Archived Who is allowed to boss me around?

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I was having a conversation with the GSA about who was my boss when my ETL-AP was not on site. To my knowledge the only people who can boss me around are my STL and LOD (and maybe Senior TL?). But he went on saying how even the GSTL or any other Team Lead also has the authority to do the same.

I question this because I was in the process of getting a PMR and the GSTL called me over to do something and I respectfully told him that I would do it in a minute, but then proceeded to demand me over there. So I let the PMR go and turned it into a KTR... There goes a Sonos player :/

So my question is what is the chain of command for an AP team member?

Hella politics at my store its disgusting.

UPDATE: Talked to my ETL-AP and APBP about the whole scenario. APBP is going to be coming in for a walk later next week and will have an explicit sit down with the GSTL as well and other TL of the store. GSTL got written up and is now flagged so my ETL-AP keeps an eye on all his transactions and reviews them.
 
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Communication is the key. My gstl knows when my ap is on the hunt, & will wait till he is done. You may want to talk to your gstl, if I say in a minute that means I am watching a boater. Please call the lod for help.
 
Communication is the key. My gstl knows when my ap is on the hunt, & will wait till he is done. You may want to talk to your gstl, if I say in a minute that means I am watching a boater. Please call the lod for help.

I talked to him after and let him know I was working a Guest, but he didn't care for it. He went on and said "I'm technically your boss because I am a Team Lead" "When I call you, Show." -BTW he called me to clear out the Empty Packages Bin... had like 6 clearance items I tossed without even giving them a second look :/

EDIT: I hate my store and random bs like this is making it harder for me to convince myself to stay till the end of 4th quarter. Just out of respect I want to stay because I don't want to leave my ETL-AP out to dry when she really needs me most
 
I would talk to your etl ap & let them what happened. Your gstl is on a power trip. I would say checking on packages, I will do that at a later time. Protecting the store from loss is more important.

For sure, I'll definitely have a word with her when I work next. But otherwise in your opinion what is the chain of command at a store?

(Highest to Lowest)
STL
ETL
Senior TL
AP
TL
TM/GSA
 
No. You are not "my" boss. You may be a Team Lead, but I am not a member of your team. I was hired for a very specific purpose, stopping theft, that takes priority over serving your whims. If you find that unacceptable then I'm going to have to question whether the thief in question that you wish me to stop tailing is a friend of yours and whether it's an inside job that you're potentially involved in.

That's pretty much how that discussion'd go were I a TPS and the GSTL tried telling me I needed to do empty packages RIGHT NOW.
 
lol the empty package bin. That's a routine thing, your GSTL doesn't need to worry about it.

AP is pretty separate from the regular chain of command. He can ask you to do things, but you're not as his beck and call. If he wanted to get you in trouble, he would have to refer to your TL or ETL and they would probably laugh it off. My TL would be pretty pissed if my TPS missed a PMR opportunity because my GSTL wanted him to clear out the damn empty package bin. Next time, just turn down your walkie and venture over there when you can.
 
I was having a conversation with the GSA about who was my boss when my ETL-AP was not on site. To my knowledge the only people who can boss me around are my STL and LOD (and maybe Senior TL?). But he went on saying how even the GSTL or any other Team Lead also has the authority to do the same.

I question this because I was in the process of getting a PMR and the GSTL called me over to do something and I respectfully told him that I would do it in a minute, but then proceeded to demand me over there. So I let the PMR go and turned it into a KTR... There goes a Sonos player :/

So my question is what is the chain of command for an AP team member?

Hella politics at my store its disgusting.

It's agasint policy for the GSTL or anyone to ask you to do a non AP related task. I would report the incident to your ETL-AP or APBP. The GSTL can be written up. It's not a "every store isn't the same" either it's actually a policy to avoid things that happened to you. Your hours don't come from the store, they can't ask you to do non AP tasks.
 
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Even if you're not specifically on the team of that particular TL, you would still need to follow their direction but you being AP, I'm not sure how it works. If I was you I would have politely told him that you are finishing an AP related task. Don't go around acting like no one other than your APTL(if you have one) or ETL-AP can give you direction because you'll make enemies and I'm not implying that you act that way. I just happen to have an AP TM who acts that way and it's annoying. Everyone needs to know how to be a team player.
 
I'm not an AP TM, but from my general understanding of how my store and stores around me operate, AP TM's only take orders from AP leaders and the STL. On occasion, the LOD is included on that list depending on what the request is, but I've heard of a few instances where a TPS flat out told an LOD "No, I'm not doing that." citing their responsibilities as AP as more important. LOD was pissed, but the TPS wasn't disciplined at all for it, and the ETL-AP backed him up. Not saying that you should be an ass to people that ask you to do stuff, but as far as I know, AP tasks come first in the majority of situations, not all, regardless of who tells you otherwise.
 
The only time I have ever asked an AP tm to do something was to help with a spill or something AP related. I think the GSTL is on a power trip and you should address this with your ETL. However, i have coached many TPS tm's on attitude, loafing, etc. As a team lead I still am a supervisor in the store and whether you work in my area or not i am still a supervisor.
 
It's agasint policy for the GSTL or anyone to ask you to do a non AP related task. I would report the incident to your ETL-AP or APBP. The GSTL can be written up. It's not a "every store isn't the same" either it's actually a policy to avoid things that happened to you. Your hours don't come from the store, they can't ask you to do non AP tasks.

It wasn't a non-Ap related task. AP is responsible for going through that bin...preferably before guest service gets completely buried in empty packages that are overflowing from it.

That said, it's pretty clear AP will get around to it whenever they do it in their routines. There is no reason for the GSTL to insist it be done "now" except for two reasons: 1) it was a collaboration with the person taking the other item or 2) they want you at guest services as there is something going down there and they want your presence that isn't just standing there staring at the guest in question.

But even number 2 can generally wait (or the TL or LOD can come up and hang out) if AP is unavailable.

I would say this is less about who is able to boss you around and more about the GSTL working with you to help create a great culture in the front end/store.
 
No. You are not "my" boss. You may be a Team Lead, but I am not a member of your team. I was hired for a very specific purpose, stopping theft, that takes priority over serving your whims. If you find that unacceptable then I'm going to have to question whether the thief in question that you wish me to stop tailing is a friend of yours and whether it's an inside job that you're potentially involved in.

That's pretty much how that discussion'd go were I a TPS and the GSTL tried telling me I needed to do empty packages RIGHT NOW.
This is my first thought. Especially if it didn't come to light after that it was an excuse to get you to gs without a sketchy guest hearing why...
 
No. You are not "my" boss. You may be a Team Lead, but I am not a member of your team. I was hired for a very specific purpose, stopping theft, that takes priority over serving your whims. If you find that unacceptable then I'm going to have to question whether the thief in question that you wish me to stop tailing is a friend of yours and whether it's an inside job that you're potentially involved in.

That's pretty much how that discussion'd go were I a TPS and the GSTL tried telling me I needed to do empty packages RIGHT NOW.
TL is a higher paygrade than ap. Unless you are an aps, aptl then you would be their peer.
 
Even if you're not specifically on the team of that particular TL, you would still need to follow their direction.

Not really sure I agree with that.

A salesfloor Team Lead comes up to one of my cashiers and asks them to do reshop.

I don't think the cashier is just expected to do so. Especially not if there is something else I'd rather them be doing.

At my store that'd never happen though. The LOD comes up to me and asks if I can spare a cashier for some task. They might have the authority to just tell the cashier what to do and not involve me in the conversation, but they don't. Similarly, no TL tells me what to do. They ask me to do things, I typically comply, but they don't tell me what to do any more than I tell them what to do (and I can't remember the last time I asked a TL to do something and they didn't comply).
 
I had ETLs pull cashiers from the lanes without asking me, the GSTL, first. I challenged them. If you want my people, you have to go through me. Because I know them better, I know who I can spare and who will do a good job for you. That being said, the ETL certainly has the authority to pull without asking me just as I as a TL have the authority to pull a SF TM for a task. Using that authority, however, doesn't bode well for a team culture in the store.
 
OP's GSTL is definitely wrong wrong wrong. If I get a situation like that where I need to call AP over and they respond "I'm in the middle of something, can we switch channels?", that's usually enough of a clue for me to know what's up. But it sounds like your GSTL will probably say that everything is urgent, from the sounds of things, just to get you over there. If that's the case, someone needs to slap that fool down.

I mean, obviously, I'd say that engaging with them personally is a big step to getting everything smooth, but if they're more of the authority-type than leadership-type, what can you do? Bring out the real authority, IMO.
 
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Wow. I would mention in that narrative that "due to being called to guest services by the GSTL, to empty the empty package bin, I had to stop surveillance of a booster in possession of a Sonos speaker, which led to the KTR."

That should get your APBP, Investigator and ETL pretty pissed off.

Next time just ignore them. Say your walkie was on another channel. Honestly AP answers to the STL and that's it. I wouldn't go around burning bridges but you have your own department (AP) to worry about. Your GSTL is on a power trip and needs a reality check.
 
Even if you're not specifically on the team of that particular TL, you would still need to follow their direction ...
Not really sure I agree with that.
I agree. Maybe it's just me (and IDGAF what certain TLs say,) but I wouldn't follow a different department's TLs "directives." Then again, we have some who are on power trips and just want to see how far they can assert their "authority." An ETL, maybe, but that's even questionable. It doesn't matter anyway, since I won't be a "Target employee" much longer....
 
Hmm, this is the way I look at it.

If I was GSA, and the in-stocks TL told me to scan outs for the candy at the front lanes while we had lines backed up, he can eat a dick.

If I'm GSA and I'm dealing with a guest issue and the flow TL tells me to push candy? Fuck you.

If I was GSA, and the hardlines TL told me I need to zone the front lanes while we have lines backed, up - suck it.


Yeah, all those scenarios would have something to do with my area, just like empty packages have something to do with yours, but in the end the only real reason for it is because the TL wants something done that benefits them and only them in some way. He/she is not taking into consideration what your priorities are, nor do they care. Grabbing the empty packages helps guest service look cleaner, making the GSTL look better, and he/she obviously cares only about that and not about the entire operations of the store (which is where you and your priorities come in) like a good leader would.

Does a TL out-rank a TM? Yes. But even though your status is TM, you are in charge of running your area and therefore you know what the priorities are. What would your ETL want?

The only time I would drop something super important to do something stupid is if an ETL or higher said so (or TL of my own department). Fuck a TL of a different dept.
 
Not really sure I agree with that.

A salesfloor Team Lead comes up to one of my cashiers and asks them to do reshop.

I don't think the cashier is just expected to do so. Especially not if there is something else I'd rather them be doing.
This is true too, and another way to look at it.

Salesfloor TL's often asked me if they could have one of my cashiers - but never in hell would they or could they just take one of my cashiers. If I said no, then that was that. If I did let them borrow somebody, when I needed them back, I took them back. I didn't have to ask. (although out of common courtesy I would tell them I'm taking xx back because we are busy). Even though I was just a TM, I was a leader in my department, just as most TPS these days are leaders in theirs. A lot of Targets don't have APS or APTLs...just a TPS and ETL-AP. That's it.
 
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For sure, I'll definitely have a word with her when I work next. But otherwise in your opinion what is the chain of command at a store?

(Highest to Lowest)
STL
ETL
Senior TL
AP
TL
TM/GSA

Well technically speaking you're a team member. The simple breakdown goes:
-STL
-ETL (Includes SrETL)
-TL (Includes SrTL)
-TM (includes HRTM, GSA, Receiving, other specialty positions that don't have *TL* by their name on the schedule)

TPS is an ap team member. The way I've heard it described.. There are three "chutes": Store operations, HR, and AP. A team leader is still above you when it comes to pay grade and chain of command, but your job responsibilities shouldn't even line up with store operations in a way that allows TL's (a gstl in this case) to tell you what to do, because your jobs should be SO unrelated and different.

And in your case you were obviously correct in prioritizing what you were doing, and that GSTL was having a power trip, but tread carefully because you're dealing with someone who still outranks you.

On the other hand, I've had TPS get out of line with me in the past. Being AP doesn't give you the authority to tell other people what to do; your rank and ability to work with other people does. I've had a TPS come barging behind the service desk and DEMAND that one of our TM's stops helping the line of guests waiting because he needed non-urgent information.. The TM said "can i finish helping my guests first" and he said "no i'm telling you to do this right now." Needless to say I heard that, pulled him into our office, and coached him on the spot for disrupting the flow of guest traffic for a non-urgent issue. Our STL actually thanked me for sticking to my guns and holding an APTM accountable for inappropriate behavior.
 
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