New GSTL, howdy

Joined
Jan 8, 2021
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Hi all. I found this place while googling and it seems like a nice vibe. Quick rundown that should be vague enough: I'm no longer in my 20's, I'm from the west coast, and was recently promoted in-store after a year working GS, to GSTL. I love the job so far and my username is hopefully accurate.

So far I'm lucky to have an ETL who is a great balance of tough/ambitious and kind/helpful, and a senior GSTL who knows everything and has been training me. I also did not expect to get the job, as I've had a rough patch with a couple of TMs who I'm now supervising, and I was far from the most qualified person up front. I think I got the job through perseverance and improvement, solid guest service and very hard work, but not really for my soft skills.

Initial impression of the job is that it's quite a bit more than I expected. I was doing a lot of shifts at the service desk thinking that I was basically like a TL already, in that I was essentially running the FOS as some leadership positions were unfilled and leaders were occupied with other areas of the store. But that's definitely not the reality of it, as I know now. Being what is something like a head cashier and actually being accountable for the FOS are super different. It's been humbling.

I think one of the harder things is going to be holding people accountable without being a jerk or a pushover. Getting that bit right has always seemed like the crux of leadership, no matter the job.

Advice for a noob? Starting the job in the Holiday peak was something else. I guess if I survived that, I'll be alright. But if you guys have any war stories or advice about being a new TL, I'd love to hear. What do you wish you would have known when you started?

Cheers!
 
Hi all. I found this place while googling and it seems like a nice vibe. Quick rundown that should be vague enough: I'm no longer in my 20's, I'm from the west coast, and was recently promoted in-store after a year working GS, to GSTL. I love the job so far and my username is hopefully accurate.

So far I'm lucky to have an ETL who is a great balance of tough/ambitious and kind/helpful, and a senior GSTL who knows everything and has been training me. I also did not expect to get the job, as I've had a rough patch with a couple of TMs who I'm now supervising, and I was far from the most qualified person up front. I think I got the job through perseverance and improvement, solid guest service and very hard work, but not really for my soft skills.

Initial impression of the job is that it's quite a bit more than I expected. I was doing a lot of shifts at the service desk thinking that I was basically like a TL already, in that I was essentially running the FOS as some leadership positions were unfilled and leaders were occupied with other areas of the store. But that's definitely not the reality of it, as I know now. Being what is something like a head cashier and actually being accountable for the FOS are super different. It's been humbling.

I think one of the harder things is going to be holding people accountable without being a jerk or a pushover. Getting that bit right has always seemed like the crux of leadership, no matter the job.

Advice for a noob? Starting the job in the Holiday peak was something else. I guess if I survived that, I'll be alright. But if you guys have any war stories or advice about being a new TL, I'd love to hear. What do you wish you would have known when you started?

Cheers!
Its called Service and Engagement TL
 
SETL (Actually wondered, at first, if you really work at Target because of the use of GSTL and being with the company for only a year)
I don't like to use "SETL" because it could be confusing. But I guess it isn't confusing to the forum. I'm not too fluent in Target language yet, and "GSTL" is a term people sometimes use at my store.
 
Good luck, welcome to TBR. My advice is to make sure tms dont just see you as one of them still and you hold them accountable as a leader. It can definitely be a shock at how much more duties you have as a leader then what you first expect.
 
Just saying use the right terms
I'm not really that worried about this tbh. It has dragged on long enough in my first thread, or should I say the avocado is browning.

But it's all good, somebody is always there to be a bit of a twerp to the new person. That person is you. First beer's on me anyway, cheers.
 
My store still uses LOD, it is even being taught to newbies. Style is still called Softlines, Tech is still called Electronics, GM is still called Hardlines. Old habits die hard.
My store uses each of these terms almost exclusively. I've never heard anybody corrected for them.
 
My advice is to make sure tms dont just see you as one of them still and you hold them accountable as a leader.
Thanks. Due to my being a cashier and guest service adv for over a year, I have to change my non-leader-type work relationships with a bunch of people. The more senior ones have helped me out by deferring to me in front of others when they don't necessarily have to, which is super helpful. I miss making dirty jokes though.
 
I'm not really that worried about this tbh. It has dragged on long enough in my first thread, or should I say the avocado is browning.

But it's all good, somebody is always there to be a bit of a twerp to the new person. That person is you. First beer's on me anyway, cheers.
I don't brown. I use cooking spray to be ripe and sharp.

Tasty as fuck too
 
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