Archived Asking for Advice on a strategic Plan for Logistics

[Him]

Ok so I want to present to the Leadership team at my store a way trainers and Vets who have been with Spot a long time can get a positive say/vote in the way things operate around our store. I know it's not "our" way it's Targets way, but I really feel if vets have a vital say in how things go and DOES not fall on def ears, things can actual be better than the way things are now. We currently Don't have huddles, so we don't even have a voice. The only way anything is ever relayed or carried out is TL/ETL says X, then we do X. Any comments, thoughts, feedback would be greatly appreciated before I bring this proportion to them. You all have a vast amount of Knowledge so I really need you all!!

 

[tgtfla]

That a very radical plan and it even makes sense,sadly the only way I have seen over the last few years is that we are told to follow the new improved master plan for success,we say yes,no imput required and if you wish to have some alternate point of view then you are negative,which brings us to where we are today.

 

[HRZone]

Other than huddles the other way to give the team is voice is chat sessions. We have them in our team lead office with different teams from time to time.

Even though they rarely lead to drastic changes. They are a great opportunity to vent among the team, and discuss things your team can do better.

 

[Him]

Other than huddles the other way to give the team is voice is chat sessions. We have them in our team lead office with different teams from time to time.

Even though they rarely lead to drastic changes. They are a great opportunity to vent among the team, and discuss things your team can do better.

@HRZone, yeah if it's not Mandatory for ETL's to do anything for us (Best team surveys, an occasional BBQ, or a Fast,Fun & Friendly event), we don't get shit. Before I got to the store, the team wouldn't even get the occasional "water" on hot days. Yes it's NOT Target's job to hydrate your employees. Just appreciating hard work goes a LONG way for team morale. I've also seen firsthand it improves productivity.

 

[Noiinteam]

I'm a veteran flow tm. I think your best shot is to have either your flow tl or Etl log on your side. The most obvious, to me anyway, is to have a daily huddle. We take our 15 as a team in the break room, then have a quick meeting. Our flow tl, backroom tl and usually our Etl log are in attendance. Our flow tl starts with unload time, truck size, push and backstock. He asks if anyone has any recognition. Our backroom tl shares the sales from day before. Our Etl log will share store performance overall in district, comping up or down, where we are in general. Results of any visits and if we need to pick up the pace on the unload or just that we are doing a great job. He will ask if we have any questions, comments or concerns. I can't imagine not having a daily huddle. It will help unite the team and let the newbies know they are part of a team. Good luck and kudos to you for recognizing things can be better!

 

[Him]

@Noiinteam, I'll definitely push for daily huddles. I totally agree we SHOULD have daily huddles. It's not fair the only ones to get that are the dayside shift and Leadership team. Hopefully they will listen and it NOT fall on def ears.

 

[StockerAce]

We wouldn't have time for daily huddles like Noii mentions. We barely come clean in the morning and not always. A lot of times there is backstock left over that we just couldn't get to. With barebones scheduling and call-ins, it's a struggle. Knowing the team I work with, nearly all of the information in a huddle like that would fall on deaf ears (especially because we have huddles just before our first break, when people just want to get to break). We take breaks as a team and using break time for a huddle would not be alright with just about anyone on the team. Then again, we are on 10 hour shifts for overnight, so it's a bit different. We have a daily print out sheet hanging in the TSC if anyone wants to look at the daily sales/comps/etc and a board in the unload area to look at the numbers for push/backstock/etc.

Having a receptive ETL is key. One of my ETLs is completely closed off to suggestions from anyone but a TL or other ETL (or higher). He won't even consider a suggestion from a TM, no matter the content. Then again he's stated to others that he just doesn't "get" logistics (makes sense we got stuck with him on overnights, right?). I have zero respect for him because he a) thinks he's 'above' it all and b) doesn't lead by example. Anyway, that's getting off topic.

My main point is hopefully you have a receptive ETL/TL. I think having a weekly "vent" session could do wonders, but make sure the team understands the leaders are looking for ways to make things BETTER, not just complaining about the way things ARE. I also think these should not be held on break time...but on the company's time, since it is directly work related.

 

[Noiinteam]

We wouldn't have time for daily huddles like Noii mentions. We barely come clean in the morning and not always. A lot of times there is backstock left over that we just couldn't get to. With barebones scheduling and call-ins, it's a struggle. Knowing the team I work with, nearly all of the information in a huddle like that would fall on deaf ears (especially because we have huddles just before our first break, when people just want to get to break). We take breaks as a team and using break time for a huddle would not be alright with just about anyone on the team. Then again, we are on 10 hour shifts for overnight, so it's a bit different. We have a daily print out sheet hanging in the TSC if anyone wants to look at the daily sales/comps/etc and a board in the unload area to look at the numbers for push/backstock/etc.

Having a receptive ETL is key. One of my ETLs is completely closed off to suggestions from anyone but a TL or other ETL (or higher). He won't even consider a suggestion from a TM, no matter the content. Then again he's stated to others that he just doesn't "get" logistics (makes sense we got stuck with him on overnights, right?). I have zero respect for him because he a) thinks he's 'above' it all and b) doesn't lead by example. Anyway, that's getting off topic.



My main point is hopefully you have a receptive ETL/TL. I think having a weekly "vent" session could do wonders, but make sure the team understands the leaders are looking for ways to make things BETTER, not just complaining about the way things ARE. I also think these should not be held on break time...but on the company's time, since it is directly work related.

Just a clarification. Our huddle is after our 15 not during our 15. Lasts maybe 5 minutes. We are a 6 am unload

 

[SrTLall]

I'm a veteran flow tm. I think your best shot is to have either your flow tl or Etl log on your side. The most obvious, to me anyway, is to have a daily huddle. We take our 15 as a team in the break room, then have a quick meeting. Our flow tl, backroom tl and usually our Etl log are in attendance. Our flow tl starts with unload time, truck size, push and backstock. He asks if anyone has any recognition. Our backroom tl shares the sales from day before. Our Etl log will share store performance overall in district, comping up or down, where we are in general. Results of any visits and if we need to pick up the pace on the unload or just that we are doing a great job. He will ask if we have any questions, comments or concerns. I can't imagine not having a daily huddle. It will help unite the team and let the newbies know they are part of a team. Good luck and kudos to you for recognizing things can be better!

Sounds like my store, you sure you aren't from my store?

As for the topic: most TLs I interact with have an incredibly difficult time understanding how their 'great' ideas have negative impacts on other workcenters/payroll/efficiency. That only magnifies when you talk to TMs, who don't quite understand how interconnected everything in the store actually is. With that being said, we frequently challenge the team at huddle to brainstorm how they think we can be more effective. A couple suggestions have made their way into our routine.

What kind of things are TMs trying to change/complaining about?

 

[StockerAce]

Just a clarification. Our huddle is after our 15 not during our 15. Lasts maybe 5 minutes. We are a 6 am unload

Ahh...gotcha. Thanks, that makes more sense. lol.

 

[Him]

Thanks everyone for their Awesome feedback. I took everyone's suggestions/feedback along with some of my own ideas and presented it to the O/N ETL LOG. (Since he was there the longest) I also have a good understanding with him. Anyway he echoed exactly what @StockerAce said as to coming clean and pretty much not having the time to do so unless its absolutely mandatory for one or a change in Leadership. Apparently past huddles have been repetitive and turned into a complaining session instead of something productive. At least now everyone at my store now has more of a definitive answer as to "I don't know why".

 

[StockerAce]

Thanks everyone for their Awesome feedback. I took everyone's suggestions/feedback along with some of my own ideas and presented it to the O/N ETL LOG. (Since he was there the longest) I also have a good understanding with him. Anyway he echoed exactly what @StockerAce said as to coming clean and pretty much not having the time to do so unless its absolutely mandatory for one or a change in Leadership. Apparently past huddles have been repetitive and turned into a complaining session instead of something productive. At least now everyone at my store now has more of a definitive answer as to "I don't know why".

That's too bad. While I don't think daily huddles are necessary for an 0/n team, I do think having them more often than we do would be better. We usually have about one a month on average. It's never a two way street though...the ETLs/TLs just stand at the front and tell us whatever it's about. TMs do not speak to the group, so it's a one way street.

 

[Noiinteam]

Sounds like my store, you sure you aren't from my store?

As for the topic: most TLs I interact with have an incredibly difficult time understanding how their 'great' ideas have negative impacts on other workcenters/payroll/efficiency. That only magnifies when you talk to TMs, who don't quite understand how interconnected everything in the store actually is. With that being said, we frequently challenge the team at huddle to brainstorm how they think we can be more effective. A couple suggestions have made their way into our routine.

What kind of things are TMs trying to change/complaining about?

No one is really complaining. They asked and got additional working fans in the unload area. A couple guys actually wanted to do cardboard. We always have a person from flow. Now they rotate. Give each person a break. People that want to throw truck are given a shot rather than the same people. It's smart planning to have cross trained tms cause, you know, it's flow, and sometimes flow doesn't flow all that well!

 

[60SecondsRemaining]

The easiest way I found to do this was to have a box for suggestions and to go over them at the etl meeting.

I kind of had to force my peers to listen to them, but it was a way to ensure ideas were circulated. Each month we drew one suggestion at random, good or bad, and they got a 20 dollar gift card. Before the drawing I went through and made sure each person only had one entry in the box, multiples were discarded after being discussed.