Archived Best TL position to get into if trying to become ETL?

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I'm just curious and it seems to me like some TL positions might get you going for ETL faster than others. I feel like running a clean BR or strong electronics (HL) might get you there faster than something like pricing/presentation or gstl. Tell me if you think in totally wrong. I could be. Just looking for opinions.
 
There are going to be all sorts of opinions on this one, so here's mine. 1.) CTL and 2.) Electronics
 
You can always dated the SR ETL Merc like in our store :sarcastic:
But seriously if you want to become one you need a position that gives you exposure. If you are never working when there are visits at your store (District ,group, reg) no one that makes the decisions will notice you and you also have to get into the DTL's good grace since if you did become a ETL in the future they would be signing you off. Positions like plano, pricing ,gstl, backroom, food service tls (me) will never get as much notice as sales floor tl since during visits, at least in our group ,they are always chosen to walk in visits with the exec and visits mostly focus on presentation on the sales floor. Even with the companies focus on guest service the gstls are not really given that much respect in our group. But SRTL's are a way to go as well. I am one and I have been offered an exec-food service position but I denied it due to school.
 
Best position to become ETL?

Work part time while getting your college degree, become an executive intern, and then get ETL.

I've already gotten my degree. Started working for spot after that. So going back to do the intern position isn't possible.
 
You can always dated the SR ETL Merc like in our store :sarcastic:
But seriously if you want to become one you need a position that gives you exposure. If you are never working when there are visits at your store (District ,group, reg) no one that makes the decisions will notice you and you also have to get into the DTL's good grace since if you did become a ETL in the future they would be signing you off. Positions like plano, pricing ,gstl, backroom, food service tls (me) will never get as much notice as sales floor tl since during visits, at least in our group ,they are always chosen to walk in visits with the exec and visits mostly focus on presentation on the sales floor. Even with the companies focus on guest service the gstls are not really given that much respect in our group. But SRTL's are a way to go as well. I am one and I have been offered an exec-food service position but I denied it due to school.


Currently temporarily in a sales floor role. Trying to decide between the open gstl and BR positions or just waiting for someday for an actual sales floor position to open up.
 
I have to disagree with the comment "positions like plano, prcing, gstl, backroom tls never get as much notice as sales floor tls during visits" because when my DTL comes to visit, he does come up to us, give any tips that he can, and if we're doing a great job, asks for tips that he could pass on to other stores. I've had long conversations with both my DTL and Group Leader during visits (sometimes they have me walkied over to their location, or if I see them first, then I stop and talk to them), and they always thank me for my hard work and green scores. They are also aware of projects that I am heading up, whether I discuss it with them or my STL shares the proposal which I have given her, suggesting any new projects or captainships that I would like to take on. I think in any TL position, you can get promoted, but you have to get yourself out there and show that you can lead not just in your designated area, but others as well, and be willing to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. If you just sit back and wait while twittling your thumbs, meanwhile there's another TL who's stepping out of his/her core roles on a daily basis and stepping out during visits to talk to whoever the visitor might be, then that is the TL who will stick out in the visitor's mind and remember that TL, and not the one that just sits back doing the bare minimum (which in my store, there's quite a few of those).
 
Currently temporarily in a sales floor role. Trying to decide between the open gstl and BR positions or just waiting for someday for an actual sales floor position to open up.

My two cents: BR is the best out of those three options. You're the only leader your TMs report to (even with sales floor or cashier "alignment" your TMs are still, for practical purposes, reporting to, and being led by, the other GSTL(s)/SFTL(s)). This means that anything good or bad they do reflects on you and only you--greater risk (which shows you're comfortable with responsibility/accountability) and greater reward (the credit for your team's wins goes to no TL but you). Another benefit is that, if your schedule looks like any BR I've seen, you'll almost never work at the same time as certain of your TMs. This means that you'll have to develop--but can then showcase--your "leadership-from-a-distance" skills (planning, communication, collaboration with peers who DO work when those TMs do, etc).

Sales Floor and GSTL, at least when it comes to the ideas I've presented above, are the exact opposite.

Additionally, BR is an area where you can demonstrate your wins/effectiveness objectively through metrics. SF and GS, on the other hand, are areas where your performance is measured at least in part subjectively: how are your guest survey numbers (subjective)? How well-zoned were the two departments the DTL happened to walk through when he was shopping yesterday (subjective)? Did the STL happen to arrive to work at the very moment you had the biggest cashiering backup of the day because everyone tried to check out all at once (subjective)? You could be the greatest GSTL in the company, with conversion and speed scores to prove it, but if the DTL walks in three visits in a row between when you called for backup and when it arrived, his impression is going to be that you regularly allow the lanes to back up, and that will hurt you regardless of how sterling your numbers may be. There's no way around it.
 
It really doesn't matter what position it is IMO... It actually just depends on the store! If you want to promote, you should take whatever area is currently red in your store and spend 18 months getting it green! Make sure the area is a pretty big scope (as in Food Ave and Starbucks may have difficulty interviewing on their "big" improvements)... Whether it is GSTL and improving conversion, red card sales rates, survey scores or BR/IS improving BRLA, scans with locs, A-Markdowns with the PTM process doesn't really matter... As long as you have major contributions you can speak to that impacted the store it should work :)
 
backroom is not high exposure in our district and is a lot easier management wise than some of the other positions. go for srtl in whatever dept, preferably sf or log. otherwise your interaction with the dtl/group will be minimal.

also, don't think that just because pricing/pog/etc. are limited with interaction that they aren't noticed. great tl will stand out regardless of workcenter. we're a core training center for our district, and we get to interact with the dtl on a regular basis. also, having green scores is not the largest difference maker. there's TONS of green stores out there for each workcenter. don't think green as being most important, think "brown" (and if you've ever seen the hipo lods in our store when the dtl is there, you'll understand).
 
Best position to become ETL?

Work part time while getting your college degree, become an executive intern, and then get ETL.

I've already gotten my degree. Started working for spot after that. So going back to do the intern position isn't possible.


This is my situation. I got my degree, lost my job and was hired onto target like a year or so after graduating as a TM to get off unemployment.
 
I think Backroom, CTL and Pricing Plano would be the 3 best. I feel that a salesfloor normal TL is probably the worst choice, at least at my store. If I had to pick THE position it would be CTL because you have to interact with ALL the teams in the store on a pretty regular basis. You have to deal with Vendors, tons of extra projects you can take on, lots of scores to keep track of. Have to manage your team effectively while not working with them most times and have a LOT of responsibility.

If you can OBV any SR TL position would be best suited to be ETL. I would seriously doubt they would promote just a TL to ETL and it seems more likely they would promote that TL to a Senior before moving them on to ETL so they get more of that LOD ETL experience
 
APL or APTL They do almost the same things as ETL-AP. They get noticed during visits since they lead the AP department, it is a challenge
 
I think Backroom, CTL and Pricing Plano would be the 3 best. I feel that a salesfloor normal TL is probably the worst choice, at least at my store. If I had to pick THE position it would be CTL because you have to interact with ALL the teams in the store on a pretty regular basis. You have to deal with Vendors, tons of extra projects you can take on, lots of scores to keep track of. Have to manage your team effectively while not working with them most times and have a LOT of responsibility.

If you can OBV any SR TL position would be best suited to be ETL. I would seriously doubt they would promote just a TL to ETL and it seems more likely they would promote that TL to a Senior before moving them on to ETL so they get more of that LOD ETL experience

Sorry, but I disagree that CTL would be the best, just because you say they interact with ALL of the teams. The global scope isn't there. I can understand that you feel this way because you work in perishables, and everyone thinks that their area is the most important and high scope. I'm not saying that perishables is not important, but can you really give an example of how processes in perishables can be improved to drive results in Softlines or Electronics?
 
I think Backroom, CTL and Pricing Plano would be the 3 best. I feel that a salesfloor normal TL is probably the worst choice, at least at my store. If I had to pick THE position it would be CTL because you have to interact with ALL the teams in the store on a pretty regular basis. You have to deal with Vendors, tons of extra projects you can take on, lots of scores to keep track of. Have to manage your team effectively while not working with them most times and have a LOT of responsibility.

If you can OBV any SR TL position would be best suited to be ETL. I would seriously doubt they would promote just a TL to ETL and it seems more likely they would promote that TL to a Senior before moving them on to ETL so they get more of that LOD ETL experience

Sorry, but I disagree that CTL would be the best, just because you say they interact with ALL of the teams. The global scope isn't there. I can understand that you feel this way because you work in perishables, and everyone thinks that their area is the most important and high scope. I'm not saying that perishables is not important, but can you really give an example of how processes in perishables can be improved to drive results in Softlines or Electronics?

Ok well most TL positions arent totally global. Does softlines or electronics pair with Starbucks, Food Ave, eachother, or Pfresh, NO. Now that I come to think of a CTL should techincally be aware of infant hardlines and baby food and formula so they do at least have something they can be involved in that relates to the "softlines" area of the store

I can tell you just as a pfresh assistant I constantly work with Receiving, Backroom, Signing, Front End/Guest Service, Plano, Instocks, and Hardlines Salesfloor. Occasionally partner with Starbucks, Food Ave, the SFT, AP and Plano. Then there are Vendors outside of the stores direct control that you have to work with and manage. I dont mean to pump it up because I work in that workcenter I just see first hand alot of the interactions with most of the store that takes place on a day to day basis and imo if your CTL does both pfresh and dry market that is a crap load of work to handle.

Also not to mention that the LODS do a daily walk through your area twice a day and you have a lot of metrics and scores to go off of.
 
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At my store in particular, GSTL is the golden-child position for this sort of thing. In the backroom, at my store, we're the uncouth slime that almost burns the place down to the ground everyday.
 
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