Archived Strange TM behavior

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Hi all,

My store has a sales floor team member that that keeps a binder of ways he/she can improve Target, and keeps track of TMs that do a poor job. This person leaves the binder in a locker or behind a counter on the floor while on the clock, and sometimes adds to it while on the clock. This TM takes the binder home at the end of the day. Other TMs have found the binder behind counters/in spill station cabinets and have seen its contents. I'm almost 100% sure the LODs know about it (as the behavior is really obvious), but this has been going on for a few months and I haven't seen anything be done about it.

When I was being trained years ago, I accidentally left the store with a sales floor training manual in my back pocket and an LOD saw it and flipped out on me. Isn't this kind of the same thing? I mean the TM has only been there for about half a year and the fact that the person is keeping a detailed account of others' performance like that makes the rest of us pretty uncomfortable.

Thoughts?
 
I couldn't think of a more appropriate coaching. Good one ;)
 
Hi all,

My store has a sales floor team member that that keeps a binder of ways he/she can improve Target, and keeps track of TMs that do a poor job. This person leaves the binder in a locker or behind a counter on the floor while on the clock, and sometimes adds to it while on the clock. This TM takes the binder home at the end of the day. Other TMs have found the binder behind counters/in spill station cabinets and have seen its contents. I'm almost 100% sure the LODs know about it (as the behavior is really obvious), but this has been going on for a few months and I haven't seen anything be done about it.

When I was being trained years ago, I accidentally left the store with a sales floor training manual in my back pocket and an LOD saw it and flipped out on me. Isn't this kind of the same thing? I mean the TM has only been there for about half a year and the fact that the person is keeping a detailed account of others' performance like that makes the rest of us pretty uncomfortable.

Thoughts?

Two possibilities here:

1. This TM is a narc and is showing this binder to the ETLs. In other words, ETLs condone his/her binder and records because they are (or plan to) use the information against poor performers. Since you have seen the binder and are sure that it contains information on poor performing TMs, this is a high possibility.

2. This TM is not actually a TM at all. It is possible that this TM was hired by HQ or district to takes notes on your store as a 3rd party observer. In other words, this TM reports to the DTL (or someone else) with his/her observations of your store and not your store leadership. Since the binder also has ways to improve the store, this is also a high possibility.

It pretty much has to be one of the two possibilities above. Otherwise, ETLs would never condone a TM writing down all of this information about other TMs/Target/the store. In other words, this is something "official" going on that has been sanctioned by leadership.
 
One thing I left out in the original post was that this TM displays obsessive compulsive behavior. The TM freaks out when things don't go according to plan. Using the Vibe to bend the "classic" Target rules sends this TM into a little frenzy. If something does not get done, this TM gets extremely upset about it. Slow (and excessively thorough) zoner. This TM has been moved around to different workcenters several times because of poor relations with guests. It's hard to explain, but if you knew the person and worked with him/her, you'd think that person is a little off. Everyone agrees that this TM is odd and the LODs frequently roll their eyes at this TM's antics.

I really don't think this TM is a corporate plant. I think its just an oddball that leadership doesn't want to deal with.
 
One thing I left out in the original post was that this TM displays obsessive compulsive behavior. The TM freaks out when things don't go according to plan. Using the Vibe to bend the "classic" Target rules sends this TM into a little frenzy. If something does not get done, this TM gets extremely upset about it. Slow (and excessively thorough) zoner. This TM has been moved around to different workcenters several times because of poor relations with guests. It's hard to explain, but if you knew the person and worked with him/her, you'd think that person is a little off. Everyone agrees that this TM is odd and the LODs frequently roll their eyes at this TM's antics.

I really don't think this TM is a corporate plant. I think its just an oddball that leadership doesn't want to deal with.

Actually, this sounds exactly like a corporate plant.

You think he got moved to different workcenters because of guest issues..... but if this TM is a plant this is exactly what they would do.... move this TM all over the store so they can get dirt on everyone in every workcenter. This TM might intentionally be acting this way as a cover to explain why they are being moved all over the store. Since this TM has only been at your store a few months, they would have termed this TM.... not moved them to multiple workcenters. Something is definitely not right with this picture. Standard procedure would be to term this TM before 90 days at the first sign of trouble.... not move them all over the store.

Let me say that again - TMs acting like this get termed (especially new ones like this one) - not moved to multiple workcenters. Moving a TM to multiple different workcenters actually makes it much harder to term them for performance. (they have to do a new training plan for the new workcenter before your can performance them, new TLs have to start coaching them all over again, you have to find new things they are doing wrong in the new workcenter, etc.) This is way way way way out of the ordinary.

But yes, if this TM is a plant they would not be acting like the perfect TM. They would intentionally be acting like a little brat so that disgruntled TMs would be more likely to talk to them and tell them things they shouldn't. A top performing TM is not going to be someone disgruntled TMs open up to and gravitate towards.... but the "odd ball" is typically the person a disgruntled TM/poor performer would be more likely to associate with and open up to.

Question - has anyone at your store talked about unions in the past few months? Or are there a lot of TMs who are disgruntled that are not on the ETLs radar? Many years ago, corporate actually sent people into the store as plants to find out who was a potential union organizer.
 
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No union chatter whatsoever. About 75% of our TM's are high school/college students who just work part time. I've worked at stores that had a lot of talk about organizing, but this one is quite the opposite. Acting the way this TM does repels TM's. This TM is more of a loner on the floor and in the break room.
 
No union chatter whatsoever. About 75% of our TM's are high school/college students who just work part time. I've worked at stores that had a lot of talk about organizing, but this one is quite the opposite. Acting the way this TM does repels TM's. This TM is more of a loner on the floor and in the break room.

Well, it is possible that this TM is just keeping notes on poor performers and got the idea all on their own.

Best thing to do is avoid this TM. Those notes on poor performing TMs are not being taken for no reason. Even if this TM isn't a narc at the moment, it sounds like he plans on becoming one..... Otherwise, I can't see any other purpose for documenting poor performers. I would bet there is a 99% chance those notes on poor performers will end up in an ETLs hands eventually.....
 
Sot- do they really still hire these undercover people? I have only seen this once. I only ask because there is this "new" questionable individual at my store now.
Hi all,

My store has a sales floor team member that that keeps a binder of ways he/she can improve Target, and keeps track of TMs that do a poor job. This person leaves the binder in a locker or behind a counter on the floor while on the clock, and sometimes adds to it while on the clock. This TM takes the binder home at the end of the day. Other TMs have found the binder behind counters/in spill station cabinets and have seen its contents. I'm almost 100% sure the LODs know about it (as the behavior is really obvious), but this has been going on for a few months and I haven't seen anything be done about it.

When I was being trained years ago, I accidentally left the store with a sales floor training manual in my back pocket and an LOD saw it and flipped out on me. Isn't this kind of the same thing? I mean the TM has only been there for about half a year and the fact that the person is keeping a detailed account of others' performance like that makes the rest of us pretty uncomfortable.

Thoughts?

Two possibilities here:

1. This TM is a narc and is showing this binder to the ETLs. In other words, ETLs condone his/her binder and records because they are (or plan to) use the information against poor performers. Since you have seen the binder and are sure that it contains information on poor performing TMs, this is a high possibility.

2. This TM is not actually a TM at all. It is possible that this TM was hired by HQ or district to takes notes on your store as a 3rd party observer. In other words, this TM reports to the DTL (or someone else) with his/her observations of your store and not your store leadership. Since the binder also has ways to improve the store, this is also a high possibility.

It pretty much has to be one of the two possibilities above. Otherwise, ETLs would never condone a TM writing down all of this information about other TMs/Target/the store. In other words, this is something "official" going on that has been sanctioned by leadership.
 
Could be a plant, maybe. My suggestion is, if you find that book, take to it to hr without delay. Show it to them & express your concerns.
Because it has document events about other tm's, sorta like a low tech version of Facebook. I would consider it a violation of spot social media policy.
 
It might be his hobby, he may keep track of things and figure out ways to improve them.
It might be something he's doing for school, analyzing productivity and writing a detailed paper on it.
It might be the only way he can socialize with others because he's a SAP.
It might be as others have said. I wouldn't worry with it as long as he's not putting things like phone numbers and such in it.
He may be keeping details on everything to cover his own ass, document, document, document. If they are out to get him then maybe it's his protection.

Honestly from your first sentence, ways to improve Target, I see no harm in it. The poor guy is just trying to make **** better. I did the same thing, I kept detailed notes on different departments and ways to improve productivity, how to improve processes, equipment, etc. Some of them have been implemented at my store, some haven't....wait, unless you work with me (j/k).
 
Does this TM look like this...
Sheldon_Cooper.jpg
 
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We had a HQ plant at my store actually. They were pretty upfront about it though, and the reason they were there... They were only a TM so they didn't really have any power. This individual was a massive tool so pretty much everyone hated him. Just thought i'd chime in that it DOES happen....
 
i would just ask him about it. it could be a million reasons, but if he's on the up and up :)spiteful:) he won't care to explain. tell him it makes people nervous around him. maybe he has SAD, and doesn't know how to fit in. or maybe he is a big jerk. either way, if he's got time to write, he's got time to push reshop, zone, etc.
 
Make it "disappear" accidentally. Throw it in a mop bucket full of bleach and piss.
 
We had a HQ plant at my store actually. They were pretty upfront about it though, and the reason they were there... They were only a TM so they didn't really have any power. This individual was a massive tool so pretty much everyone hated him. Just thought i'd chime in that it DOES happen....

What exactly was his job? Just to work and record how the store is run?
 
At my store it was a GSA. He was actually a Cashier that I had trained in under seasonal, and he was PHENOMENAL at getting REDCards. Unprecedented.

Anyways after he left, I think he got a GSA position at the Target near where he goes to school. When he was back in my area for a couple weeks HQ allocated him 80 hours as a "float" at my store to help out at guest service/gsa/etc. and his job was to raise conversion (we were yellow ytd)

He used a lot of scare tactics on people, and made one of our cashiers cry.. Also tried telling me how to do my job better, and tried telling me what to do. Didn't work out so well for him, my ETL-GE had to have a chat with him.

But yeah last I heard he got signed off as a GSTL somewhere.... God help that store.
 
i would just ask him about it. it could be a million reasons, but if he's on the up and up :)spiteful:) he won't care to explain. tell him it makes people nervous around him. maybe he has SAD, and doesn't know how to fit in. or maybe he is a big jerk. either way, if he's got time to write, he's got time to push reshop, zone, etc.

I agree, just ask or ignore it. I have SAD and even I don't do anything as strange as that.
 
I never said it was a guy ;)

If female, is her name Harriet?
Could be you have someone who is OCD and needs the comfort of writing everything down to feel in control.
For the same reason they would freak out when people step outside the rules.
If the person is placed through a program like DVR than you might run into a situation where HR would transfer them rather than just fire them because you are dealing with somebody with a disability.
 
The binder is no one's business, so he wrote something down. Get over it, you wrote something about him here. It's the same damn thing.
 
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