Archived failure. a random rant.

[dek067]

so i can't be too specific here. my etl forwarded me an email listing recognition for all the people captaining things, and i was not listed. we talked about all the different captainships, but he never mentioned i was going to be responsible for something.

fast forward. here i am, thinking we totally rocked out the last few weeks, my team is AMAZING, they're showing up the rest of the district, things are great. then i get pulled into the office today and he tells me i was supposed to be captaining this process for the district and never showed up basically. i told him he never said anything about it, he said he assumed i knew. i asked him why we had spoken specifically about everyone's involvement 3 or 4 times and he never said anything, or even mentioned me being involved. or why i was supposed to be communicating about it, and he heard/saw the communication, knew i was supposed to be there, but never said a word as my etl. i think that surely someone would ask why i was not there if i'm supposed to be over it. i feel as though i was set up to fail.

all i said to him today was that perhaps next time he could include me in the loop and make sure that any communication in regards to my responsibilities would be forwarded appropriately so i would know. the more i think about it, the more pissed off i get. i'm all about personal accountability. i've been on his list for a while after some nasty feedback last month (i did it in private and in a brand manner, but then he pulled me into the office with the stl who agreed with me, so he's been extra testy), so this is my own fault for provoking him. i can't say anything at work, gotta keep my head down so to speak, so thanks for reading and letting me vent

 

[invictustaylor]

I'm kind of disappointed that you can't read minds and automatically know what other people wish for you to captaineer. If I had to verbally tell you what my grandiose expectations were everytime, I'd probably be a little testy too!!! But you sound like you know where you went wrong, so while you keep your head down in the meantime, you might wanna develop pratical psychic abilities for the everyday workplace...ASAP!!!

 

[commiecorvus]

What's that line about 'the biggest problem with communication is that people assume they're doing it'?

Watch your back , it really sounds like this wasn't just a standard Spot FUBAR
From what you're saying it seems like he has good reason to leave you twisting in the wind.

And as always ranting is one of the reasons we're here (what did you think the padding on the walls was all about?).

 

[redeye58]

One of the changes (for worse) that I've realized is that ETLs more & more either set unrealistic expectations or set dedicated, hardworking TMs up to fail. I thought it was all in my head until I began seeing it happen to other long-timers, too.
Reading on here, I realize it's more wide-spread than before.
I've also seen a tactic in which ETLs foster mistrust among their TLs because it keeps them (TLs) off-balance & the ETL in control. Pretty sad.

 

[FormerSpecialist]

One of the changes (for worse) that I've realized is that ETLs more & more either set unrealistic expectations or set dedicated, hardworking TMs up to fail. I thought it was all in my head until I began seeing it happen to other long-timers, too.
Reading on here, I realize it's more wide-spread than before.
I've also seen a tactic in which ETLs foster mistrust among their TLs because it keeps them (TLs) off-balance & the ETL in control. Pretty sad.

i've seen this done first hand at my store....

 

[nib]

No surprise to me, this mimics so many similar type events I"ve heard others express, so sorry to hear you are being put through this.

so i can't be too specific here. my etl forwarded me an email listing recognition for all the people captaining things, and i was not listed. we talked about all the different captainships, but he never mentioned i was going to be responsible for something.

fast forward. here i am, thinking we totally rocked out the last few weeks, my team is AMAZING, they're showing up the rest of the district, things are great. then i get pulled into the office today and he tells me i was supposed to be captaining this process for the district and never showed up basically. i told him he never said anything about it, he said he assumed i knew. i asked him why we had spoken specifically about everyone's involvement 3 or 4 times and he never said anything, or even mentioned me being involved. or why i was supposed to be communicating about it, and he heard/saw the communication, knew i was supposed to be there, but never said a word as my etl. i think that surely someone would ask why i was not there if i'm supposed to be over it. i feel as though i was set up to fail.

all i said to him today was that perhaps next time he could include me in the loop and make sure that any communication in regards to my responsibilities would be forwarded appropriately so i would know. the more i think about it, the more pissed off i get. i'm all about personal accountability. i've been on his list for a while after some nasty feedback last month (i did it in private and in a brand manner, but then he pulled me into the office with the stl who agreed with me, so he's been extra testy), so this is my own fault for provoking him. i can't say anything at work, gotta keep my head down so to speak, so thanks for reading and letting me vent

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

One of the changes (for worse) that I've realized is that ETLs more & more either set unrealistic expectations or set dedicated, hardworking TMs up to fail. I thought it was all in my head until I began seeing it happen to other long-timers, too.
Reading on here, I realize it's more wide-spread than before.
I've also seen a tactic in which ETLs foster mistrust among their TLs because it keeps them (TLs) off-balance & the ETL in control. Pretty sad.

it is happening at my store too.

 

[invictustaylor]

it's happened at mine also. I can't say that it's going on at this moment, but something similar is but I just don't have all the facts at this time.

 

[Stuckinsoftlines]

It's not fun when you don't know what's expected of you that sucks he didn't tell you. Sounds like a tool to me.

My LOD is pretty cool I haven't expierenced anything like this from her she doesn't seem like the type but it wouldn't shock me if other etls in my store did :/

 

[Target Annie]

yeah it sucks - you aren't crazy - you are welcome to vent - it's the best therapy possible - we understand

 

[redeye58]

Just reading here & venting has kept me from going postal on many occasions.

 

[spikegrouchy]

so i can't be too specific here. my etl forwarded me an email listing recognition for all the people captaining things, and i was not listed. we talked about all the different captainships, but he never mentioned i was going to be responsible for something.

fast forward. here i am, thinking we totally rocked out the last few weeks, my team is AMAZING, they're showing up the rest of the district, things are great. then i get pulled into the office today and he tells me i was supposed to be captaining this process for the district and never showed up basically. i told him he never said anything about it, he said he assumed i knew. i asked him why we had spoken specifically about everyone's involvement 3 or 4 times and he never said anything, or even mentioned me being involved. or why i was supposed to be communicating about it, and he heard/saw the communication, knew i was supposed to be there, but never said a word as my etl. i think that surely someone would ask why i was not there if i'm supposed to be over it. i feel as though i was set up to fail.

all i said to him today was that perhaps next time he could include me in the loop and make sure that any communication in regards to my responsibilities would be forwarded appropriately so i would know. the more i think about it, the more pissed off i get. i'm all about personal accountability. i've been on his list for a while after some nasty feedback last month (i did it in private and in a brand manner, but then he pulled me into the office with the stl who agreed with me, so he's been extra testy), so this is my own fault for provoking him. i can't say anything at work, gotta keep my head down so to speak, so thanks for reading and letting me vent

At least you have your STL in your corner. Did you consider sitting down privately with him and discussing this? I realize you have to pick your battles, but....

I ran into something like this a few years ago at a former store. My ETL set me for failure with a ridiculous backroom "zoning" scheme that was mathimatically impossible to do. I guessed (correctly) that my ETL was on a Final Warning himself and figured that the STL wanted him out, so I told my STL I expected that my ETL was going to put me on a Final Warning. He told me that he couldn't do this without his approval. When my ETL told me I was going on a Final Warning...stupidly, right in front of my STL...my STL nixed it and my ETL was fired later in the week. This time my STL was on my side. Yours might be too.

Good luck.