Archived Hardlines Team Leader

[flowerpower]

Hello everyone,

I was recently promoted to HL as team leader. I have a general knowledge of the sales floor, know how to cover GSTL, pull batches, set POGS, etc. I trained at another store and feel like my training wasn't anything mind blowing. I know I have to stay on top of my sales planners, decode, clearance, new sets, attendance etc. It's a bit intimidating starting during 4th quarter and my Hardlines ETL is straight out of business school so I know more than him lol. Sadly, I can't go to him for help. Can I get any pointers on how I should run a smooth department? When I don't have a TLOD shift how should my day look like? I know I have to check the closing email from the night before, address any issues on there, read redwire and merch update. After that is where I I get lost. My boss doesn't really have any projects for me so I make up my day with my routines, correct? I guess I would love to read other people's breakdown, how you start and end your day. I am in charge of Cosmetics as well. I would appreciate any tips, thank you!

 

[LaTarjetaRoja]

I am not a TL, but if you were a new TL in my store I would tell you this: herd your cats. We have some TMs who will clock in and just sort of meander around the store until someone checks up on them and gives them a task. Know who is coming in, when their shifts start, and call for them on walkie if you haven't seen them a minute or two after their shift starts.

 

[Jersey856]

Love that you said "herd your cats" so freakin true.

 

[p90x160]

I too am a new HL TL. I don't mean to hijack the thread but if other HL TLs could talk about how their week or days go it would help me too.

I'm usually the only one in HL and have to do the abandons, pulls, call boxes, fast service, cover elec breaks, and help with carry outs (no cart attendant until noon or sometimes later). Some days I have a mid with me or on non truck days we have a TM scheduled to do pulls until 11. I feel like I'm always on a task and I have no time to think or work on my own projects.

 

[Him]

I used to be a TL so first off congratulations. You have the basics down as how you were trained. Best advice would be to communicate not only to your team but to your peers and leadership team as well. A lot of problems occur across the board because of that. If you need help, ask either your peers for help. Some days you might be stretched so thin, you won’t know what to do.. (call outs, equipment malfunctions, crazy guests, etc.) those are what will separate your longevity as an effective leader. Don’t be afraid to try new things. What might have worked for another leader might not work for you and vice versa. See what works in regards to your team and gets you the best results. Also, try to have a life OUTSIDE of Spot. When certain people become leaders, they “forget” their human and give their SOUL to work. Enjoy your life. Good luck!!

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

With end to end madness, there will be days of just you, beauty & electronics on the floor. Hang in there!

 

[Flow Warrior]

I am not a TL, but if you were a new TL in my store I would tell you this: herd your cats. We have some TMs who will clock in and just sort of meander around the store until someone checks up on them and gives them a task. Know who is coming in, when their shifts start, and call for them on walkie if you haven't seen them a minute or two after their shift starts.

Herd cats: LOL but true.

1. Get the grid and read it. Know whose coming and going.
2. learn who is the strongest: In sales, in stocking, in organization lean on them to help.
3. learn who is the weakest and stay on top of them Ie check up on them more)
4. communicate with all the etls

The load is heavy some days and light others. Yesterday was awesome because ETL-GE and STL were leading the tms in setting christmas so I could focus elsewhere on other things that needed to get done. (like training New TLs on scanning outs etc )

 

[Rarejem]

Herd cats: LOL but true.

1. Get the grid and read it. Know whose coming and going.
2. learn who is the strongest: In sales, in stocking, in organization lean on them to help.
3. learn who is the weakest and stay on top of them Ie check up on them more)
4. communicate with all the etls

The load is heavy some days and light others. Yesterday was awesome because ETL-GE and STL were leading the tms in setting christmas so I could focus elsewhere on other things that needed to get done. (like training New TLs on scanning outs etc )

With regard to #3 I would add to meet with those tm's and make sure that they understand the synergy of processes. Pair them, if possible, with your stronger tm's. Training...training...training!!! Communication and then training!! Don't let them drag your team down. Set expectations and follow up to ensure that they are being met. It used to be a thing to "seek to understand". That would include your tm's. Talk to them. listen to what their frustrations are and work with them and help to resolve the issues. Give feedback - including the good stuff.

 

[IcePeasant]

• I’d say try to set a weekly routine. I personally am stretched thin. If I’m scheduled on a normal day after reading emails, redwire, merchup, mysupport, I check grid, check in with LOD, see if there’s any call offs, then I head to the back to see if there’s anything that I need to work on - price changes, reshops, etc. Regardless of what time I come in, I always walk my area. Ultimately you know your area better than anyone else. Say you walk your area on a Monday, I usually make notes of what I need to get done, what I’ve been wanting to finish or complete. This can be anything from moving a nice endcap to one that’s slowly PTMing into D-code and isn’t looking too good, reorganizing clearance, etc. And as always, make sure you’ll have enough time to complete projects, or just ask whoever is LOD if they’re okay with you doing your projects through midday. Like others have said, communication is key. Communicate what is happening, what’s going on, and don’t afraid to be vocal.
• I have ownership of a good portion of hardlines, so I have my days planned out according to what needs more attention. Mondays: usually recover from weekend/fill/support areas needing help; Tuesday-Friday: projects/getting ahead with workload/fill/ptm; Weekends: In the words of the BeeGees, Stayin’ Alive. Of course-ASANT, the store I trained at does NOT run the same as mine, but this is what I usually do on a normal HL week. When I close, it’s usually maintaining reshops, the team, ensuring they’re completing their zones and reshops in a timely manner, helping LOD out, the usual closing stuff.
• Something that would be beneficial to you would be training your Beauty TMs to set SPLs if they haven’t already. When you have a large workload, it’s great having a few extra pairs of hands to help out, plus you’re promoting the development of your TMs. Ensure your team is trained properly and address any problems right away before it becomes routine for the TMs. Having conversations, seek to understand for both parties, and try to move forward addressing any opportunities.
• Lastly, if you don’t feel you can go to your own ETL for advice and guidance, are there any other ETLs or possibly more seasoned peers you could look to for guidance? The most important thing that I learned being on the floor is you need to make these connections and strong work relationships with your team. If I see a peer struggling or needing support, if I were in their shoes, I would want someone to help me out if I needed it.

 

[lifer]

Good stuff here. Know what is going on and coming up. I find a planner useful. Walk your area at the beginning of your shift and the back room. I spend a lot of time filling and flexing endcaps. Our flow team has a problem stocking endcaps. Zone as much as you can as you do your daily tasks. If I'm heading to the back for fixtures or signing, I might grap the cart of my clearance that needs to go out. It'll take two minutes to work and I'm going by the clearance endcap any way. When you're not helping a guest, be thinking ahead...what do I need to do next, or what do I need to complete this task correctly, or what do I need to do tomorrow. Keep in mind, best laid plans can quickly go awry. But at least you have a plan

 

[SrTLall]

It's difficult to give you advice since the definition of a HLTL varies so greatly from store to store. Nevertheless, I'd recommend to get yourself ahead on sales planners. Some weeks you'll have 10, other weeks you'll have 100, so, to keep yourself from drowning on the busy weeks, you want to get ahead on the slow weeks. Partner with the LOG TLs to see what is coming in; partner with the PPTL to see what areas are nearing markdowns so you can prepare for clearance. The merch update is your friend and helps keep you informed and prepared. I don't understand why more TLs don't use it.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I am not a TL, but if you were a new TL in my store I would tell you this: herd your cats. We have some TMs who will clock in and just sort of meander around the store until someone checks up on them and gives them a task. Know who is coming in, when their shifts start, and call for them on walkie if you haven't seen them a minute or two after their shift starts.

Also remember do not herd your dogs, like you heard your cats.... You will know who your dogs are, they are the one who pull the sled.

Good puppy.

 

[Fix It]

I kind of just breezed through this thread, but it might be in your best interest to partner with your new ETL regularly to “learn together” or atleast explain what you have difficulty with or areas in HL that can be improved.