Archived To the PA...

[consume]

You guys are awesome. In 5 years I've had 3 that were great, 1 that was awful. You make the burden of pfresh possible (or incredibly difficult, lol). I actually fought to have my current PA get alternating weekends off.. She's my right hand (wo)man!

CTLs, I'm curious how your business partnership with your PA is... Good or bad..

PAs, how great (or not so much, we could use feedback) is it having a CTL?

 

[consume]

I was a pa for a half year and my CTL was awesome, we still talk all the time, sharing crappy stories about work

 

[consume]

Another thing. CTLs, you should have as much trust in your PA as you would a friend.. One who works for you.. And keep them as much in the loop as possible.. They back you up, they're you when you're not there.. If you don't have an informed pa, you have a TM who culls and could possibly order..
Mine built 4 salesplanners today while she was a mid (which I also fought for, mids) just because we joke over who builds salesplanners better and I had a dictionary thick set when I first printed them out, so we both had plenty to prove a point over

 

[Market Boy]

The PAs are the only reason Pfresh can function properly - fact! I'm alloted 2 for my store. I've always had good ones. Having solid PAs to handle pfresh lets me be able to spend most of my day with dry market and all the vendors, among other hardline departments and responsibilities. The PA is a great vehicle for promotion, as it gives a high level of responsibility and scope in the store without some of the stresses and responsibilities of being a TL. I've now mentored and promoted 4 of my PAs to a TL level position. In my store, since I've taken over the logistics functions of pfresh as well (working the trucks and autofills), the PAs have also been my generals when it comes to overseeing all that work and having close relationships with our pfresh tms that perform these roles).

The level of expectations and workload for the PAs in my store rival that, and in some cases, surpass those of some TLs. That's probably why they have all been so successful. At the end of the day, I basically treat them as partners, not assistants, and I believe that has been key in their development. Rarely will I step in and tell them "don't do it that way, do it this way." When they occasionally ask me, "what should I do about this situation?" my response is usually, what do YOU think you should do, and give them pros and cons of a given example. I almost never make any decisions for them.

So yes, Target brethren, I raise my glass and say CHEERS TO THE PA! MAY YOU LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!!

 

[consume]

CHEERS!!!

 

[Market Boy]

Yeah, my PAs are on opposite rotating weekends. When mytime rolled out, there was a concern that they would get screwed and be on every weekend, like what happened to softlines brand, etc. However, I made it a point to challenge for them to maintain their weekends, because I believe that "Best Practice" says no to that. STL saw it my way, probably because of my and their track record of results in the past. I'm glad we got to keep them on their schedule. Makes them look more legit as leaders in the store. I've always made it a point to treat them as a TL partner, and share with them just about everything, good and bad, minus the super confidential stuff that would get my ass in trouble lol.

 

[consume]

Absolutely the same way I handle it, like I said, they have to be you when you're not there and a happy and informed pa is a you pa lol

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I am a PA with a partner PA and a CTL, my partner (who is newer, even though I have only been a PA for almost a year, I am seen as the "Veteran". I alternate weekends alone, while the other PA has weekends with the CTL.

I see Perishables Assistant as probably the most Hybrid of all non-TL positions. I also think that if you can be a good PA you could probably be a good anything in the store.

I'd be perfectly fine, and probably happier if my CTL never stepped in my PFresh, lol.

Since I have been a PA I have not had a CTL who was great at communication, I will however, chalk this up to us not having god damn E-mail. If we had E-mail I believe our lives would be VASTLY better.

My situation as a PA has been rather strange as the PA who trained me (We were Ying/Yang) so different yet worked so well together, quit, the same day my CTL did (He was planning on it, but never fessed up to me about it). So having been a PA for about 6-7 months at that point I became the go to guy, and have had to train my new CTL and PA.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

Another thing. CTLs, you should have as much trust in your PA as you would a friend.. One who works for you.. And keep them as much in the loop as possible.. They back you up, they're you when you're not there.. If you don't have an informed pa, you have a TM who culls and could possibly order..
Mine built 4 salesplanners today while she was a mid (which I also fought for, mids) just because we joke over who builds salesplanners better and I had a dictionary thick set when I first printed them out, so we both had plenty to prove a point over

My stores "Salesplanner" Captain took over ours, You guys are allowed to do Salesplanners during mids? We were usually questioned if we didn't have them done by 11am. I think my record in a shift was 6, (all the cooler/freezer endcaps). I Q-mosed some Donuts for the Backroom guys that day.

 

[consume]

@BigEyedPhish yeah, my pa and closers are under my hours, they do what I need them to and I tell them to try and avoid leaving my department as much as possible because no one uses their hours to help me or blitz market at the end of the night.
We're a tightly knit team, more like a family.
And I wish I had a sptl, I have to do all the crap ppl without them think is tough, plus a dictionary thick stack of sps

 

[BigEyedPhish]

@BigEyedPhish yeah, my pa and closers are under my hours, they do what I need them to and I tell them to try and avoid leaving my department as much as possible because no one uses their hours to help me or blitz market at the end of the night.
We're a tightly knit team, more like a family.
And I wish I had a sptl, I have to do all the crap ppl without them think is tough, plus a dictionary thick stack of sps

He's not a TL, but he thinks he is. lol.

 

[consume]

Lol

 

[Gulfcoast]

I adore my PA. I'm slotted for two more, three in total, but, ha ha, jokes on me, I'm less of a CTL, more of an additional PA. I'm constantly scheduled as coverage for the department, and then expected to do all the normal work in addition to slps and 4x4s across three depts (dry/pfresh, pets, chemicals), and I'm expecting them to drop seasonal on me soon too.

Sadly, my PA has no ambition and doesn't want to be a leader. I've shown her how to plan slps and how to work the entire process on them, but she gets upset when I don't lay out exactly what she should be working on every day. I fully expect to go in tomorrow to no slps tied and dropped in the gun for me. If I don't come 100% this week, guess who's probably going to end up on a CA? This guy.

Guess who gets scheduled, every time, for three closing TL shifts the week grocery slps come up for reset? This guy.

 

[whippingboy]

Our PAs (Super) are questionable at best. Besides their horrendous attendance issues, they really are just team members who do whatever they're told. Salesplanners are done by the TLs at my store. One PA hates slimy stuff (produce) the other refuses to write on cakes (bakery) and both refuse to back up Starbucks. They are overpaid market team members at my store and probably not needed at a Super.