Archived Coaching for call outs

[Bosch]

Well forgot to mention that being late, by more than 5 minutes would be a half a point violation

Null and void if they could actually open a door in the morning on time. But it takes a while to walk from inside the trailer to the front door.

 

[graffiti]

Well forgot to mention that being late, by more than 5 minutes would be a half a point violation

My store is dumb and counts being 6 minutes late the same way they do an absence. So a lot of the kids who sleep through their alarms end up just calling out because they're already getting knocked for it. 🤷‍♀️

 

[60SecondsRemaining]

All I said is I’m consistent with my team and help them when I can 😂 not sure how that means I drink a ton of koolaid. Sure I like my job and plan to be here for a while but not sure how you got that from this thread. Also the coach every call out isn’t my rule it’s my SDs and ETL HR. I’m not going to be coached because I didn’t have a simple conversation about why someone called out, it doesn’t hurt anyone and protects myself and target as a whole. I’m one of the nicer TLs in my store and definitely give a crap about my team. I don’t think holding people accountable is something someone should get upset about. The whole point of the conversations is to understand what’s going on. For the 28743874th time I’m not having these conversations to punish these TMs. I’m trying to help them

I got it from the verbiage you use, and that you tend to reason with the word I, and not "my team" or "they".

Your reasoning and how you feel about it is 100% irrelevant. How your team perceives it is what is relevant. Being able to communicate to each individual in a way that they understand is key to being a good leader. Applying the same reasoning and approach across the board is consistent, but also hamfisted. There's zero finesse involved.

It's clear from your words that you view things from a singular perspective, yours. I'm just cautioning you to take a second to think that there may be other perspectives. Like I said, I've been there, I recognize it.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

As someone who rarely calls out, I would be pissed if a leader had a conversation with me about my absence. We have sick hours in my state and they are there for my use. Most of the time I am maxed out with sick hours. Address the issue with those who constantly call out. It’s not my fault that the company gives such few hours. Often, because I am always there I am the one picking up the slack for the constant abusers.

 

[REDcardJJ]

yall are really out here getting salty with a TL who is being forced to have these conversations when it’s really coming from much higher up?

part of the issue here is you all are assuming that coaching is inherently a bad thing, which it’s not. setting a standard and upholding it is how you keep your team from falling apart. if i coach john for attendance but not jane, that isn’t fair. if you have a health condition or special circumstances, i can get the resources you need to keep your job safe. but i have to talk to you to get that information. i haven’t been crosstrained on mind reading yet.

 

[Tessa120]

For those who claim it's seeking to understand, quit the crap. That is always a lie, always said by managers wanting to smokescreen the punishment/corrective action. Y'all dont really care, if you did it would be documented negative corrective action.

And just remember that FMLA doesn't cover everyone. Less than one year or less than a certain amount of hours per week, you're SOL. Jim and Jane could have the same problem, but if Jim has been there two years and Jane 10 months, sucks their illnesses are treated completely differently by the quick to coach. And the $15 followed by low hours, pretty soon no one can get an intermittent LOA.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

For those who claim it's seeking to understand, quit the crap. That is always a lie, always said by managers wanting to smokescreen the punishment/corrective action.

^This! These seek to understand conversations are documented coachings that are used to build evidence for putting people on CCAs. People who are constantly being coached by their TL/ETL will not trust that leader enough to tell them the truth about anything, including, maybe especially, why they called out. When the TL asks the TM why they called out, does anyone really expect the TM to reply “Well, I said I was sick when I called out but actually I went to the ball game/ didn’t have a babysitter/was sick of going to work/didn’t want to close on the weekend/or whatever other reason caused them to call out”, because no TM is going to say that, ever. The result of the seek to understand conversation is that the TM is upset and probably thinks their TL is being an asshat, the TL understands exactly what they understood before the conversation, that the TM called out sick and nothing more, but they have now have that all important documentation of a coaching to build up for a CCA later. ASANTS, but in my experience, when a leader says “ I’m just trying to help you” they are helping you out the door. Sometimes less really is more. Coach less and your team might trust you enough to tell you what is going on with them, to everyone’s benefit.

 

[REDcardJJ]

^This! These seek to understand conversations are documented coachings that are used to build evidence for putting people on CCAs. People who are constantly being coached by their TL/ETL will not trust that leader enough to tell them the truth about anything, including, maybe especially, why they called out. When the TL asks the TM why they called out, does anyone really expect the TM to reply “Well, I said I was sick when I called out but actually I went to the ball game/ didn’t have a babysitter/was sick of going to work/didn’t want to close on the weekend/or whatever other reason caused them to call out”, because no TM is going to say that, ever. The result of the seek to understand conversation is that the TM is upset and probably thinks their TL is being an asshat, the TL understands exactly what they understood before the conversation, that the TM called out sick and nothing more, but they have now have that all important documentation of a coaching to build up for a CCA later. ASANTS, but in my experience, when a leader says “ I’m just trying to help you” they are helping you out the door. Sometimes less really is more. Coach less and your team might trust you enough to tell you what is going on with them, to everyone’s benefit.

i never actually say “i’m coaching you” and i don’t know any leader who does unless it’s near/at CCA level. i ask them about what happened, and depending on that i dig deeper to find out what’s going on. if they’re sick, i let them know about resources that could be available if it’s an ongoing issue. if they couldn’t work a specific day, i remind them about the swap shift board.

these conversations are for the team member’s benefit, not mine.

if you call in once a month that’s 12 times a year, which is actually absurd with no context about the specific situations.

 

[graffiti]

if i coach john for attendance but not jane, that isn’t fair.

I think the problem is, much like other things happening currently, stores take a one-size-fits-all approach to these things to be "fair" but pay no attention to trends and special circumstances. For instance, my store allows one absence/tardy per rolling month and like clockwork we have a TM who'll call out the first Saturday each month that keeps them out of that window. But then we had a TM who hadn't called out in over a year get the flu and couldn't come in 3 days in a row. (Not in a sick hours state.) Guess who got coached.

I wish management was allowed to manage instead of just follow the script set forth. Why pay people to be walking memoboards instead of using their judgment and experience to better their teams?

 

[REDcardJJ]

I think the problem is, much like other things happening currently, stores take a one-size-fits-all approach to these things to be "fair" but pay no attention to trends and special circumstances. For instance, my store allows one absence/tardy per rolling month and like clockwork we have a TM who'll call out the first Saturday each month that keeps them out of that window. But then we had a TM who hadn't called out in over a year get the flu and couldn't come in 3 days in a row. (Not in a sick hours state.) Guess who got coached.

I wish management was allowed to manage instead of just follow the script set forth. Why pay people to be walking memoboards instead of using their judgment and experience to better their teams?

but by coaching for every instance, the person who is calling in once a month would already be on a corrective action whereas i'd be able to just seek-to-understand with the person who got the flu. even though it was 3 days in a row, it'd only be one coaching

 

[Times Up]

but by coaching for every instance, the person who is calling in once a month would already be on a corrective action whereas i'd be able to just seek-to-understand with the person who got the flu. even though it was 3 days in a row, it'd only be one coaching

Why in the world is it necessary to "coach" someone who had the flu? What is it that a TL is seeking to understand when someone is out ill? It's like Spot doesn't trust TLs to actually think and try to assess the situation. If someone comes back looking like crap, yup, they had the flu.

I get that you're doing your job by following Target's script. You want your paycheck so you're obligated to drink the Kool-Aid. But you don't need to drink the Kool-Aid off the clock.

 

[REDcardJJ]

Why in the world is it necessary to "coach" someone who had the flu? What is it that a TL is seeking to understand when someone is out ill? It's like Spot doesn't trust TLs to actually think and try to assess the situation. If someone comes back looking like crap, yup, they had the flu.

I get that you're doing your job by following Target's script. You want your paycheck so you're obligated to drink the Kool-Aid. But you don't need to drink the Kool-Aid off the clock.

do you have to be so condescending? do my job for a month and see how your point of view changes. i was a team member for two years and i was internally promoted from the front end to SETL, so i know exactly how things look from a team member's perspective.

 

[Times Up]

do you have to be so condescending? do

Kettle calling the pot black.

 

[REDcardJJ]

Kettle calling the pot black.

k

 

[happygoth]

I was a manager at my old company, promoted from within, and now a regular TM at Target. I feel that if someone usually has great attendance and they call out, then nothing needs to be said beyond "glad you're feeling better" or "hope everything's ok" when they return. "Reminding" them that attendance is important is condescending and a bit insulting. The TM who's calling out just past the rolling month? Yeah, they need a reminder. The one who hadn't called out in over a year? Nope.

And that rolling one-month policy is too generous.

 

[CTL]

I think there has been a negative connotation attached to the word “coaching“. I think a lot of leaders make it seem like it’s something bad, but it can be used as a way to help team members as well. And just because it is documented in Workday doesn’t mean something the conversation was bad. It should literally be used to help leaders track trends, and that is the sole purpose. And it can help come review time so leaders can easily reflect back on both positive and negative things that may have come up.

 

[Panna Jotts]

I think there has been a negative connotation attached to the word “coaching“. I think a lot of leaders make it seem like it’s something bad, but it can be used as a way to help team members as well. And just because it is documented in Workday doesn’t mean something the conversation was bad. It should literally be used to help leaders track trends, and that is the sole purpose. And it can help come review time so leaders can easily reflect back on both positive and negative things that may have come up.

Thank you. This is exactly how I feel about coachings. It isn't me trying to catch you in a "ha ha got you!" moment, it's literally a tool to help track how the team is doing.

And to address another point, even if a TM is too new and not eligible for intermittent LOA, there are other things we can discuss. Maybe they need shorter shifts, or a stool at their lane, or literally any accommodation that I can reasonably provide. If they're afraid to ask, or don't know what's available to them, how are they going to be accommodated if we don't follow up with them? Seek to understand/coaching conversations sound vastly different than people tend to expect. It isn't like a coaching has to be about consequences, or warning about CCA. It literally can be something as simple as, "Let me know what you need to do your job".

 

[Frontlanegirl]

but by coaching for every instance, the person who is calling in once a month would already be on a corrective action whereas i'd be able to just seek-to-understand with the person who got the flu. even though it was 3 days in a row, it'd only be one coaching

What is there to seek to understand? It is the flu and it’s contagious. More than likely it was given to them by a guest.

 

[Antennae]

I think there has been a negative connotation attached to the word “coaching“. I think a lot of leaders make it seem like it’s something bad, but it can be used as a way to help team members as well. And just because it is documented in Workday doesn’t mean something the conversation was bad. It should literally be used to help leaders track trends, and that is the sole purpose. And it can help come review time so leaders can easily reflect back on both positive and negative things that may have come up.

There has been a negative connotation attached to the word because more often than not the ~~~coaching~~~ done is negative for most people. I know wahwahwah it's box retail! and all that, but it truly does seem like most TL/ETL do coachings because they have to for correcting behavior. It's never a positive thing that a TL/ETL makes time to do for TMs since there is no more time for things like that.

And no, saying "GoOd JoB oN yOuR <insert basic job task here>" is a positive coaching. Fuck you if you think that, that is not what the word means.

 

[happygoth]

Thank you. This is exactly how I feel about coachings. It isn't me trying to catch you in a "ha ha got you!" moment, it's literally a tool to help track how the team is doing.

And to address another point, even if a TM is too new and not eligible for intermittent LOA, there are other things we can discuss. Maybe they need shorter shifts, or a stool at their lane, or literally any accommodation that I can reasonably provide. If they're afraid to ask, or don't know what's available to them, how are they going to be accommodated if we don't follow up with them? Seek to understand/coaching conversations sound vastly different than people tend to expect. It isn't like a coaching has to be about consequences, or warning about CCA. It literally can be something as simple as, "Let me know what you need to do your job".

All of that is fine for a TM who has exhibited behavior that may need to be addressed. A TM who has not called out for a very long time does not need to be reminded that attendance is important. They have already demonstrated that they know this and have proven themselves reliable.

 

[Panna Jotts]

All of that is fine for a TM who has exhibited behavior that may need to be addressed. A TM who has not called out for a very long time does not need to be reminded that attendance is important. They have already demonstrated that they know this and have proven themselves reliable.

TMs who have been reliable can slip, too. And how do we know if a pattern is starting to develop? We look at how many conversations have been had before. If there's zero, or one from last year and now one this year, great. Won't be moving to a CCA any time soon. Suddenly they have 5 more in two months? Maybe it's time to warn them of what's to come. We're talking from two totally different perspectives here. I was also a TM for about 3 years before promoting, I understand what you're saying first hand. However, asking my TM "hey, what happened yesterday?", especially if I'm not the one who took the callout, doesn't make me a villain.

 

[graffiti]

but by coaching for every instance, the person who is calling in once a month would already be on a corrective action whereas i'd be able to just seek-to-understand with the person who got the flu. even though it was 3 days in a row, it'd only be one coaching

But how can the rolling month TM be on a CA if their absences are falling within the set guidelines? That's the whole point of making those rules, right?

Anyway, I'll just say my first and only callout with Target happened after 5 years of working there and was for a non-illness related emergency. If they had called me into the office for it they just would have had me crying at their desk for an hour (and then quitting because no one is allowed to see me cry ok) so I'm glad they saw the bigger trend of my performance and knew it must have been for something important if I called out.

 

[happygoth]

TMs who have been reliable can slip, too. And how do we know if a pattern is starting to develop? We look at how many conversations have been had before. If there's zero, or one from last year and now one this year, great. Won't be moving to a CCA any time soon. Suddenly they have 5 more in two months? Maybe it's time to warn them of what's to come. We're talking from two totally different perspectives here. I was also a TM for about 3 years before promoting, I understand what you're saying first hand. However, asking my TM "hey, what happened yesterday?", especially if I'm not the one who took the callout, doesn't make me a villain.

There's a huge difference between asking someone if everything's ok when you see them in passing and calling them into the office to remind them that attendance is important. Only the former should be done to otherwise good, reliable people who find themselves needing to call out. Methodology and verbiage of "seeking to understand" should be adjusted on a case by case basis. It was the comment that a TL would "remind" a TM who rarely calls out about the importance of attendance that really sticks in my craw.

 

[Panna Jotts]

There's a huge difference between asking someone if everything's ok when you see them in passing and calling them into the office to remind them that attendance is important. Only the former should be done to otherwise good, reliable people who find themselves needing to call out. Methodology and verbiage of "seeking to understand" should be adjusted on a case by case basis. It was the comment that a TL would "remind" a TM who rarely calls out about the importance of attendance that really sticks in my craw.

Maybe that’s the disconnect here then. Not every coaching is behind closed doors and serious. I agree that it would be egregious to have one of those every time someone called out.

 

[Endlessbackstock]

Null and void if they could actually open a door in the morning on time. But it takes a while to walk from inside the trailer to the front door.

That’s the current culture I suppose...people who are in charge of OPENING A STORE can’t get there on time??? WTF!!