Archived Help! I keep getting asked to be team lead

[Backroom88]

After just one year at target i was asked if i wanted to be team lead. I said yes started interview preping then talked to them and said i needed more time to think about it. A year has passed and they asked me again. I honestly dont know what to do. I know Ill be successful but with all the cutting of positions and the way target operates it makes it a difficult decision. I work in the backroom by the way. I make $10.15. How much more would i make? I need advise!
Thank you everyone!!!!!

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Stay put.

 

[RXninja]

I think there is only one TL left in the store that has been there longer than me. I have noticed a trend that TLs tend to get fired more easily/often than TMs. Being a TM is often less stressful overall & your pay does sound fair.

I would talk to some of your more seasoned TLs about the pros and cons of their position before you make a final decision either way.

 

[Backroom22]

I would recommend staying put. What will happen is a first all the ETLs that wanted you to be a team lead and helped you prep. for it will be real supportive. You will then start to notice these people quitting or transferring (they love to move ETLs around) to other stores. Flash forward one year, none of the ETLs that had wanted you as a team lead are at your store anymore and all the new ETLs seem to think that you are the root of all your work centers problem. Instead of your ETLs supporting you and offering advice they are now trying to performance you out, most team leads quit at this point although some stay around to get terminated. This is life of 80% of team lead careers at target. Some manage to make it long term, but most do not.

 

[Backroom88]

Thanks guys for the advise!

 

[Kartman]

Just do the best you can, then don't worry about it.

What will be will be.

 

[cl8baller]

Five of our TLs been with the store for over a decade, we have an ETL who started as a TM who has been with the store since it opened almost twenty years ago, or SFT/PMT has been there for nearly a decade, some TMs that's been there for a very long time. I find our store unique, some of your TMs last breath will be either pushing a red card, doing reshop, pushing, backstocking. If anything I envy you then buddy, TLs believe one day I'll be their future ETL, no one is interested in developing me any further than I have developed myself. I've had a rough day, please take what you can from this.

 

[redcounts]

how can you easily get fired being team lead? do you get easily performanced out? As long as you help guests, do your tasks that your etl tells you to do, do the break schedules everyday, and make sure all scheduled team members do their work and assign them the proper amount so stuff gets done by the end of the day, how can you easily get fired?am i missing something?

 

[SFSFun]

You will get assigned goals and tasks that cannot reasonably be completed, and suddenly that makes you a poor performer.

 

[redcounts]

If you work fast you will get the job done quick.

Whoever says being a team lead is too stressful, retail isn't for you. Or maybe you just can't handle a job.

 

[Kompa]

A TL's job relies of TMs. If they suck, you suck.

 

[SFSFun]

If a TL is assigned something and they pass it off to their TMs who fail to complete it, the TL can easily be blamed for failing to train/motivate/coach.

Plus the TMs won't try very hard if they have a shitty TL who passes all of "the dirty work" down to them.

 

[redcounts]

Lol HONEY, did I say I was a team lead? No reason to put a rude comment.

 

[redcounts]

I'm assuming you were fired for not meeting deadlines . Doesn't mean every team lead will.

 

[tgtguy]

I would stay put as well. UNLESS, there was going to be a pretty big pay raise and you are sure you want to handle the stress and the extra butt kissing team leads have to do. A good team lead ..just doesn't "order people around " they know how to motivate people ( while treating them with respect and if its necessary they will roll their sleeves up and work right along with their team. Those team leads who lead from an office...or walk around thinking they are better than their team members...they are part of the problem and not the solution.

 

[unknown]

My former pog tl was totally performanced out. Once the decision was made to get rid of her, our timelines became crazy. Suddenly we had to start pushing the truck. Eventually, she quit.

The next week, a new tl. One they wanted. Just as suddenly, we no longer have to push the truck.

I believe it mostly had to do with how much she made $$. She was one of the most competent tls too. But she couldn't take the pressure of having her etl and STL against her.

 

[tgtguy]

how can you easily get fired being team lead? do you get easily performanced out? As long as you help guests, do your tasks that your etl tells you to do, do the break schedules everyday, and make sure all scheduled team members do their work and assign them the proper amount so stuff gets done by the end of the day, how can you easily get fired?am i missing something?

When Spots wants you gone ....it doesn't matter if you are a tm, tl, srtl, etl, or even stl...they will make it happen. Just because you are a tl it doesn't mean you are on easy street and don't have to worry about your "job.

 

[tgtguy]

My former pog tl was totally performanced out. Once the decision was made to get rid of her, our timelines became crazy. Suddenly we had to start pushing the truck. Eventually, she quit.

The next week, a new tl. One they wanted. Just as suddenly, we no longer have to push the truck.

I believe it mostly had to do with how much she made $$. She was one of the most competent tls too. But she couldn't take the pressure of having her etl and STL against her.

this happened at my store as well....same thing

 

[redcounts]

True. You can get fired for barely any reason at all these days. But all stores are different and have different management. No job is easy. From comments I see here, people make it seem like a team leads job is too difficult. But it depends on management. If you have unreasonable managers who expect you to get everything done more than tms, then that's not good. But it really depends on the type of management you have.

 

[commiecorvus]

True. You can get fired for barely any reason at all these days. But all stores are different and have different management. No job is easy. From comments I see here, people make it seem like a team leads job is too difficult. But it depends on management. If you have unreasonable managers who expect you to get everything done more than tms, then that's not good. But it really depends on the type of management you have.

This is very true, ASANTS.
If you are working in a store with good management, where they make sure you get good training (send you to another store, give you plenty of time to get on your feet and back you up) and don't have unrealistic expectations you will do well.
There are stores like that.
I'm not sure what the percentage is but I tend to stick with Sturgeon's Law in these situations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon's_law
I hope you work for the 10%.

 

[redcounts]

Be proud of yourself if they want to promote you. from what i have seen target RARELY promotes. They usually hire someone random for team lead that worked somewhere else. If management likes you they wont set you up for failure.They aren't trying to fire you eventually.they feel you have the good qualities to be a potential manager and lead a team. They wouldn't want to promote you if you suck. this means your perfect. You stand out and team members look up to you And admire what you do. If they felt you needed to improve on alot of things they wouldn't even go out of their way to ask if you want to be a team lead. Don't let people discourage you. I'm not saying accept The promotion. Because if your not comfortable and happy where you are now, then stay a tm.that's perfectly fine. But just because team leads quit or got fired doesn't mean that they were performanced out.there could be alot more to it. Maybe they were sneaking their phone and texting all the time or stole something. Or refused to listen to a etl. The truth to why someone gets fired will never be known. Hr isn't supposed to say anything to anyone. tms have said to me oh, this team lead got fired.she hasn't been in over a week. turns out, she was on leave of absense. Some people like to spread rumours For fun.Don't believe what everyone says at your job. And be careful if team members think you will be promoted, there's those types of tms that will get jealous and bash what you do and try to take credit for your work. No one at your job will be your best friend 100%. trust me from experience.

 

[SFSFun]

Lol HONEY, did I say I was a team lead? No reason to put a rude comment.

I'm assuming you were fired for not meeting deadlines . Doesn't mean every team lead will.

Was that in response to me?

You asked how easy it is to be performanced out and I explained exactly how easy it is. But it only occurs if the STL and ETLs want that TL gone.

I am not a TL and I still work for Spot. I have witnessed firsthand how it happens and it ain't pretty.

 

[Backroom22]

Also, (not saying this is the case with the op) but just because someone has talked to you about being a TL does not really mean they think you would be a good fit for it. I have been in TL meetings in which HR told us we should all be working on developing a team member in our workcenter for the TL bench and that we should come to the next meeting prepared to talk about who that person is and what we have done to start developing them ("there is no one in my work center that would be a good fit for TL" was not an acceptable excuse). When leaders write their reviews they always need to include something about how they are developing their team. Thankfully, this seems to have have gone away some (at my store at least) since they reduced the number of TL positions last year.

 

[Backroom88]

I truly appreciate everyones feedback!

 

[Sickofspot]

I would recommend staying put. What will happen is a first all the ETLs that wanted you to be a team lead and helped you prep. for it will be real supportive. You will then start to notice these people quitting or transferring (they love to move ETLs around) to other stores. Flash forward one year, none of the ETLs that had wanted you as a team lead are at your store anymore and all the new ETLs seem to think that you are the root of all your work centers problem. Instead of your ETLs supporting you and offering advice they are now trying to performance you out, most team leads quit at this point although some stay around to get terminated. This is life of 80% of team lead careers at target. Some manage to make it long term, but most do not.

This is SO true. Believe it or not, it looks really good on an ETL if they performance out a TL. It shows they can manage talent and move up along the ranks. And, yes, Target is one of the many corporations trying to get rid of their higher paid veterans and replace them at minimum cost.