Archived Had my first chat session today

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Everything went fine except for when HR and the GSTL would give us a chance to ask questions noone would say anything. This led to an awkward silence until HR figured out the next question to say. This happened twice until finally I opened up about a potential safety risk. Of course when I brought this up all of the team members were in agreement with me. The entire rest of the time I was pretty much the only person speaking up in the session. Kind of sucks because I am an alpha personality and I just like people.
We did not get any bad marks or anything they were pretty much just trying to gauge who all was ready to start cross training from the flow team.


Afterwards, I kind of noticed my team members were more comfortable around me but I did still seem to pick up on a little hesitance that wasn't there before. I'm not sure what that was about.

And at the end of the day on my way to get clocked out I end up having to assist a guest. Can somebody tell me why one of my fellow new hire tm's and my flow team tl were standing at the end of the aisle cracking jokes?
I looked at it like the tm was kind of mad because a few of us were recognized by name in the chat session and noone mentioned this particular tm...at all.
Im not all about stealing someone's thunder or anything like that I'm just a people person that likes to be busy at work. The funny thing is that when i went to go and get the guest a replacement for a broken item the tl even asked me what I was doing with this silly grin on his face. My reply was, "Im just doing what the orientation video told me to do and making myself available to the guest". Of course he had no reply


What is the deal? Was I wrong for helping the guest or what?
 
I usually attend chat sessions. The last 2 sessions have pretty much been "by invitation only". This has made a few tm's that are used to attending the sessions a bit unhappy. Is this a new directive or just something that is being done at our store?
 
I have the same thing happening to me when I am in chat sessions. When I am at sessions I seem to be one of the only ones voicing opinion and raising concerns. Our STL one time asked on a level of 1-10 how do you feel valued as a team member and everyone except me and a TM from softlines(I was honestly surprised she spoke up) gave a good score and we both said about 3-4 when the STL asked us why we both agreed a big part of it is that it s hard to feel valued when we don't even receive the help(staffing) we need to get a decent zone done each night in addition to the ever shrinking supply of equipment. After the last couple other chat sessions I voiced my opinion/criticism(not rudely I gave reasonable explanations) I haven't been inviteed back to one. I guess they like people who just sit there shut-up and view the store/company through rose colored glasses.

I think most people are afraid of retaliation if they question or criticize a policy. I know there has been some slight retaliation with me apparently I am labeled as being "too negative" but I don't mind it, at least I know I'm not a Corporate robot or someone who doesn't value their personal beliefs. If they think I am too negative than I'd like to see what they'ed label someone who complains and criticizes but doesn't explain their reason behind it.
 
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Our chat sessions are always random. To me they are useless. No one says anything because they don't want anything coming back on them. They say that they are anonymous, but they never are. I have not seen much come from chat sessions even though they say they will try to improve on some of the topics brought up.
 
And at the end of the day on my way to get clocked out I end up having to assist a guest. Can somebody tell me why one of my fellow new hire tm's and my flow team tl were standing at the end of the aisle cracking jokes?

It sounds like they were acting like human beings.
 
They stopped inviting me to chats when I pointed out issues that hadn't been fixed/addressed since the LAST chat.
 
Everyone is invited to chat sessions

If your ETL-HR is excluding you, contact your STL or Integrity
 
It's sort of funny - I didn't realize that participants were being "invited" so when I heard they were going on I thought I hadn't heard the announcement and just went to it. I wondered why I got the fish eye when I sat down! I have always attended, find them beneficial on a personal growth level and am an active participant. I don't look at them as being a time to be critical, necessarily, but as a time to share concerns, solutions, ask questions AND to give recognition.
 
I don't know if I was banned but after doing a rather long riff on respect and stepping out of their little 'Glee' world they haven't invited me back.
 
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You can't be banned from the chat sessions... They are open to everyone
 
I was scheduled during my chat session, coverage was not offered. Later I asked about the results and was told "recognition is the focus" and that was it. I was always an honest person, very critical, but I offered ways to fix problems that was in line with corporates vision, practicality, and simple to implement. Basically, like others have said, You're either a mindless cheerleader or you're out. (at most stores)
 
When front end had our chat session (was in the AM hours before rush), every TM and TL/ETL in the building (well not EVERY :lol2: ) came up to cover checklanes + guest service/photo while EVERYONE present got to attend. We did have multiple chat sessions for Front End as well to make sure almost everyone could attend. Everyone who couldn't make it was encouraged to speak with ETL-HR or our STL to discuss any concerns or receive results.

I wouldn't say a lot of people trust our ETL-HR (he/she is newer), but IMO a lot of the major grievances we've had on the front end have been been made amends to. The public session I attended there was a lot of good points made, but at the end everyone ended up grilling a particular TL we have and a lot of people were getting personal and not backing up their problems with this particular person using examples.. Ended up turning into a witch-hunt and our chat session ended a bit early. I actually talked with my ETL-HR afterwards, and gave some more concrete examples on why people were frustrated with a particular TL (people had valid reasons for disliking him/her), and I felt like its made the situation a lot better without having to fire the TL. I also seized this opportunity to recognize some of my fellow TMs, and a few of the TLs that I thought were doing a great job.

If you want to be taken seriously, be sure to explain your opinions with detail when possible, and avoid going on a personal vendetta against any one person that you don't like. Instead focus on what can change to make things improve, and make your Target a better place. If you go on a mindless rant, your arguments won't hold as much weight compared to the person who articulates their argument carefully.
 
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That's how it SHOULD be but, sadly, not at my store (or others as well I suspect).
 
We haven't had chat sessions in ages. They stopped maybe a year ago or at least that's what our store did.
 
I have not attended one in two years. They told us that they were going to do one on one's and that they would replace the chat sessions. It has not happened yet.
 
Everyone is invited to chat sessions

If your ETL-HR is excluding you, contact your STL or Integrity

Interesting. Everytime I was to a chat session I would hear whoever was running it going through a list of people to invite to attend.


I haven't been to one since summer of 2010 and eveverytime I ask when the next one is I get no answer. I can't even check on the board on the back because the chat session things get put up a least a month late if they are put up at all and it is usually after the chat session for that month has happened.
 
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If you want to be taken seriously, be sure to explain your opinions with detail when possible, and avoid going on a personal vendetta against any one person that you don't like. Instead focus on what can change to make things improve, and make your Target a better place. If you go on a mindless rant, your arguments won't hold as much weight compared to the person who articulates their argument carefully.

If only it worked that way...(at least at my store)
 
We have the walking chats ab once a month and tms and tls from all workcenters are involved. Our HR then gives feedback to tls, srtls and execs and we integrate them with our team commitments and tls talk ab them with the tms on their team from the alignment we have. We have had our tms aligned under tls for almost 2 years so its easy to do
 
every store is sposed to have chat sessions for results of the team survey taken in spring
 
I haven't attended a chat session in several years. There's a list posted near the time clock of those invited and the time. It is also noted those people need to work their lunches around that time. When I did attend, I was one of those that voiced concerns about topics I often heard others discuss during our shift as well as concerns of mine. As a general rule most others were quiet until I got the ball start rolling. Don't know why I haven't been invited.

I was off when they had the best team survey chat and have no idea what our scores were on it. It seems communication is often an issue between what's happening in the store and info being shared with ON flow/backroom TMs.
 
I've seen postings for chat sessions that already occured & I wasn't invited. Haven't been invited to one in 2-3 yrs.
 
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