# Leadership And Training



## Havok (May 3, 2020)

I witnessed something today during my only shift of the week (ahhh, first quarter is finally here). A TL today was being coached on something bizarre. It had to do with something about how he didn't know how to do something, and the poor guy responds, "well, it would have helped if somebody trained me the right way and showed me how to do this in the first place". The ETL looked annoyed and responded, "Why should we have to, you should know how to do this already". For whatever reason, that baffled me. The guy said he didn't know, nor was he ever shown how to do something (sorry, I failed to catch what that something was), and instead of getting help, he was given that response. I asked you guys this last time in a thread about a TL who quit a few weeks ago, but, I need to ask again. Is this really what leadership is like? Everyone tells me that you need to climb up the corporate ladder when you start a job, but, this is one scary ladder. I don't know if I'm willing to climb it.


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## Black Sheep 214 (May 3, 2020)

Depending on your leadership, this exactly what it can be like to be a TL. ASANTS, but at my store training was pretty hit and miss, because there was never time to teach anyone how to do anything properly, but there was always time to hold people accountable for errors that would never have happened if they had been trained in the first place, especially if the ETL was in cover their own ass mode, which some of the ETLs were in 24/7. 
Communication isn’t much better than training, when timelines and deadlines are changed and the ETLs are informed, but that information isn’t passed along to those who need to know it, but they certainly are held accountable for not being clairvoyant when the metrics turn red. 
I feel for the TL in your example, I’ve walked in his shoes and it’s not pleasant. Or worth it.


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## Havok (May 3, 2020)

Black Sheep 214 said:


> Depending on your leadership, this exactly what it can be like to be a TL. ASANTS, but at my store training was pretty hit and miss, because there was never time to teach anyone how to do anything properly, but there was always time to hold people accountable for errors that would never have happened if they had been trained in the first place, especially if the ETL was in cover their own ass mode, which some of the ETLs were in 24/7.
> Communication isn’t much better than training, when timelines and deadlines are changed and the ETLs are informed, but that information isn’t passed along to those who need to know it, but they certainly are held accountable for not being clairvoyant when the metrics turn red.
> I feel for the TL in your example, I’ve walked in his shoes and it’s not pleasant. Or worth it.


Yeah, that sounds terrible. From what I have noticed in the last few weeks, the ETLs in my store don't seem to be great at communicating or training. I wonder if the TL who quit had been going through something similar. No proper training, and then getting scolded for not doing the job right. I would probably not have the patience for that. I would want to stand up for myself and fight back every time.


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## Hardlinesmaster (May 3, 2020)

Is Being TL Stressful?
					

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...




					www.thebreakroom.org
				











						Awkward Availability Situation
					

Hey guys, so I just got a promotion. I became team lead in my department and am currently under training in another store. When I got promoted, no one told me that my availability would have to change. I never would have been ok with being promoted if I couldn't keep my availability. It's not...




					www.thebreakroom.org


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## BoxCutter (May 3, 2020)

At my store, if you are moved to a differant department or are an internal promotion, and they like you, you will be sent out for training. If they don't like you, you have to fend for yourself. We had a SFS TM get promoted to TL of ship. No training. They were later moved to GM TL. Again, no training. Luckily, they are smart and talented and would ask the right TMs for advice and help. External hires or transfers from other stores are usually sent to another store in our district to train.

So, yes, depending on how crappy your ETLs are, this is what it may be like to be a TL.


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## NKG (May 3, 2020)

I personally can tell you that I was in an same situation. My training was heres the job and good luck from someone who didn't know the role themselves.


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## Dog (May 3, 2020)

I got zero training lol


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## Havok (May 3, 2020)

Hardlinesmaster said:


> Is Being TL Stressful?
> 
> 
> 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...
> ...


I had to quit just a week or 2 afterwards due to an unfortunate situation with my family. I reapplied as a team member again at a different store, so I didn't get to really be a lead. Kind of looks like I dodged a big bullet.


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## Havok (May 3, 2020)

Sassy Avocado said:


> I personally can tell you that I was in an same situation. My training was heres the job and good luck from someone who didn't know the role themselves.





Dog said:


> I got zero training lol


How are you guys holding up?


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## Hardlinesmaster (May 3, 2020)

Havok said:


> I had to quit just a week or 2 afterwards due to an unfortunate situation with my family. I reapplied as a team member again at a different store, so I didn't get to really be a lead. Kind of looks like I dodged a big bullet.


You did.


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## Dog (May 3, 2020)

Havok said:


> How are you guys holding up?


Thankfully I am an internal promotion who was hired to be the team lead of the same department I had worked in, so I do know the ropes. But it’s just really hard with the coronavirus and all routines being thrown out the window. I’m still unsure about all the computer stuff


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## allnew2 (May 3, 2020)

Havok said:


> I witnessed something today during my only shift of the week (ahhh, first quarter is finally here). A TL today was being coached on something bizarre. It had to do with something about how he didn't know how to do something, and the poor guy responds, "well, it would have helped if somebody trained me the right way and showed me how to do this in the first place". The ETL looked annoyed and responded, "Why should we have to, you should know how to do this already". For whatever reason, that baffled me. The guy said he didn't know, nor was he ever shown how to do something (sorry, I failed to catch what that something was), and instead of getting help, he was given that response. I asked you guys this last time in a thread about a TL who quit a few weeks ago, but, I need to ask again. Is this really what leadership is like? Everyone tells me that you need to climb up the corporate ladder when you start a job, but, this is one scary ladder. I don't know if I'm willing to climb it.


I was Backroom Tl, instocks Tl, SFS Tl , offsite tl, and currently inbound Tl. The only training I got was during the Backroom position I was sent to a different store . Rest I learned it on my own.


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## allnew2 (May 3, 2020)

Dog said:


> Thankfully I am an internal promotion who was hired to be the team lead of the same department I had worked in, so I do know the ropes. But it’s just really hard with the coronavirus and all routines being thrown out the window. I’m still unsure about all the computer stuff


What position do you have? And what computer stuff?


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## Dog (May 3, 2020)

allnew2 said:


> What position do you have? And what computer stuff?


I’m a fulfillment operations team lead. I don’t know how to use greenfield.  I’ve tried figuring it out a few times but the only thing I really seem to understand is things in the inbound trailer dashboard... the RFID guns at my store also need to be updated and I don’t know how to do that either


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## LUNCHpod (May 3, 2020)

Dog said:


> I’m a fulfillment operations team lead. I don’t know how to use greenfield.  I’ve tried figuring it out a few times but the only thing I really seem to understand is things in the inbound trailer dashboard... the RFID guns at my store also need to be updated and I don’t know how to do that either


There used to be a program on the Windows PCs, like Zebra Update Utility or something, but I have no clue now that they switched to Chromeboxes.


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## ClosingQueen (May 5, 2020)

Closing Team Lead here. I was sent to another store for a week of "training". I learned to fill endcaps, jump into OPUs, cover front end breaks and load the USPS trailer with SFS. I came back to my home store and closed with a different ETL every night. Everything I do now has been learned "on the fly". Such is Target's training.


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## CTL (Jun 18, 2020)

Literally any time I don’t know something, the first thing I do is check Workbench. 9 times out of 10 you will find what you are looking for on there. Not to mention you will have a higher success rate than asking and ETL for help, or to teach you.

My SD is all about self sufficiency, which I really appreciate. I understand maybe not knowing how to do something, especially if you weren’t trained, but use your resources. Workbench is literally the greatest resource you will ever use, and is massively underrated in my opinion. And now that we have access to it on the myDevices, it should be a game changer for everyone on the floor.

I’m not trying to suggest never asking for help, or clarification, but you sometimes have to fend for yourself. Team members ask me questions all the time, and I don’t always have an answer. I look it up on Workbench, and boom I can give them an answer. Now that we can access it on the devices, I will probably start telling them to check it themselves. Your team also needs to know how to handle things in your absence, so give them the tools and training they need to do that.


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## kimimpossible (Jun 20, 2020)

CTL said:


> Literally any time I don’t know something, the first thing I do is check Workbench. 9 times out of 10 you will find what you are looking for on there. Not to mention you will have a higher success rate than asking and ETL for help, or to teach you.
> 
> My SD is all about self sufficiency, which I really appreciate. I understand maybe not knowing how to do something, especially if you weren’t trained, but use your resources. Workbench is literally the greatest resource you will ever use, and is massively underrated in my opinion. And now that we have access to it on the myDevices, it should be a game changer for everyone on the floor.
> 
> I’m not trying to suggest never asking for help, or clarification, but you sometimes have to fend for yourself. Team members ask me questions all the time, and I don’t always have an answer. I look it up on Workbench, and boom I can give them an answer. Now that we can access it on the devices, I will probably start telling them to check it themselves. Your team also needs to know how to handle things in your absence, so give them the tools and training they need to do that.


I agree! Workbench is great! Also searching of TBR does help a lot. During my time as a TM, I would search information here. Also the Starbucks thread is a life saver when I became TL over Starbucks.


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