Archived Tips on becoming a team lead?

[NKG]

I know that to become a team lead is all about individual interest and some cases the talent is scouted by leadership team. Ive expressed an interest and been given the core values. However, I want to know how to be considered a leader? What can I do to stand out? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[HRZone]

What is your work center now? How much experience do you have?

We have a GSA who has been moved to TL bench after only a month!

 

[NKG]

@HRZone- Harlines. Target experience or leadership experience? Almost every job I have Ive been promoted as a lead.

 

[HRZone]

At my store out latest TL was a team trainer/learning mentor. She always took new TMs under her wing and brought them up to code. Really raised her profile in the store.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Being global & willing to work hard. Spot might of notice your performance in soft lines & deli.

 

[NKG]

I am gobal and work extremely hard. I work so hard that I hadn't really made work friends.

 

[Spitfire]

Reposting from another reply of mine on this topic:

Mention to your ETL that you'd like to develop towards TL and ask them to take on more responsibilities. They'll definitely give you something, because team members taking initiative is great and makes everyone's job easier. Manage the execution of said responsibility and you'll prove yourself as someone who gets stuff done and you'll get a great interview story out of it.

Being a TL is more than just being a top performing TM; ask your ETL/STL for responsibilities/projects where you can start flexing your leadership skills. That'll show you're actively invested in your development and should get the ball rolling. Focus on this kind of stuff first, interview prep will come later.

For example, when I was a HLTM yearning for development, my TL made me "in charge" of plastics. What it really was was that his ETL was always getting on him about the zone and fill of plastics, lol. but I took it as an opportunity. Every day when I came in I'd make sure it was zoned to planogram, researched, accurately signed, and that the plastics endcaps were full, impactful and shouted value. After a few weeks of me doing this, sales in plastics actually saw a small boost. When I moved to electronics, having proved myself in plastics (as silly as that sounds) I was put "in charge" of electronics in very much the same capacity, except this was one that also required me to leverage my peers and establish their buy-in.

Like I said, get a responsibility (or even straight up tell them what you'll be focusing on) and then manage the hell out of it.

 

[TM2]

Make sure you actually want it 🙂

 

[glo]

You can work hard and make friends! Politics is part of it, and getting along well with your fellow team members, future possible peers, and leaders is important.

Working hard and keeping your head down will get you labeled as simply a hard worker and not a team lead prospect.

 

[Yetive]

I have to say that I've never seen anyone promoted to TL without the support of other TLs.

 

[NKG]

Update-I was asked if I wanted to start working target café. This seems like the complete opposite of sales team leader. Im trying to figure out how I go from given sales floor team lead core values to working target café...

 

[pinkp2ie]

I have to say that I've never seen anyone promoted to TL without the support of other TLs.

Agreeded, recently our BRTL left, so our flow TL moved over to BRTL and they hired within the new flow TL which she has support from the ETL-LOG a lot- she came from Hardlines...

 

[commiecorvus]

Cafe TL?

 

[NKG]

No not a TL position

 

[glo]

FA is completely isolated from the store. I wouldn't take it.

 

[SrTLall]

I have to say that I've never seen anyone promoted to TL without the support of other TLs.

Our store basically has no one on the bench and not a lot of quality talent left (promoted 3 TMs to TL over the last year) to choose from. STL pulls me in to her office with another ETL and asks me who I thought we should put on the bench. After looking bewildered for a couple seconds she gave me 2 options and I laughed at both saying - 'can you imagine those TMs holding someone accountable?' Next day, I learn one of them has become a TL, LOL.

 

[Yetive]

😱

 

[tgtguy]

Make sure it is something that you really want. Think long and hard about it . Also make sure you know that there is politics involved. Heaven forbid someone would actually be promoted because they are a hard worker and deserve it I have seen tms passed over promotion simply because they didn't kiss the right hiney.

 

[NKG]

Make sure it is something that you really want. Think long and hard about it . Also make sure you know that there is politics involved. Heaven forbid someone would actually be promoted because they are a hard worker and deserve it I have seen tms passed over promotion simply because they didn't kiss the right hiney.

My arch nemesis sucks up so much. I would feel more threatened if she wasn't just barely 18 but you know that makes you automatically leadership material. I dont like favoritism. Like me for my job and the work I do not because im buddy buddy with everyone.

 

[PassinTime]

Update-I was asked if I wanted to start working target café. This seems like the complete opposite of sales team leader. Im trying to figure out how I go from given sales floor team lead core values to working target café...

Other than possibly getting you more hours, I don't see any benefit to addding FA to your repitoire. Can't see it helping you move to TL. I'm guessing they are desperate for help in FA.

 

[squirrely]

In order to promote, cross train to any work center they ask you to. Being a TL requires you to be global and knowing the whole store. Not necessarily cafe, but it doesn't hurt.

 

[SASSYJJ]

Other than possibly getting you more hours, I don't see any benefit to addding FA to your repitoire. Can't see it helping you move to TL. I'm guessing they are desperate for help in FA.

Yeah. Cafe TL are hard to come by. Not everyone wants to be stuck up there... that's why I haven't cross trained there yet. Other than that, take it. They remember who declines. They won't ask ever again. Take it. Express your interest in HL. I was lucky that my HL TL left after my starting. So they immediately pulled me. Tell your STL that you are definitely interested in being in HL but if cafe is where they want you, you'll take it.

 

[NKG]

So slowly losing hope in Target- found out we are getting a new HL TL because the old one is moving back home to be closer to home. Instead of just doing interviews they just let someone from another district transfer in. I almost just want to be a HRTM so I can just work m-f and deal with no disappointment.

 

[SrTLall]

Yeah. Cafe TL are hard to come by. Not everyone wants to be stuck up there... that's why I haven't cross trained there yet. Other than that, take it. They remember who declines. They won't ask ever again. Take it. Express your interest in HL. I was lucky that my HL TL left after my starting. So they immediately pulled me. Tell your STL that you are definitely interested in being in HL but if cafe is where they want you, you'll take it.

There are perks to being Cafe TL. Better hours (IMO), fewer TMs to develop, and it's like running your own business as you don't have to deal with anything going on in the rest of the store (for example if your BR team is terrible, it effects everyone, but not Cafe. If your SF team is bad, it effects everyone, but not Cafe). This changed a few years ago, but it was cool when Target flew me to Dallas for a couple of days to train for Pizza Hut.

 

[Apapaia]

Update-I was asked if I wanted to start working target café. This seems like the complete opposite of sales team leader. Im trying to figure out how I go from given sales floor team lead core values to working target café...

FA is very isolated but if I were you I would agree to take some shifts. It's notmally one of the areas in the store that suffers from a lack of leadership (not lack of leaders) but can help you show your leaders how you manage execution and how you improve the processes.
I started in FA, I did my best to impact the inventory, took charge or the ordering, and gave myself the captainship in food safety and sales. After 11 months I was promoted to HR. Now, a year later, they still use me as support/resource/new tms training whenever they need, I am working on getting benched as a TL.
To make it short, don't say no, it can help you gain credibility/experience for a food leader position. Agree to 2-3 days a week but try to not get stuck there because unless tou have good leadership, you are stuck.
Hope that makes sense