Archived Contribution for new GSTL

[Wildfirez]

Hey there,

I was wondering if anyone has any good examples or suggestions for what I could do for my contribution. I am a new GSTL and it is due friday to my ETL. I haven't coached anyone yet because I just finished my training last week and I will probably use my 2 NA as development instead of performance because of this reason. Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[MrGSTLman]

Needs Attention is for a team member who you think could benefit from some more training, a little guidance, etc. It doesn't necessarily mean bad performer. Although most seasoned TLs use it as that because before the classification was known as "Bottom Performer." Some examples may be a cashier who may not be great with RedCards-- they may need a little guidance on how to ask, or maybe they need to be coached because they are NOT asking. Another example is a Cart Attendant who may be struggling with time management. You may want to set up a routine for them. It could also be a Service Desk TM who may not know everything about the workcenter. It depends...

Don't get me wrong, they CAN be used for a problem performer, as well. My only advice on that front is if there IS a problem performer, deal with it quickly, that way they are not a repeat offender.

Not sure if any of those examples are for things you are currently dealing with, but those are some situations I have run into in my 2+ years as GSTL.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Hey red, sun, & rock, are your ears on?

 

[redeye58]

Since I was only a GSA, please give me the guidelines on "contribution" so I can put it in context.

 

[Ajax11]

Contribution is done monthly by the TLs at one of the TL meetings.

You choose one "Top Performer" and one to two "needs attention". Then the TLs will vote on which of the nominees for top performer becomes the great team hero of the month.

As has already been said the needs attention can either be due to additional training needs or someone needing coaching / corrective action.

 

[StaticSun]

Since I was only a GSA, please give me the guidelines on "contribution" so I can put it in context.

Only a GSA, still learning GSTL paperwork!

 

[StateofTarget]

Hey there,

I was wondering if anyone has any good examples or suggestions for what I could do for my contribution. I am a new GSTL and it is due friday to my ETL. I haven't coached anyone yet because I just finished my training last week and I will probably use my 2 NA as development instead of performance because of this reason. Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!

Wow, as a former TL let me tell you the first mistake you just made that most TLs find out the hard way.

Do not coach TMs right after you promote!!!!!!!!!!! You sound almost like you are eager to do so, and haven't been able to yet because of training.

I can tell you right now if you go in during your first few weeks and start coaching you are going to have most of your team turn on you. They may not do it to your face, but behind your back they will have lost all respect for you pretty much from day one. This means you will be dealing with angry TMs who do sh** to make your life hard, be it intentionally not asking for red cards when you are gone or anything else they can get away with. (and FYI as a former TL - don't think they will only be hurting themselves, because the ETLs will be coming for your ass first before they do any TMs)

If you absolutely "need" to coach anyone, you get another GSTL to do it or if you are a low volume store you partner with the ETL-GE while you do it. Because these are established leaders that are doing the coaching TMs see it as being legit. New guy that just walked in the door and hasn't even proven himself as a leader in the building yet coaching people as his first order of business? You are going to get a lot of hate and disrespect. Nothing is worse than being a TL that every TM talks trash about behind your back, and that is exactly what it looks like you are asking for.... Don't think it matters? Just wait until the front end goes to hell on your watch because your team has lost respect for you from day one and your job is suddenly on the line with the ETLs.... At that point, it is not an easy situation to fix. You can lose respect a lot faster than you can earn it. Remember that.

 

[RedDog]

Wow, as a former TL let me tell you the first mistake you just made that most TLs find out the hard way.

Do not coach TMs right after you promote!!!!!!!!!!! You sound almost like you are eager to do so, and haven't been able to yet because of training.

I can tell you right now if you go in during your first few weeks and start coaching you are going to have most of your team turn on you. They may not do it to your face, but behind your back they will have lost all respect for you pretty much from day one. This means you will be dealing with angry TMs who do sh** to make your life hard, be it intentionally not asking for red cards when you are gone or anything else they can get away with. (and FYI as a former TL - don't think they will only be hurting themselves, because the ETLs will be coming for your ass first before they do any TMs)

If you absolutely "need" to coach anyone, you get another GSTL to do it or if you are a low volume store you partner with the ETL-GE while you do it. Because these are established leaders that are doing the coaching TMs see it as being legit. New guy that just walked in the door and hasn't even proven himself as a leader in the building yet coaching people as his first order of business? You are going to get a lot of hate and disrespect. Nothing is worse than being a TL that every TM talks trash about behind your back, and that is exactly what it looks like you are asking for.... Don't think it matters? Just wait until the front end goes to hell on your watch because your team has lost respect for you from day one and your job is suddenly on the line with the ETLs.... At that point, it is not an easy situation to fix. You can lose respect a lot faster than you can earn it. Remember that.

Things have changed they want you turning in coachings all the time for anything now. If you go a week without coachings they coach you. No joke. Coachings are the new Great Team Card, they check in visits and your HR better have a ton. Its all become very silly and a waste of time.

 

[StateofTarget]

Things have changed they want you turning in coachings all the time for anything now. If you go a week without coachings they coach you. No joke. Coachings are the new Great Team Card, they check in visits and your HR better have a ton. Its all become very silly and a waste of time.

WTF? Are you kidding??? Please give me the details. I missed out on this before I left the company apparently.

 

[The Mule]

Things have changed they want you turning in coachings all the time for anything now. If you go a week without coachings they coach you. No joke. Coachings are the new Great Team Card, they check in visits and your HR better have a ton. Its all become very silly and a waste of time.

So... they rate the productivity of the store by the number of people screwing up? The worse the better? That's a new one...

 

[ptl]

Then the TLs will vote on which of the nominees for top performer becomes the great team hero of the month.

Hahaha. Sure we do. Suuuuure we do.

(Never had a "vote" for GTH in the five+ years I've been a TL. I'm sure some stores might do it that way, but at my stores it's been 100% ETL-decided. In fact, it's probably only even been someone who was a top performer at that month's TL meeting maaaaybe twice a year or so on average. To be fair, though, we're a C volume store so our TL meetings aren't all that big. Not a lot of nominees each month if you just pick from our top performers. Also, while we have crazy TL turnover, our TM turnover is very low and we tend to end up naming the same top performers repeatedly because so many of the TMs are just so good after ten-fifteen-twenty years. It would do the team no good to see the same people getting GTH over and over again.)

 

[Rock Lobster]

I personally didn't do coachings for my first 30 days in role (along with not making any changes)... My first contribution meeting was just a top performer and no needs attentions! It truthfully helps you build relationships with the team and gain their buy-in before you start any type of performance management! If your ETL is really pushing for you to do that (challenge them about why you might not want to do that)... then have someone help you do a coaching on attendance! Those ones are really easy because most people can't argue if they missed a ton of work! If you can't find two for attendance, you could also do some on conversion! These are tougher to do and you need to make the first one "light"... I generally compare them with a seek to understand, explain their conversion number and why its red and ask them why it would be like that! Ask them what you can do to help them improve because having a green conversion is part of their core roles and needs to be accomplished! Don't bring up the CA step unless you get to a second coaching with them if they have made no improvements!

 

[walruses]

I shared my contribution with my fellow TL for the first month I was a TL. Like Rock Lobster, I didn't coach anyone until I felt my team had gotten to know me as a leader. We were specifically told not to use our Needs Attention for development because "it makes it sound like all your team members are awesome and there isn't anything wrong with any of them".

 

[Wildfirez]

Wow, as a former TL let me tell you the first mistake you just made that most TLs find out the hard way.

Do not coach TMs right after you promote!!!!!!!!!!! You sound almost like you are eager to do so, and haven't been able to yet because of training.

I can tell you right now if you go in during your first few weeks and start coaching you are going to have most of your team turn on you. They may not do it to your face, but behind your back they will have lost all respect for you pretty much from day one. This means you will be dealing with angry TMs who do sh** to make your life hard, be it intentionally not asking for red cards when you are gone or anything else they can get away with. (and FYI as a former TL - don't think they will only be hurting themselves, because the ETLs will be coming for your ass first before they do any TMs)

If you absolutely "need" to coach anyone, you get another GSTL to do it or if you are a low volume store you partner with the ETL-GE while you do it. Because these are established leaders that are doing the coaching TMs see it as being legit. New guy that just walked in the door and hasn't even proven himself as a leader in the building yet coaching people as his first order of business? You are going to get a lot of hate and disrespect. Nothing is worse than being a TL that every TM talks trash about behind your back, and that is exactly what it looks like you are asking for.... Don't think it matters? Just wait until the front end goes to hell on your watch because your team has lost respect for you from day one and your job is suddenly on the line with the ETLs.... At that point, it is not an easy situation to fix. You can lose respect a lot faster than you can earn it. Remember that.

I have not coached anyone. I was a GSA for awhile so I know most of my team pretty well but I'm leaving the coaching and CCA to the other GSTL for now. Right now I'm just trying to figure out how best to manage my time and paperwork and how to effectively accomplish it. That's why I was asking the best way to go about doing contribution.

 

[Rock Lobster]

I have not coached anyone. I was a GSA for awhile so I know most of my team pretty well but I'm leaving the coaching and CCA to the other GSTL for now. Right now I'm just trying to figure out how best to manage my time and paperwork and how to effectively accomplish it. That's why I was asking the best way to go about doing contribution.

I would turn it into a training for yourself? Maybe have the other GSTL do two coachings (not his contribution ones, but two more for you) that you can just shadow in? You can say your needs attentions were those two and you AND the other GSTL coached them for your development?

 

[Wildfirez]

I would turn it into a training for yourself? Maybe have the other GSTL do two coachings (not his contribution ones, but two more for you) that you can just shadow in? You can say your needs attentions were those two and you AND the other GSTL coached them for your development?

That would be really nice but unfortunately the other GSTL is on opposite times so we see each other for maybe a few hours a week.

 

[Fast Service Needed In]

As has already been said the needs attention can either be due to additional training needs or someone needing coaching / corrective action.

My store's new HR told us that Needs Attention had to be people with performance issues (coaching) and not development (training). Our team alignment has been around a long time and I have improved/gotten rid of any true bottom performers from my team. I get to coach good team members to make her happy, yay~..!