Archived Issues with Loafing

[RedisRad]

Has anyone had serious issues with their team members loafing/chatting with other team members excessively? How have you dealt with this? I've tried being understanding and honest and now I'm coaching for it, but it seems to be a huge problem that is only being addressed by me and no one else.

Any helpful tips would be appreciated.

 

[newtm]

it's kind of a problem at my store. i work the front end as a cashier. I see some cashiers walk away from their checklanes when it gets slow. they turn their lights off, walk around pretending to zone/dust/replenish bags/go backs whatever. I don't mind that they do that, but they shouldn't completely abandon their check lane. They need to keep an eye on it. What ends up happening is all the guests come to me while they stand around, chat, and look pretty. I'm trying really hard to get out of the front end.

 

[MetaHLTL]

If they have time to chat they don't have enough to do. Increase the workload out have them help with workload from other workcenters. If they completing the tasks you give them right now then coaching for performance is your best bet.

Just level expectations and increase follow up. If they don't catch on then maybe its time to go back to "Right Person, Right Place, Right Time"

 

[RedisRad]

If they have time to chat they don't have enough to do. Increase the workload out have them help with workload from other workcenters. If they completing the tasks you give them right now then coaching for performance is your best bet.

Just level expectations and increase follow up. If they don't catch on then maybe its time to go back to "Right Person, Right Place, Right Time"

I give them plenty to do, they just aren't doing it. They are used to a couple of GSAs that didn't care and would actually stand around chatting with them (both of them quit once I came on and started requiring them to work). Before me they were without a gstl for 2 months and there is limited ETL and TL involvement, but even less so when I'm not there to fight for it.

Really frustrating issue since I don't have the ability to monitor the situation with my current workload.

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

You need to take a partner. Your workload isn't going to get any better. By coaching these team members you have the opportunity to actually decrease their workload. Give them tasks and be specific. Make up a daily cleaning to do list. If you just say "dust the lanes" that can mean a hundred different things. At the check lanes they can do date checks on the gum, mints, wet ones cameras etc. Use any extra time to cross train for food cafe or service desk. See spot save can always use some TLC. I would coach any cashier that turns their light off. Get your etl-ge involved. Tell them what you see, how you are going to fix it and what they can do to help you. If the gsa's are part of the problem, you need to have conversations with them as well. Letting the problem continue is telling your team it is acceptable.

 

[redeye58]

I used to fill a cart with bags & have one cashier stock all the lanes.
I'd have another filling the giftcard holders, another doing gum & candy.
I'd reming them to keep a lane light on wherever they were working & guests before tasks.
The chatty Cathys I'd put at opposite ends.

 

[Barcode]

What Red said.... All good options to cut down on chatter.

I'm amazed you can't figure out the solution to a problem as simple as this... How are you handling an actual crisis?

 

[Rock Lobster]

What Red said.... All good options to cut down on chatter.

I'm amazed you can't figure out the solution to a problem as simple as this... How are you handling an actual crisis?

I don't think the problem is this issue specifically, but the fact that RedisRad is tackling everything else right now as well!

RedisRad, in previous posts you have discussed how demonstrates courage is your opportunity. However, from what you tell us on here, you do implement changes despite personal risk due to very little support from your peers and team! If you are attempting to drive changes and know it won't go over well, then that is demonstrating courage! From what I can tell, you are tackling too much at once! Your team has been held to low standards for a long time and are disengaged and difficult to motivate. You have many results you want to achieve but the workload is too big! Perhaps strategizes would be more appropriate? It is about thinking of decisions and changes in the long-term (if I change this, what could it impact next) and prioritizing who and what you change! Instead of identifying all your area's opportunities and trying to fix them, decide what you want to accomplish this quarter, year, and by the time you leave in 18 months! What things are most important, and make each step make the next goal easier! This quarter should be about taking the reigns back to the front end. What can you do to put yourself back in charge? For us, it was about making small changes I knew I could accomplish that the team did not want! Make it simple, explain to them why you are changing it, and then make everyone do it! As long as it is a good idea or a best practice you need done, the team might fight it at first but will realize you knew what you were doing! Once you have control back you need to fix any MAJOR issues you can... Conversion, Surveys, Turnover, BTS results etc... Prioritize your results and realize that your area will NOT be perfect in 18 months!

 

[NOP]

Can always ask them "what are they working on?" and if you want to develop your TMs to be able to see the bigger picture, you could ask them what do they see that needs to be improved/done/etc...then you can see if they truly see the bigger picture of all the little details of things that we deal with (that they might not otherwise see, unless somebody points it out to them). Once they understand that there is always something to do, that should help them develop the skills to take initiative to fix things.

On the other hand, it's like trying to move a boulder uphill by yourself...there will always be people who do the bare minimum to have a job.

 

[Barcode]

there will always be people who do the bare minimum to have a job.

Can you blame people? Even for the most dedicated/longstanding workers, the pay is a slave's wage. It's hard to be passionate for a company that doesn't give two ****s about you.

 

[mxrbook]

I was looking through some of your old posts, Imerzan. Wow, to be so young, you sure are bitter. Let it go. Your bitterness isn't hurting Target; it's only hurting you.

 

[StateofTarget]

I used to fill a cart with bags & have one cashier stock all the lanes.
I'd have another filling the giftcard holders, another doing gum & candy.
I'd reming them to keep a lane light on wherever they were working & guests before tasks.
The chatty Cathys I'd put at opposite ends.

I'm sorry, but this is just stupid. This idea that TMs must be doing "something" every single second of the day and can never socialize.

Many years ago, it was perfectly acceptable at Target to go socialize with coworkers/TLs/ETLs at certain points of the day as long as it wasn't excessive. Guess what? Everyone was much happier than they are now, guests were pleased, and the stores ran just fine. Now everyone is running around crazy so much of the day that work is simply miserable because everyone must be doing "something" at all times.

It has gotten so damn nuts that everyone be doing "something" that I have witnessed ETLs issue the following tasks to people at my store:

1. Go in the fixture room and make sure that all the label paper is in the tray "perfectly". (in other words, all the paper is perfectly flush)
2. Make sure all the chairs in clerical are perfectly aligned in front of the computers to look "nice".
3. Check to see if all of the tacks holding papers on the wall in clerical are "pushed in all the way".

There is a point when "staying busy" becomes "let's see how far we can push these losers who we see as nothing more than work horses". Target has long arrived at that point.

 

[StateofTarget]

I was looking through some of your old posts, Imerzan. Wow, to be so young, you sure are bitter. Let it go. Your bitterness isn't hurting Target; it's only hurting you.

No dude, you just haven't been around long enough to know the deal yet. Wait til Target burns you.... It might not be tomorrow, next week, or even next year.... but eventually everyone discovers the true nature of Target when it's your time to be screwed over. Sad thing is, you true believers never figure it out in time....

 

[RedisRad]

What Red said.... All good options to cut down on chatter.

I'm amazed you can't figure out the solution to a problem as simple as this... How are you handling an actual crisis?

I don't think the problem is this issue specifically, but the fact that RedisRad is tackling everything else right now as well!

RedisRad, in previous posts you have discussed how demonstrates courage is your opportunity. However, from what you tell us on here, you do implement changes despite personal risk due to very little support from your peers and team! If you are attempting to drive changes and know it won't go over well, then that is demonstrating courage! From what I can tell, you are tackling too much at once! Your team has been held to low standards for a long time and are disengaged and difficult to motivate. You have many results you want to achieve but the workload is too big! Perhaps strategizes would be more appropriate? It is about thinking of decisions and changes in the long-term (if I change this, what could it impact next) and prioritizing who and what you change! Instead of identifying all your area's opportunities and trying to fix them, decide what you want to accomplish this quarter, year, and by the time you leave in 18 months! What things are most important, and make each step make the next goal easier! This quarter should be about taking the reigns back to the front end. What can you do to put yourself back in charge? For us, it was about making small changes I knew I could accomplish that the team did not want! Make it simple, explain to them why you are changing it, and then make everyone do it! As long as it is a good idea or a best practice you need done, the team might fight it at first but will realize you knew what you were doing! Once you have control back you need to fix any MAJOR issues you can... Conversion, Surveys, Turnover, BTS results etc... Prioritize your results and realize that your area will NOT be perfect in 18 months!

I agree :-/ I tend to take on a lot of responsibility, so much that it does get to be too much. I feel like I AM juggling too many things, but I have people nitpicking me for the stupidest crap when I am trying to tackle those big issues, like conversion and inappropriate behaviors. I need to make a HUGE game plan... and I also agree that I should change my opportunity... in the past couple weeks I have stood up for myself numerous times and put myself out there to get things done, even when others might not be happy about it.

Thanks for the advice... I know everyone keeps telling me I am doing too much, I just need to learn how to let go and ignore things sometimes :-( SO HARD.

 

[commiecorvus]

I was looking through some of your old posts, Imerzan. Wow, to be so young, you sure are bitter. Let it go. Your bitterness isn't hurting Target; it's only hurting you.

No dude, you just haven't been around long enough to know the deal yet. Wait til Target burns you.... It might not be tomorrow, next week, or even next year.... but eventually everyone discovers the true nature of Target when it's your time to be screwed over. Sad thing is, you true believers never figure it out in time....

Trying very hard to not be bitter over here.
It's difficult I have to say.

 

[RedisRad]

What Red said.... All good options to cut down on chatter.

I'm amazed you can't figure out the solution to a problem as simple as this... How are you handling an actual crisis?

You're amazed? Lol. It's not so simple when you have people that just don't care. And yes, I am working on their coachings and correctives, but it's not the fastest, most straight-forward process when at least 80% of my employees have issues. That's not me making excuses or complaining or exaggeration, since I know you're quick to pounce on anything you perceive as weakness. It's just a fact.

But thanks for your kind words of encouragement.

 

[RedisRad]

And to the person that sent me a negative reputation mark saying "use a baby monitor"... that actually made me giggle, so thanks I AM definitely an unofficial babysitter. Maybe I should hand them a baby monitor when I catch them not doing what I've asked them to do... "Here ya go, I don't want to miss out on whatever juicy conversation you guys are ALWAYS having!"

 

[Rock Lobster]

I wouldn't say to ignore issues completely. It is important to be able to speak to all aspects of your area. However, being able to prioritize is going to be extremely important. I think you need to look at manages execution or strategizes as your opportunity.

I don't know your team dynamic very well, but you need to find a way to get as much of your team on board as possible! You cannot performance out 80% of the team even if it would be easier to start from scratch. You need to revive as many of them as possible, and then performance out the ones who lag behind! This is where strategizes comes in... You need to do something first that will impact the culture of your team so they can become engaged and responsive to change. If your first move is that, then every step after becomes easier! If you need suggestions you can PM me...

 

[Barcode]

I was looking through some of your old posts, Imerzan. Wow, to be so young, you sure are bitter. Let it go. Your bitterness isn't hurting Target; it's only hurting you.

No dude, you just haven't been around long enough to know the deal yet. Wait til Target burns you.... It might not be tomorrow, next week, or even next year.... but eventually everyone discovers the true nature of Target when it's your time to be screwed over. Sad thing is, you true believers never figure it out in time....

Yup... Pretty much this.

I remember when I drank the Koolaid and thought all of the naysayers were crazy myself.

 

[redeye58]

SOT, I always prefered my cashiers to help prep during down times instead of letting them stand around & text on their phones.
Yeh, "many years ago" it was acceptable to socialize during slow times but those days are gone. If my cashiers were seen being anything but on task, I was reamed out by leadership for not keeping them occupied & they'd yank a few to help out on salesfloor.
I worked alongside my cashiers, talked to them, knew the background on many of them, went to bat for them when I felt they were treated unfairly, didn't hesitate to pull 'em aside when I felt they needed guidance. I treated them like adults.
When I saw what the frontend was devolving to, I knew I couldn't do what leadership expected - hounding people for redcards, treating them like misbehaving children for every little infraction, throwing the barely-trained into this dogfight we call frontend - so I moved to an area where I could pick up additional training, make myself useful & opened up a spot for someone who could do what I couldn't. That's been about a year ago & I have no regrets but the days of happy & socialized TMs are gone. FFF is pretty much a relic at our store.

 

[RedisRad]

I wouldn't say to ignore issues completely. It is important to be able to speak to all aspects of your area. However, being able to prioritize is going to be extremely important. I think you need to look at manages execution or strategizes as your opportunity.

I don't know your team dynamic very well, but you need to find a way to get as much of your team on board as possible! You cannot performance out 80% of the team even if it would be easier to start from scratch. You need to revive as many of them as possible, and then performance out the ones who lag behind! This is where strategizes comes in... You need to do something first that will impact the culture of your team so they can become engaged and responsive to change. If your first move is that, then every step after becomes easier! If you need suggestions you can PM me...

I completely agree with those opportunities.

And just to show that I am definitely coming up with some kind of plan already, one of my commitments is to have one-on-ones to find out what my team members really want out of their job. So far I have been able to train 4 additional guest service tm's from cashiers, 1 c/o, a pharm backup and I am even training someone for GSA down the line (as well as teaching many of them how to do various random tasks). I figured that this way I can really give them something exciting and a nice change. For those people that want to develop, it's been working miracles... Not having the greatest luck with others who don't really care though :-( How to motivate the unmotivateables is the key now... but they're the ones with a whole slew of issues (don't show up on time, don't work, only ask for RC's when I'm standing at their register... sometimes not even if I am, have attitudes, have other performance issues, safety violaters.. you get where I am going) and because most of those people are friends, when I get onto one of them, the whole lot just stops trying.

I'm hoping with the newbies I hired (who are doing amazingly well... they are seriously knocking it out of the park *pats myself on the back for a good job bringing on good talent*) that the mood will change.

Actually, it seems like overall we are trending in the right direction. This loafing has just been a nasty turn of events that is causing some of the ones that were starting to make progress, fall right back in the hole.

ROCK, I really appreciate your help. Even if it's to make me realize that in the larger scope, I am doing the right things, I just need to keep strategizing to find ways to get the rest of the crew either engaged or to ship out.

 

[redeye58]

You've got a good start, Rad.
As Rock has said, prioritize; don't bite off more than you can chew but add a little more each day.

 

[Barcode]

SOT, I always prefered my cashiers to help prep during down times instead of letting them stand around & text on their phones.
Yeh, "many years ago" it was acceptable to socialize during slow times but those days are gone. If my cashiers were seen being anything but on task, I was reamed out by leadership for not keeping them occupied & they'd yank a few to help out on salesfloor.
I worked alongside my cashiers, talked to them, knew the background on many of them, went to bat for them when I felt they were treated unfairly, didn't hesitate to pull 'em aside when I felt they needed guidance. I treated them like adults.
When I saw what the frontend was devolving to, I knew I couldn't do what leadership expected - hounding people for redcards, treating them like misbehaving children for every little infraction, throwing the barely-trained into this dogfight we call frontend - so I moved to an area where I could pick up additional training, make myself useful & opened up a spot for someone who could do what I couldn't. That's been about a year ago & I have no regrets but the days of happy & socialized TMs are gone. FFF is pretty much a relic at our store.

I somewhat agree. I allowed my team to socialize as long as they were being productive. They knew they had to get the work done, and socializing was a privilege and it worked out rather well for me.

I did get reamed once by one of the ETL-Foods because we just got through a big rush on a high forecast day, and I had a bunch of cashiers begin to stand out while I was responding to a TM's inquiry. Happened to walk by right as everyone stood out, and ended up getting an earful from him... =/

I did stand up for a lot of the TMs too, and honestly I think my GSTL hated me for it.

 

[Barcode]

I was looking through some of your old posts, Imerzan. Wow, to be so young, you sure are bitter. Let it go. Your bitterness isn't hurting Target; it's only hurting you.

http://www.thebreakroom.org/showthread.php/478-Promoted-to-GSA!

Lol.... Looking through my early post history and it makes me want to vomit.

Oh how optimistic and naïve I used to be

 

[redeye58]

*gives Imerzan a cold beer, some of Annie's cookies & a hug*