Used to drop 1for1’s now plan work for day Or print SPL labels, pog price accuracies while waiting)
7:40-7:50          Answer TM questions, check in on unload, get something for someone - always
7:50-8:05  Wait at door for 8:00 team - unlock store.
            During this first 2.5 hours also answer all phone calls and record all call-outs
8:00-9:00    Back into and out of cash office, finish audit, cover for anyone late/call-out, remind tm of tasks (RTS, audits, 1:1 pull, SPL, answer all TM questions
            Second leader arrives.......whew.

9:00-9:10.  ONE MINUTE with each of 10 tm’s To catch-up, remind of tasks/training/meal compliance, check zones, Ensure workload Needed for day is completed

9:10-9:30. Emails/workbench news/Read addendum

9:30-1:00.  Conduct interviews, Answer questions, meet vendors, assist guests, back-up cashier, find fixtures, find signing, print labels/pogs, plan transitions, 
                    complete trainings, answer phones/transfer calls, PDD’s
1:00 Punch out

Didn’t complete any ‘task’, didn’t spend more than a minute with any tm, didn’t communicate with peers/leaders, no e-mail sent

All afternoon - answer texts from TM’s, ETL, SD


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## Rastaman (Sep 29, 2020)

Yes. I get the same line. "Don't get pulled into doing projects", but when there's 60 hrs of transition workload with trucks every day and no added hours.. Guess who wins up setting the transitions?


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## allnew2 (Sep 30, 2020)

Far from newbie said:


> An update on TL expectations:
> Have you been told 80% of your time should be ‘leading the team’ 10% tasking and 10% administrative (emails/planning/documenting). ?
> That really SOUNDS fantastic but I am having a REAL hard time pulling it off !  Anyone find a way to make it work ?
> 
> ...


You actually do quite a lot for a morning person I guess the “ perks” of being the only one in the building .


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## busyzoningtoys (Oct 3, 2020)

allnew2 said:


> You actually do quite a lot for a morning person I guess the “ perks” of being the only one in the building .


I was gonna say, reminds me of what being the closing TL is like but for opening 😂 I wouldn’t mind my day looking like that


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## Rastaman (Oct 7, 2020)

I've started listening to music on the way to work for an "attitude adjustment "🎶

Sometimes Christian music 🙏,  other times Bob Marley🇯🇲 or a little 2Pac👊.   Depends on what I'm walking into at work.  Have had callouts the last three days,  and heard my ETL calling my name over the walkie as I'm walking into the building. 

How does everyone else deal with it?


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## Hardlinesmaster (Oct 7, 2020)

No walkie on you? You might be late getting in. My stl would find you for that.


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## RTCry (Oct 8, 2020)

I don’t turn my walkie on until I am clocked in. I also announce my lunch to my peers/ETLs, wait for acknowledgment, then turn it off. If I’m not on the clock I ain’t working. That’s how Target and I roll.


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