Archived Should I follow an ETL's order from a different workcenter ASAP?

[Leonhart621]

I was thinking about this earlier.

A hardlines TL told a fellow logistics backroom TM to pull a batch. It was already too late when I found out but I told the TM we can't exactly follow a TL from another workcenter when our own ETL (Logistics) expects us to finish our job.

No offense. I don't mind helping out if it's only take a few minutes but if we have a lot of backstock, we have to do our job first before we do the 30 minute batch you want us to pull.

Which came to my mind, what if an ETL from a different workcenter tells me what to do. Should I stop what I'm doing and do the ETL's order or only my ETL can tell us what to do.

 

[ptl]

Any ETL--or any TL for that matter--can tell/ask you to do something. They're all supposed to be business owners and are expected to use the resources at hand to accomplish the store's goals. Remember, we're all one team.

In this specific situation, I'd always suggest doing the pull for the HLTL. The thing is, backstock can be done later. Any BRTM can do it. But that batch is (presumably) for an endcap or aisle that is sitting empty on the floor (or at least about to become empty). If it doesn't get pulled, we're losing sales because of the empty space. Furthermore, that HLTL has a plan in place for someone to stock it--but if it doesn't get pulled in a timely manner, that plan may fall apart and then someone else--possibly even the BRTM who pulls it--is going to have to change their plans in order to make time to stock it.

That being said, this is a pretty specific situation. Pulling > Backstocking pretty much always. In other situations where you are getting conflicting guidance from leaders, I'd say the answer is always simply to tell them about it. "But HLTL, ETL-LOG asked me to make sure I got this backstock done. Would you be willing to tell her that you're putting me on this batch for a while so she'll know why I don't quite finish the backstock?" Pretty easy. If the ETL disagrees with the TL regarding which task is more important for the business, that's something those two will have to work out between themselves.

 

[StateofTarget]

Proper thing to do is to tell the ETL that another ETL gave you an instruction, and ask what they want you to do now that you have informed them of the conflict. As long as you tell the ETL that their instructions contradict what another ETL told you then *you can not get in trouble*. That ETL will either decide to tell you "never mind" or override the previous ETL. If the ETL they override has a problem with it, then it is a problem between those two ETLs to solve at that point - not you.

Do *not* simply decide to listen to one over the other without making the ETL aware of the conflict.... at that point you are being insubordinate.

Also do *not* assume that because you are a logistics TM that the ETL-LOG is the only ETL you have to listen to. So, don't just choose to do something else because the ETL-LOG wants it done if the ETL-HL tells you otherwise. For all you know, the ETL-HL may have just taken over as LOD and therefore outranks the ETL-LOG during that period of time.

Anyway - the point is *always* tell an ETL if what they are telling you to do contradicts what another ETL told you to do. It is up to the ETL to decide which instruction takes precedence at that point - not the TM.

If it is a conflict between what a TL told you to do and an ETL - do the exact same thing. Either make the TL aware of the conflict or the ETL. If you tell the ETL, more than likely they will override the TL. If you tell the TL, then that TL (should) tell you to forget it and do what the ETL told you. There is a possibility that the TL will tell you to forget about what the ETL told you to do, but that should only happen if the TL already partnered with the ETL to get the approval to do that. If a TL tries to "override" an ETL, still do what the TL says as long as you tell them it contradicts what an ETL told you to do before. If it turns out that the TL was not authorized to do that later on, just make sure to tell the ETL that the TL contradicted them. It is an issue between the ETL and TL and that point - not you.

 

[naterstx]

Ptl stated it perfectly.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

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Ptl stated it perfectly.

Indeed, ptl did. I do pull my own batches, backroom is in really bad shape. All tl's should be cross trained in backroom, except fa & stbx. Our gstls' know how to pull too.

 

[Logistics Monkey]

i love it when they put a pull in, call me and i tell them it will be a lil bit then proceed to ask me every 5 minutes if its pulled yet :/ wouldnt want to come pull it yourself would ya -_-

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

i love it when they put a pull in, call me and i tell them it will be a lil bit then proceed to ask me every 5 minutes if its pulled yet :/ wouldnt want to come pull it yourself would ya -_-

Don't worry! I will do mine.

 

[Leonhart621]

Now that I think about it, I think this is the only TL (hardlines) backroom's having trouble with. The other TLs and Senior TLs pull their own batches and ask us nicely if we can backstock their stuff. As for this TL, she tells us to pull her own batches and then leave her backstock in the backroom.

We don't mind helping any TLs except for this HLTL.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Now that I think about it, I think this is the only TL (hardlines) backroom's having trouble with. The other TLs and Senior TLs pull their own batches and ask us nicely if we can backstock their stuff. As for this TL, she tells us to pull her own batches and then leave her backstock in the backroom.

We don't mind helping any TLs except for this HLTL.

Ask your brtl to get that thltl trained. Also, let them know the issues with that hltl.

 

[stupid rules]

Now that I think about it, I think this is the only TL (hardlines) backroom's having trouble with. The other TLs and Senior TLs pull their own batches and ask us nicely if we can backstock their stuff. As for this TL, she tells us to pull her own batches and then leave her backstock in the backroom.

We don't mind helping any TLs except for this HLTL.

So you have a problem with having to do your job?

 

[commiecorvus]

The fun part of being a team of one is that everybody is your boss.
I just keep a log, prioritize and keep the PTL informed of what I'm doing.
If one of the ETL's complains that something hasn't gotten done I have a TL and the paperwork to back me up.

 

[Logistics Monkey]

do you guys really have TL's etc that pull their own batches and BS? in my 3 years at target i have seen one TL pull a batch, rest of the time they drop em and bring all the backstock back to me and then leave

 

[StateofTarget]

do you guys really have TL's etc that pull their own batches and BS? in my 3 years at target i have seen one TL pull a batch, rest of the time they drop em and bring all the backstock back to me and then leave

When I was a TL, I actually pulled all of my POG fills for sales planners. (well, nearly all of them) It was actually fun for me because it gave me a break from guests.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

do you guys really have TL's etc that pull their own batches and BS? in my 3 years at target i have seen one TL pull a batch, rest of the time they drop em and bring all the backstock back to me and then leave

When I was a TL, I actually pulled all of my POG fills for sales planners. (well, nearly all of them) It was actually fun for me because it gave me a break from guests.

Same reason as sot.

 

[stupid rules]

We used to pull them at our store, now our STL doesn't want anyone back there pulling unless it's a brtm. We have purposely left empty endcaps for days just to make them aware that the process they want done is not working. Seriously though, if I drop some pogs on Tuesday and I don't get them until Friday then I don't want to hear a god damn word about it sitting on the line over the weekend.