Archived Seriously panicking - any Presentation TLs around?

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bridget

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Hi guys -- Long story short, I'm a TL and I'm being moved to Presentation from Starbucks. I've never done Presentation. I barely even know what it is. I know it has to do with reading diagrams of how the store should look and planning out far in advance how to make it look that way, but past that... I don't know any of the terminology or ANYTHING. I'm freaking out. This will be the steepest learning curve of my life, and if I don't make it, I will be looking for a new job. (For the record, nobody actually wants to move me; that's part of why this is so awful.)

I don't know what questions to ask y'all, but if anyone wants to tell me what the heck this position entails and convince me I can somehow learn it, uh, that would be great. The way people talk about it, it's horrible and impossible and no one is ever any good at it, so my confidence is already shot and I haven't even tried yet. I really want to believe I can do it, because it wouldn't be the first time I suddenly had to learn to do something I'd never done before, so, maybe?? Help.
 
It's definitely one you learn via experience and each year it gets better since in theory you are setting the same things sometimes in different ways.

With end to end i thought Plano was going away but I have my concerns any store is being successful without any semblance of a Plano time. We are end to end in cosmetics, electronics, market and a&a and we still have a Plano team.
 
HRZone said:
It's definitely one you learn via experience and each year it gets better since in theory you are setting the same things sometimes in different ways.
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I prefer learning by experience (heck, I'd never been a barista before starting at my store) but... going into it with zero experience and I'm meant to be in charge of a team?? I did TLOD shifts for awhile one year when we were shorthanded, and it was awful trying to direct people when I didn't have a clue how SF worked. So I worry this will be the same kind of thing, only I don't know if this team will have my back as much as SF did back then. (Dumb question time: Presentation = Plano = POG?) My one hope is that I was trained on the fly for SF, and this time I know I'm getting fully trained for sure...
 
I went into it with no Plano experience either. Try to get them to send you to another store to train-obviously one with a successful pog team lead. It's not awful actually setting stuff, but the planning is hard. Hopefully you have a good etl.
 
Dc26 said:
I went into it with no Plano experience either. Try to get them to send you to another store to train-obviously one with a successful pog team lead. It's not awful actually setting stuff, but the planning is hard. Hopefully you have a good etl.
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Yes, they are sending me out to a successful TL!! Actually that's calming to hear that this is a really good thing. Thanks! I'm very unsure about the planning aspect, but I think I could get good at that...I do it for Starbucks in 1-2 month timeframes, so I could build on that. What kind of tools did you use to manage the planning aspect? Calendars or anything?
 
Twt, adjacency calendar, and walking the floor and mapping out moves on the new adjacency is how I did it. And I would have one of my experienced tms walk it with me for info on how they did it previously.
 
Planning for SBux and planning for POG are 2 different types of planning. For POG, Target will tell you what you need to do, you just need to learn when and how to allocate the hours needed to complete your projects. For SBux, you can pretty much settle into a daily routine based off of sales.
 
If you have any experienced presentation team members under you, rely on them to show you how transitions and planning have been done before. And they can give you a realistic timeframe for how long Planograms can take to set. My PTL came into the role with only limited salesplan experience and I showed her how to figure out transition plans and the time needed to complete them. It is a huge learning curve but the nice thing about it is after you've cycled thru a year, it roughly repeats itself so it becomes familiar the longer you do it.

She's been in the role 3 years now and while she still often lets me take the lead in planning out transition sequencing, she figures out who we need and when the best day to set certain things should be to maximize output and work around more immediate store needs.

If you can figure out Plano and become a success at it, nothing else will seem like such a daunting challenge because it is one of the hardest areas to master. And you can always ask questions here- there's a lot of knowledgeable people who can help you along!
 
Planning is the key. Try six weeks out. You need to work with your team. You can't except them to reach time lines that you can't reach. Don't set more then you can finish. Set.. Push..backstock..change capacity and quantitys. Don't leave a mess.. So much to say.. you'll learn alot when you go for training.
 
Presentation TL is probably the hardest TL position in the store, and is quite easily the most impactful store wide. You will literally be responsible for everyone of every TL's responsibilities (Except GSTL), in every section (Not at the same time, so don't freak). The good news is, if you pull it off perfectly, you can walk away :D. Getting to that "Walk Away Perfect" moment, is what you should be working toward, this involves HEAVY pre-planning., not just amongst your team, but all who need to know (and even those who don't, but you deem helpful).

PTL's are looked at higher than regular TL's IMO, and when help is needed it is given, more than likely. First and foremost, PLAN AHEAD, then COMMUNICATE that plan to the respective TLs.
 
I've been in my position a little less than a year. It was really daunting at first but what has really helped me was reaching out to other pptls in my district about questions I had. For the most part everyone has been really helpful. I call other stores or I email all the pptls and logistics leaders in our district. And I also do a wins/opps every Friday, along with walking all of my teams pogs to check for errors. I plan every Monday for two weeks out with our hardlines and soft lines leaders.
 
Planning is #1
I print out a transition guide for me and the team lead and highlight what I think is important. Go back in a few days before the set for transition notes. That will tell you issues that you may have(late fixtures, spacing problems etc)
Hopefully you have an experienced team, they will be the workhorses that make or break you
Any person on your team that clings to "old ways" "we used to do it this way" "we never do that" is a cancer and has to either change or go. They will sabotage you
When you plan make sure you are speaking to the TL of the area that will reset. Your partnership can make your job and theirs 10x easier. Selling down clearance plan, flexing new product etc. If its a really big set, consider using a team member from that area to help. They will feel more of an ownership of the area and help maintain it better.
Make sure your team is completing the pogs from beginning to end. That includes cleaning all shelves, new label strip holders, price accuracy labels printed, current signing printed
If your team is responsible for endcaps, make sure you work with the TL. Some stores really let them own their areas and pick and choose endocarps they want to set or forget. If that is the case, always send your ETL an email why something was or was not set at the end of the P
 
tellmeaboutatime said:
Planning is #1
I print out a transition guide for me and the team lead and highlight what I think is important. Go back in a few days before the set for transition notes. That will tell you issues that you may have(late fixtures, spacing problems etc)
Hopefully you have an experienced team, they will be the workhorses that make or break you
Any person on your team that clings to "old ways" "we used to do it this way" "we never do that" is a cancer and has to either change or go. They will sabotage you
When you plan make sure you are speaking to the TL of the area that will reset. Your partnership can make your job and theirs 10x easier. Selling down clearance plan, flexing new product etc. If its a really big set, consider using a team member from that area to help. They will feel more of an ownership of the area and help maintain it better.
Make sure your team is completing the pogs from beginning to end. That includes cleaning all shelves, new label strip holders, price accuracy labels printed, current signing printed
If your team is responsible for endcaps, make sure you work with the TL. Some stores really let them own their areas and pick and choose endocarps they want to set or forget. If that is the case, always send your ETL an email why something was or was not set at the end of the P
Click to expand...

more importantly, do this exact same thing for your Signing TM
 
Your signing team member is your right hand person. They can make or break your position. Make sure you know what their job is too. I have the expectation that my signing Team Member prints out all transition communication for herself. Using that information we make a plan every Friday for the following week. I audit my team including my signing team member on the basics. Are they cleaning? Printing sale signs? You need to set expectations and follow through. Help out your signing team member so if and when they have a heavy workload. Signing is often a thankless position. Everyone will tell you that they are wandering around..... Well that is straight up B.S! I know mine will be checking to see if signing around the store is correct. She is also ordering supplies and such. Don't be stingy with recognition for them!
 
tellmeaboutatime said:
Your signing team member is your right hand person. They can make or break your position. Make sure you know what their job is too. I have the expectation that my signing Team Member prints out all transition communication for herself. Using that information we make a plan every Friday for the following week. I audit my team including my signing team member on the basics. Are they cleaning? Printing sale signs? You need to set expectations and follow through. Help out your signing team member so if and when they have a heavy workload. Signing is often a thankless position. Everyone will tell you that they are wandering around..... Well that is straight up B.S! I know mine will be checking to see if signing around the store is correct. She is also ordering supplies and such. Don't be stingy with recognition for them!
Click to expand...
I dunno it feels like wandering in circles some days :p

Definitely think of your signing tm as another tl without the pay. It seems to be a common theme, and we are often physically with the team more than the ptl, especially if yours is a pptl like mine and pricing is sinking. She takes pricing, I take pog and we get it done.

Yearly notes are good. My file drawer has adjacencies, transition guides, and fixture guides along with sap paperwork and packing slips for my signing pallet. Ptl has community binders of twt, adjacency calender, adjacencies, and core roles. Six weeks out. Ocd is good. But really if you can work the counter in a busy time your brain can get this.
 
Planning is key try to plan as far ahead as possible because things will go wrong, because they wont send you stuff and if you have a plan you atleast know what you're working towards for the week. Also it's good to know the other Plano TLs from near by stores, if you're out of stuff wheel and deal your way like good old lunch room trading of food. Plus they can help you when shit gets weird and you will help them.

Also pre-tie major transitions your backroom and flow TLs will thank you(assume they set up their custom blocks right)
 
semantics said:
Planning is key try to plan as far ahead as possible because things will go wrong, because they wont send you stuff and if you have a plan you atleast know what you're working towards for the week. Also it's good to know the other Plano TLs from near by stores, if you're out of stuff wheel and deal your way like good old lunch room trading of food. Plus they can help you when shit gets weird and you will help them.

Also pre-tie major transitions your backroom and flow TLs will thank you(assume they set up their custom blocks right)
Click to expand...

Your Signing TM will also GREATLY thank you for this as well.
 
You will get dirty looks from other TLs. Somehow they think Plano is simple and a lot of time is wasted. Truth is yes most POG teams have great senses of humor, they have to! When they hear the joking and laughing its only so we are not screaming and crying. Some of the little surprises you encounter
Loads of reshop in areas you have to clear
vomit, chewing tobacco, shit (no kidding here) and gum on shelves that you get the pleasure of cleaning. And don't even get me started on the laundry soap shelves
Label strips that don't show up until a week later
Product that is larger or smaller than will fit, so you get to be "creative"
Hunting down product that hasn't been located in the backroom
Added workload on any given day. Nothing like thinking your done for the week and 3 POGS mysteriously drop in
pages and pages of transition "notes" about all the things you won't get on time to set, things that won't fit, specialty shelves and fixtures that won't arrive on time etc
TLs that think aisles should be completely reset when doing a revision.If I am given 15 minutes to do a 3% revision my team will not be zoning and cleaning the entire aisle
Best thing to do is have the areas TL help you set a large transition. They can see that it isn't fun and games.
I think that every TL should be required to work at least a day in other areas, so they can see the grass really isn't any greener.
Partnerships, a great can do attitude, planning and a great team will make all the difference in your job.
 
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