New P1 TL needing advice

Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
174
I’m a new P1 team lead I desperately need advice from another TL in same area. I DID NOT get any training & need advice. If anybody is TL over HBA/Personal care can you message me?
 
They know. I was interested in TL, the person left suddenly & I went right into spot. I was a tech team member for 10 years. The only training I’m offered is to go to another store watch their unload process but I haven’t been able to yet
 
you have to be your own advocate for OTJT. If you want to succeed and have doubts , clear up the doubts right away, cause you wont succeed without knowing how to do the job… ask for training until it is given to you, make it known that you are not ready.
 
Based on your previous posts I'm going to make the reasonable assumption that's your leadership is coaching you for not getting things done.

Ask them to show you how to succeed. Tell them to send you to a successful store for a week to observe their processes so you can gain an understanding of how it should work.

And if they don't then do what I did, go on intermittent FMLA then call out and dump every truck on your boss for a week, then come back and ask what happened. Then when they threaten to coach you ask them if they are coaching you based on your federally protected FMLA and smile ever so slightly. Also find a new job.

The last paragraph may not be in your best interest, it's petty and nuclear. But I can attest that it feels good to do 👎
 
I haven’t been coached or talked to but I want to get ahead b/4 it gets worse. Like all summer time off, BTS, 4th quarter. I never had any time with another TL. I got keys in first week & that’s it. I only have my ETL whose supposed to answer all my questions 😩
 
Also since I never have 5 minutes of down time does anybody know how to find Targets guidelines for push times?
 
Also since I never have 5 minutes of down time does anybody know how to find Targets guidelines for push times?
Those things are imaginary. I believe in utilizing the trailer breakdown and writing down all the push hours per department. Spend time in them and understand what 15 hours of HBA looks and feels like. What does 2.5 hours of pets really mean?

In my store I automatically know what it’ll take in each area to clear it based off of the push hours and understanding what it means for my store. You have to be an analysis. Inbound Trailer Dashboard is your best friend.
 
Also since I never have 5 minutes of down time does anybody know how to find Targets guidelines for push times?
They come down from your sd who got it from there dsd who got it from there boss and so on. 50 boxes an hour and 5 minutes a repack is what we are told in my store. I adjust what i can to be more reasonable, such as additional time for furniture and lamps and such. More time for hba and otc repacks. Just make sure you account for all freight, it can be easy to miss transition freight, noncon, and accounting for pipo pallets.
 
Get up. Get, get, get down. Push time's a joke in yo town. I said, get up. Get, get, get down. Push time's a joke in yo town.

I'm pretty sure that's how that Public Enemy song went.
 
Get up. Get, get, get down. Push time's a joke in yo town. I said, get up. Get, get, get down. Push time's a joke in yo town.

I'm pretty sure that's how that Public Enemy song went.
Well 3 hours for 1.5 hours push time is a joke
 
Those things are imaginary. I believe in utilizing the trailer breakdown and writing down all the push hours per department. Spend time in them and understand what 15 hours of HBA looks and feels like. What does 2.5 hours of pets really mean?

In my store I automatically know what it’ll take in each area to clear it based off of the push hours and understanding what it means for my store. You have to be an analysis. Inbound Trailer Dashboard is your best friend.
I use inbound dash board. My first time pushing OTC repacks I’m 10 minutes a repack. I have pushed all departments to get an idea I just feel like I’m being initiated by my team being WAY slow
 
Here’s my day today they had 1.5 hours push. 4 hours it took to do WTF. I haven’t had to have a conversation yet I was told an ETL would be in with me. Nope my ETL said why can’t you do it yourself??? I’ve caught her making capacities really small so she spends a long time in backroom. Like 4 facings of dove body wash which should hold 32 or more she made 8. I have no support & literally had a break down today. Why the F did I become a TL
 
Here’s my day today they had 1.5 hours push. 4 hours it took to do WTF. I haven’t had to have a conversation yet I was told an ETL would be in with me. Nope my ETL said why can’t you do it yourself??? I’ve caught her making capacities really small so she spends a long time in backroom. Like 4 facings of dove body wash which should hold 32 or more she made 8. I have no support & literally had a break down today. Why the F did I become a TL
Just take her in the office and document it. Show her the push times and say this is expected to get done. Its one thing to miss by 30 minutes or even an hour but taking more then twice as long is unacceptable. Give it a week and see if it improves. If not do it again. If your not willing to do that then you shouldn't be a TL. Your name is 2nice2people amd sometimes thats not the best thing
 
I have no support & literally had a break down today. Why the F did I become a TL
Take a deep breadth, calm down And slow down.
You are doing TOO much while NOT doing the RIGHT things.
Instead of pushing for 15 minutes, spend that 15 minutes improving your tm. Teaching, coaching when necessary and documenting.
‘Ever hear the “teach a man to fish“ story ?

‘Now, change the way you are thinking:
‘It is NOT “IT took 4 hours to do”. , it IS ‘SHE TOOK 4 hours To do it “. VERY different.

Remember - you are a leader, NOT a tm. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY is NOT to DO but to GET it done.
You are NOT responsible for DOING the ANY work - YOU are ACCOUNTABLE for ensuring the work gets DONE. Again, very different.

It is not MY problem if my team isn’t productive - it is THEIR problem. Coach and document- often. There will either be improvements or replacements-simple.

I like this theory:
”Nothing will kill a great employee faster than watching management tolerate a bad one”
‘They explain that “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is WILLING TO TOLERATE. When toxic employees‘ negative behaviors are tolerated, it can have a hugely detrimental effect on the company’s culture, decreased collaboration between teams, affect the way customers are treated, and so much more. YOU, as a leader, need to take full responsibility for the low morale of your department or organization and urgently address the situation before all the good employees leave and the toxic remains.”

I apologize if the workload was indeed 4 hours work that was estimated at 1.5 - THAT is a DIFFERENT issue entirely.
If that was the case, then in the words of Gilda Radner as Emily Litella : “nevermind” (sorry if you are too young for the reference - If You know, you know)
 
I use inbound dash board. My first time pushing OTC repacks I’m 10 minutes a repack. I have pushed all departments to get an idea I just feel like I’m being initiated by my team being WAY slow
I’ve noticed back when I ran inbound and now planning my team’s dry grocery push that the amount of cases on each custom block has actually been turning out to be far more than what’s on the trailer report. And this is after double, sometimes triple checking sort behind the inbound team.
 
I’ve noticed back when I ran inbound and now planning my team’s dry grocery push that the amount of cases on each custom block has actually been turning out to be far more than what’s on the trailer report. And this is after double, sometimes triple checking sort behind the inbound team.
Make sure your accounting for pretied and nonpretied transition. Market can get a bunch all the time because the endcaps and seasons change so often. Market will also get product in that goes to seasonal, checklanes, or even coffee stuff that goes in kitchen. There is a lot to factor in and can be missed if not careful. That being said it is definitely not perfect but it should not be wildly off everyday.
 
Make sure your accounting for pretied and nonpretied transition. Market can get a bunch all the time because the endcaps and seasons change so often. Market will also get product in that goes to seasonal, checklanes, or even coffee stuff that goes in kitchen. There is a lot to factor in and can be missed if not careful. That being said it is definitely not perfect but it should not be wildly off everyday.
You are correct on that!I usually take that into account towards the end after most push is done. I usually take care of my transition by myself and a specific TM so I don’t pressure my team when they come across the transition stuff or the random coffee stuff. I just tell them to set it in a specific designated location if d they come across.
 
I 100% do all that. After unload I count repacks to see if it’s what sheet says & I look at vehicles. My concern being a former TM is that it’s not fair to other team members that get more done or use time wisely. I really need to find on workbench the official push times
 
I 100% do all that. After unload I count repacks to see if it’s what sheet says & I look at vehicles. My concern being a former TM is that it’s not fair to other team members that get more done or use time wisely. I really need to find on workbench the official push times
There is nothing on work bench about official times. I was a tm myself. I still push and continuously update my expectations based on what i think is reasonable to accomplish myself. I do my best to make it as fair as possible. Tms who continuously underperform i will try and work with because it isnt fair to the tms who do and have to pick up the slack. Sometimes tms arent cut out for it and have moved to different departments and excelled. I had a tm who i hired for dry grocery and had to be moved to the front end because the stress was too much. She is the best front end tm we have always bringing up issues to leadership to be corrected, always on top of deals in the store, and always pushing for circle and anything else target makes us do. Had a similar instance with someone going to starbucks. Had several instances with it working out in fulfillment as well.
 
Take a deep breadth, calm down And slow down.
You are doing TOO much while NOT doing the RIGHT things.
Instead of pushing for 15 minutes, spend that 15 minutes improving your tm. Teaching, coaching when necessary and documenting.
‘Ever hear the “teach a man to fish“ story ?

‘Now, change the way you are thinking:
‘It is NOT “IT took 4 hours to do”. , it IS ‘SHE TOOK 4 hours To do it “. VERY different.

Remember - you are a leader, NOT a tm. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY is NOT to DO but to GET it done.
You are NOT responsible for DOING the ANY work - YOU are ACCOUNTABLE for ensuring the work gets DONE. Again, very different.

It is not MY problem if my team isn’t productive - it is THEIR problem. Coach and document- often. There will either be improvements or replacements-simple.

I like this theory:
”Nothing will kill a great employee faster than watching management tolerate a bad one”
‘They explain that “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is WILLING TO TOLERATE. When toxic employees‘ negative behaviors are tolerated, it can have a hugely detrimental effect on the company’s culture, decreased collaboration between teams, affect the way customers are treated, and so much more. YOU, as a leader, need to take full responsibility for the low morale of your department or organization and urgently address the situation before all the good employees leave and the toxic remains.”

I apologize if the workload was indeed 4 hours work that was estimated at 1.5 - THAT is a DIFFERENT issue entirely.
If that was the case, then in the words of Gilda Radner as Emily Litella : “nevermind” (sorry if you are too young for the reference - If You know, you know)
Cruising for advice today...In regards to responsibility of TL vs TM for task completion. As a TM I have proven to my TL that if they will sort my boats by aisle...even by 4 aisles...I can push a box a minute. A 30 box boat bam! Pushed in 28-30 minutes. However. Other TL s in charge of unloading don't require the unloaders to custom sort beyond the Block onto the uboat.....so...I can have 3 or 4 boats with 45 or so boxes over 32 aisles. At best these will now take 90 minutes. When next day comes and 2 boats are still standing unfinished I get the " what happened,?" duh? I have no control over that unload so if push times go up ITISNOTMY FAULT, it's the TL.
 
Cruising for advice today...In regards to responsibility of TL vs TM for task completion. As a TM I have proven to my TL that if they will sort my boats by aisle...even by 4 aisles...I can push a box a minute. A 30 box boat bam! Pushed in 28-30 minutes. However. Other TL s in charge of unloading don't require the unloaders to custom sort beyond the Block onto the uboat.....so...I can have 3 or 4 boats with 45 or so boxes over 32 aisles. At best these will now take 90 minutes. When next day comes and 2 boats are still standing unfinished I get the " what happened,?" duh? I have no control over that unload so if push times go up ITISNOTMY FAULT, it's the TL.
So, I have a custom block for market that's breakfast, cereal and two aisles of candy, on one U-boat. It's impossible to push that specific vehicle in anything close to the time the system thinks it should take because it's a mess every time. They run out of room for cereal and just start putting boxes anywhere they can fit on the vehicle and then it's impossible.

The solution I have found for that is two fold. One: I call out the vehicle to my Inbound TL, every time. I have them meet me at the line, I show them the vehicle and explain that it makes it difficult to push and it's also safety hazard (depending on how it's stacked). Two: I then take about 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the number and size of the vehicles) and I resort them. I end up with a vehicle for cereal, a vehicle for breakfast and a vehicle for candy. Sure, it turns what's normally two overflowing U-boats into three smaller u-boats, but they're sorted now and I can push them much faster and much more accurately.

This has resulted in multiple conversations with my TLs about changing the custom block and also addressing the unloaders/sorters on days where the u-boats are really bad. I have noticed some improvements so far, although the custom block has yet to be changed.

Don't be afraid to speak up and tell them that they're making your job harder if they're not doing theirs correctly. My TLs are all fairly good about taking that feedback and getting things to work out. At the minimum, the communication will be present and you can speak to the fact that you've asked for assistance multiple times with this problem and have yet to find a solution.
 
Targets guidelines for push times
My favorite bad example is from a while back - 18 minutes to push a flat bed of repack boxes filled with shoes. The flat was loaded so high, I could hardly reach the top boxes. It took me a lot longer than 18 minutes!
I'm the DBO for OTC and personal care at my store. My leaders have actually observed me push my repacks and asked questions because I get them done so fast. (Not bragging here, just saying what happened.) I know my area very well and rarely have to scan a product to know where it goes; I do scan if I have back stock to make sure my SFQ is accurate. If your DBO/s for that area/s are on top of things, 10 minutes per repack is about right. But then there's the guest who can't find a certain product or the bottle of beard oil that leaked all over everything else in the box or the jumble left by a bored teenager (I presume) who played with jars of vitamins. So allow some leeway.
If your TMs do their jobs well, stay out of their way and don't micro-manage. If they don't, SHOW them, don't just TELL them. Those of us who worked flow team back before the DBO model know how to open boxes fast, work clean, etc. I can definitely see a difference between former flow TMs and non-flow. Share (or learn) those tips and tricks to help your TMs push their product faster.
 
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