# Coachings



## 13Frontendbc (Oct 2, 2021)

Hey I’m a fairly new team lead... how do your coaching conversations go ? As far as attendance or performance.. examples would help. Also do you necessarily have to let someone know you are coaching them ?


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## Planosss enraged (Oct 2, 2021)

Goes something like this.
Isolate the TM, e.g in an office etc.
I always like having another TL with me if pos.
Be cordial , firm and factual.
Let em know why you got them isolated #metoo.

Hi Ted we are here to talk about your attendance. According to the attendance detail report , you called out on 8/15, 8/23, and 9/1.
Ted, when your call outs has negative impact on the team and guest.
Going forward you are expected to attend all of your scheduled shifts.
Failure to adhere to Targets attendance policy will result in  further discussions, including corrective actions and up to termination.


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## Fluttervale (Oct 3, 2021)

“We need to talk about your call off the other day.  When we schedule you, it’s because we have work that needs to be done, and when you aren’t here there are things that need to get done that don’t get done.  Ok?  Here’s your price change.”

Second time:

“hey, we talked about your last call off on September 12th, and you called off again last night.  We really need you here when you’re scheduled.  Is there something going on?  Do we need to change your availability?  Am I giving you too many hours?”  This shows them that you’re not just getting on their case, you’re showing them trust but also trying to solve the problem without punishing them.  Especially if there’s a pattern to their call offs.  They’ll be more honest with you if they see you as an ally AND they will try harder to show up.  If they have a medical issue talk about intermittent FMLA or going on leave.

Third time is “Hey we talked about call offs on date and date, and you called off again last night.  I really need you here.  We talked about changing your availability, hours, and/or FMLA and leave.  If this pattern continues I’m going to be forced to treat this like a discipline issue and start the write up process.  Let me know what you need to keep us from going down that road.”

You can choose to be a hard ass about it, but they will still call off AND they’ll poison your morale by bitching about you to anyone who will listen.  If you come at it from trying to help them be at work, they will work harder to fix whatever underlying issue is making it hard for them to come in.  Most people WANT to work and WANT to do a good job.  Besides true illness, usually they call off because they don’t feel connected to their coworkers, and showing that care makes a HUGE difference in whether they show up and the quality of work they do.

It’s the same script for performance.  “Look, I need you to do this thing.”  “We talked about doing this thing.  Do you need help with how to do this thing?  Peter, Paul, and Mary are really good at it so if I’m not here they can show you.  Oh, you’re scared of ladders?  Can you use the wave instead?  It’s easier, I’ll show you.”  Find out WHY and overcome the objections like a salesperson.


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## Planosss enraged (Oct 3, 2021)

Fluttervale said:


> “We need to talk about your call off the other day.  When we schedule you, it’s because we have work that needs to be done, and when you aren’t here there are things that need to get done that don’t get done.  Ok?  Here’s your price change.”
> 
> Second time:
> 
> ...


Can you please add a few more paragraphs? Just to make it unbearable and more painful to read?


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## DBZ (Oct 3, 2021)

Planosss reborn said:


> Can you please add a few more paragraphs? Just to make it unbearable and more painful to read?


I think the front row seat at the Short Attention Span Theatre has your name engraved on it.


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## NightHuntress (Oct 4, 2021)

It’s not necessary to have another lead in the room. I’ve only done that if it’s a TM that is known to argue and cause issues. Sometimes it could make the situation worse because the TM could feel like they are in trouble. Not all coachings even need to be in a private room. Just don’t do them in front of other TM’s.  
An attendance coaching I take into a room privately and actually go over the dates and see if there is an underlining issue causing the attendance problems. For a performance issue it really depends on the situation. TM isn’t getting a good zone, checking data etc. whatever the issue may be. Walk with them, explain the expectation and show them what needs done. Then document it because you had a performance conversation. They should improve. At my store we don’t necessarily tell the team member we are documenting anything. It’s only an issue if the behavior or performance doesn’t improve and at that time they are informed that if it doesn’t get better it will be a corrective action. Same with team leads. Who knows how many documents there are typed up for us but unless it becomes a problem and gets to a corrective action we aren’t told anything.


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## 60SecondsRemaining (Oct 6, 2021)

Keep in mind I don't work for Target anymore so this approach may not be allowed.

- I tried as much as possible to have the conversation in an open but private area if the discussion wasn't something that warranted privacy.  I used the receiving area or the picnic table outside when possible.  A discussion with someone in an open area with plenty of ambient noise is a discussion, there are two participants.  Isolating someone in a stark, weirdly quiet office with another person there is an assault.  It will immediately put the person on the defensive.  People on the defensive only hear the words, not the message.

- For attendance I had a twofold approach.  Call-outs I generally left the first as a gimme.  "Hey glad to see you're back, everything good?"  The second in a short period (30 days for me) was normally a "Hey I notice you've missed a few shifts this month, is everything good?  Here are some options to swap shifts etc.  Should we sit down and take a look at your availability?" This was a coaching The third in that period was more direct "We've chatted about this before - I've offered some solutions but at the end of the day the work has to get done. If you're unable to be here and there's nothing we can do to help you on our end, this may not be the right position for you.  This convo is a formal write up - sign here.  I want to help and I am here to support you but I can't do it for you"

Performance followed the same cadence.  Lateness I had very little tolerance for - 3 unintrusive (5 minutes) in a month = coaching.  4 = writeup 5 = term.  Intrusive lateness that disrupted the process I treated like calloffs.  NCNS 1 = writeup 2 = term.  Unless you or your child are dying you can text or call.


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## Hope4Future (Oct 13, 2021)

60SecondsRemaining said:


> Keep in mind I don't work for Target anymore so this approach may not be allowed.
> 
> - I tried as much as possible to have the conversation in an open but private area if the discussion wasn't something that warranted privacy.  I used the receiving area or the picnic table outside when possible.  A discussion with someone in an open area with plenty of ambient noise is a discussion, there are two participants.  Isolating someone in a stark, weirdly quiet office with another person there is an assault.  It will immediately put the person on the defensive.  People on the defensive only hear the words, not the message.


I totally agree with your approach and I think this is great advice for team leads. With regards to privacy, I vividly remember our ETL-HR absolutely reaming a team member for hitting compliance and she was screaming about how it was unacceptable in front of guests and other team members. That was really off-putting and it made me not trust her and made it difficult for me to approach her with any concerns or issues. 

Unfortunately, it may not have mattered since I was terminated, but I also agree that isolating a team member with another team lead can put said team member on the defensive. It happened during said meeting when I was terminated and I felt uncomfortable even speaking up or asking questions since I felt cornered and defenseless.


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## NotCynicalYet (Oct 18, 2021)

Have the facts, dates and times. Document thoroughly. Target is very slow to act on poor performance. Bad tms can hang around for years.

Stress the impact to guests and other team members. They need to understand they're affecting others.

Always ask open ended questions to let them talk through why they are late, not performing, etc. It will help you steer them back on track.

Follow up with praise for improvement or further coaching for repeats.


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## NotCynicalYet (Oct 18, 2021)

Seconded that of you're better off with a witness in some cases, and for any sensitive topics. I had a TM try to burn me by lying about our convo, it went to upper HR for racial angle. That was not fun.


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