Archived How have you successfully dealt with serious disagreement? (Underdogs only please)

[chevalier]

How have you dealt with difficult personalities, impossible scenarios, work center clashes, etc?

I realize that some people's solution is to quit, or lash out. That is certainly not what I am interested in. As much fun as I would have filling at Team Lead's desk full of dead gerbils, it would not help the situation.

Responses from underdogs only, please! If your solution is "Force them to see it my way and eat Taco Time upstairs" then I don't want to hear from you.

 

[StaticSun]

Challenge upwards. Why schedule me in photo, only to have me go outside and do carts, or work in cafe, or cashier all day? Why would you let a bumbling idiot cover GS breaks, while I'm standing over in see spot mindlessly flexing? Why do you have me zoning paper/pets/chemicals when you have a technologically retarded person attempting to sell TVs and cameras in electronics? Why, when my availability is wide open, are you only scheduling me for 6 hour shifts on fri/sat/sun?

I challenged my TLs/ETL quite frequently. It was almost like a game to them. What can they do to hold me back, and not let me use my full potential? Well, I constantly sought feedback on what my areas of opportunity were. I never received any feedback. Well, I transferred the hell out of there and haven't looked back since. I'm now in a position to grow more efficiently, as well as share my knowledge and experience with my peers, supervisors, and other TMs.

 

[chevalier]

I have tried that, and the novelty has worn off for them. They're telling me I can't challenge upward about anything. I can only say yes, and if they even detect in my facial expression that I don't love their direction, then they tell my team lead I wasn't "being a team player."

They say everything has to go upward through my team lead, but they go straight down to me when they have anything negative to say.

 

[greatteam]

I find that letting their scores go to **** is a nice friendly way to let them take notice that they're bumbling lazy ****s.

 

[babytrees]

kindness and treating everybody the same....bugs the heck out of them. (that and I have a note I write to our HR every shift about what I come into at the fitting room and what I leave....man oh man I am FINALLY seeing change there).
I went 15 months with about 10 weekend days off....I moaned, groaned up and down the line (TL creating schedule, ETL-SL, ETL-HR, new TL, new ETL-SL, new TL creating schedule, old ETL-SL, new ETL-HR) and would get a day off for one weekend and it would go back to all weekends, all the time. BUT....I kept on the new ETL-HR because she is helping with the above situation. She told me to go back to the TL creating the schedules and ask one last time because I said if I didn't get some weekends off soon I would need to change my availability (never ever did I do this during high times...I understand I need to work when hours are available) she said if that's what it came down to that's what we would do. I then went to the TL and got "go ahead and try and change your availability." ETL-HR was told and I've had at least one weekend day off (except for the last 2 weeks) for 2 whole months.
I have one LOD I absolutely despise but I treat her the same as everybody else....she still tries to blame me for things out of my control (she picked up a call that was for sporting goods not LOD and *****ed at me for it. Told me to take a message than was pissed when I gave her the message,"Why didn't you tell me that was who was on the phone) but my TL's will go to 2 when she gets on 2 with me...I don't have to defend myself to the TL's they come over to me and say they don't get her. It drives her nuts that she can't ruffle me.

I treat everybody with respect and kindness: guest, team member, team lead and exec's doesn't matter. Then I come home (sometimes I blow off steam at work but they don't get all of the details) and moan and groan and b itch.

 

[Backtohardlines]

Kill 'em with kindness! Thankfully, my execs have challenged me to challenge them, and I do, at every turn But it is always done with kindness, a smile and a sense of humor.

 

[pellinore]

One of the best ways for me to handle clashes is to be especially friendly, kind and helpful. Nothing pisses a person off more than someone who continues to be friendly and helpful. Don't let the person get the best of you....no matter what! I love making someone angry who really doesn't like me!

I always try to treat people the way I want to be treated.....usually that is all that is required.

For someone that you have to work with and deal with everyday.....be extra, extra nice to them....and eventually they either give up or stop talking to you!

 

[mrknownothing]

One of the best ways for me to handle clashes is to be especially friendly, kind and helpful. Nothing pisses a person off more than someone who continues to be friendly and helpful. Don't let the person get the best of you....no matter what! I love making someone angry who really doesn't like me!

I always try to treat people the way I want to be treated.....usually that is all that is required.

For someone that you have to work with and deal with everyday.....be extra, extra nice to them....and eventually they either give up or stop talking to you!

One of our GSTLs handles guests this way. It makes them even more angry, but she never loses her cool in these situations.

 

[commiecorvus]

I have found that putting things in writing can be very effective.
It allows the opportunity to carefully lay out your thoughts and present all the facts.
Nobody can interrupt you or sidetrack the conversation.
Best of all you can get help editing it and make sure it's well presented.

 

[talan123]

How have you dealt with difficult personalities, impossible scenarios, work center clashes, etc?

I realize that some people's solution is to quit, or lash out. That is certainly not what I am interested in. As much fun as I would have filling at Team Lead's desk full of dead gerbils, it would not help the situation.

Responses from underdogs only, please! If your solution is "Force them to see it my way and eat Taco Time upstairs" then I don't want to hear from you.

Oh let me count the ways...

Used sarcasm on them until they were so annoyed they threatened violence me. They were removed.
Flat out told them what they wanted was impossible.
Call the president of the company.
Point out their own stupidity to them several times in front of their bosses. "You want me to cover three different areas at the same time? This isn't quantum mechanics and I cannot be in three different areas at the same time. What do you suggest?"
Threaten them with a lawsuit. Wouldn't recommend this.

That was a fun year.