Archived Young STL

[Kartman]

Coming up on my 2nd year - 3rd STL. I sure don't see him around much...

 

[Yetive]

Ugh. Stuck with mine for an eternity.

 

[cobycord]

At my old store all the ETL's were about mid 30's never that young. If I was 23 and an STL at Target I would shoot myself in the foot. Those people have no life they're literally always at the store even when they're not at the store.

So true, my STL showed me her schedule and everything made sense on why she was either in her office or gone. Constant conference calls, business college visits, store support, etc.

 

[SoftlinesSleuth]

In 3 years I've had 4 STL's (in 2 stores), 1 was 26, 2 were 28 or 29, and my current one is 34.

 

[Joejoe12]

So true, my STL showed me her schedule and everything made sense on why she was either in her office or gone. Constant conference calls, business college visits, store support, etc.

Mine did that to once when we all passed a comment that it must be nice to only be in the store once a week. I understand that they get paid good money but seeing her schedule and the fact that even on your off day your still working am not sure if an STL position is worth the trouble

 

[cobycord]

I know a lot of people might hate me for s aying it but.....being able to live on the executive side for the summer I finally understand.....only speaking for my store....what ETLs go thru.....people saying that ETLs don't do anything when in all actuality they're more than likely working in another area, people saying their ETL is lazy when they're probably on the phone explaining situations to the STL, people saying that the ETL doesn't care about their problems when they have 30 other TMs that have problems also.....the list goes on and I can understand how people can get a certain perception on some things....especially when it's a TL saying the negative things to TMs about the ETLs when their supposed to be supporting them....I told my STL during a status one day that being able to live on the the ETL side I see now that they're in a damned if they do damned if they don't situation. People get upset and say that they never see her around and that she never comes out of her office...but then if she did start to come around more often or walk peoples areas a lot more rather than just walk them during ETL walks then they'd say she was micromanaging them smh.

 

[Coqui]

The issue is when the ETLs have zero accountability and immediately place blame of their mistakes and faults on their TLs and some extent the TMs. That's when the ETL relationship with their area is damaged. My team for instance knew I wasn't being supported by my previous ETL because she didn't want to be involved at all and any obstacles she just expected me to resolve them without her ever doing anything about it. TLs are the ones running the store for the most part while the ETLs are busy having meetings and constantly eating lunch together while we are dealing with running the store. Being an ETL should be about supporting their department and driving results and escalating issues when their TLs aren't able to fully address the problem. Let's face it, most ETLs we have had just don't want to get their hands dirty especially when they hire fresh out of college graduates with zero work experience and then they find out they have to work 10-12 hour days or more and can't go home on Thanksgivingn or other holidays and end up quiting.

 

[HRZone]

The issue is when the ETLs have zero accountability and immediately place blame of their mistakes and faults on their TLs and some extent the TMs. That's when the ETL relationship with their area is damaged. My team for instance knew I wasn't being supported by my previous ETL because she didn't want to be involved at all and any obstacles she just expected me to resolve them without her ever doing anything about it. TLs are the ones running the store for the most part while the ETLs are busy having meetings and constantly eating lunch together while we are dealing with running the store. Being an ETL should be about supporting their department and driving results and escalating issues when their TLs aren't able to fully address the problem. Let's face it, most ETLs we have had just don't want to get their hands dirty especially when they hire fresh out of college graduates with zero work experience and then they find out they have to work 10-12 hour days or more and can't go home on Thanksgivingn or other holidays and end up quiting.

All my ETL's are in their 20's and for the most part they get it. You're only as good as your TL's if they undermine you or can't stand you then the team members won't respect you. It sounds like your ETL takes all the glory and won't get their hands dirty, that's frustrating for sure, hang in there.

 

[Coqui]

All my ETL's are in their 20's and for the most part they get it. You're only as good as your TL's if they undermine you or can't stand you then the team members won't respect you. It sounds like your ETL takes all the glory and won't get their hands dirty, that's frustrating for sure, hang in there.

She's no longer my ETL, so I'm good. The last one I had was great but she got moved to another store. Anyway the ETL that I had before the good one just wanted to take the credit for everything but not lift a finger when it counted. She doesn't have my respect and my team didn't respect her either. I just tolerated her but in the end, I never really needed her to do my job.

 

[cobycord]

The issue is when the ETLs have zero accountability and immediately place blame of their mistakes and faults on their TLs and some extent the TMs. That's when the ETL relationship with their area is damaged. My team for instance knew I wasn't being supported by my previous ETL because she didn't want to be involved at all and any obstacles she just expected me to resolve them without her ever doing anything about it. TLs are the ones running the store for the most part while the ETLs are busy having meetings and constantly eating lunch together while we are dealing with running the store. Being an ETL should be about supporting their department and driving results and escalating issues when their TLs aren't able to fully address the problem. Let's face it, most ETLs we have had just don't want to get their hands dirty especially when they hire fresh out of college graduates with zero work experience and then they find out they have to work 10-12 hour days or more and can't go home on Thanksgivingn or other holidays and end up quiting.

I completely agree with you on when you say that it's TLs making the store run but it's the ETLs job to manage HOW it runs. A good example is today I told a TM that we needed to start pushing any BTS freight that we had to the floor so that we could get everything filled in BTS and home office. plus doing that would help to get the backroom cleaned up. Well the TL pulls me to the side and says that he's the TL and to let him run his team the way he sees fit. I told him that the focus should be trying to get BTS full because it's gonna be tax free weekend and he said he was more worried about getting the line clean....long story short, even though I could I wasn't about to argue so I just shot a quick text to the STL so she could handle it....at the end of the day I feel like the ETL is the driver of the bus and the TLs and TMs are the engine and wheels. If one falls asleep or stops working then everything stops so EVERYONE needs to work together.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

That tl needs to get a crib. Bts is top dog. You did the right thing. My stl would back you on it.

 

[cobycord]

Unfortunately the store I'm at has this mentality that they've outlasted every ETL and STL so they're the ones in charge so when someone new comes in that has the authority to have them shift their focus away from what THEY wanna do they have a hard time dealing with this. I say it this way....I could hire any person off the street and give them a few weeks of training to learn how to do strays, zone, and set salesplanners. But a TL needs to know their areas and know the business, the focus, and how things are selling to make their areas more profitable.

 

[Coqui]

It's a culture shock for them so to speak. They will either get with the program or move on.

 

[cobycord]

It's a culture shock for them so to speak. They will either get with the program or move on.

There's so much pushback that all I can do is shake my head some days and think this won't happen at whatever store I go to.

 

[Coqui]

If there's pushback where nothing is getting done, people need to start having performance conversations with these TMs.

 

[cobycord]

If there's pushback where nothing is getting done, people need to start having performance conversations with these TMs.

My mentor hates confrontation and the other day my STL said it the best way she could. "Either you're gonna have to start hurting people's feelings with coachings or you're gonna start getting your feelings hurt".

 

[sher]

My current stl is 28 or 29, and he came to my store about 2 years ago, and was an stl for maybe a year prior. My etls are mostly mostly young, but I don't think their shortcomings are because of their ages. I think they're bad for other reasons. I know they have office work to do, I know the stl texts them all day and asks them for tweetable zone pics lol, I know they're following orders sometimes, I know they have to consider the dtl's wishes. I understand all of that. My complaints aren't related to how much they do or don't do. They don't do half as much as the old leadership, but we also had more etls back then. The way they "lead" leaves a bit to be desired, though. They talk shit about TMs... To other TMs... As if the rumor mill is dead. My own story was told to me today lol, so that's not the case. Also, they're just mean to TMs sometimes.

You guys know that meme about leading vs bossing? It's that. My old stl would stay late to help on the floor, he's gone on register, he's made time to help. I'm sure he had tons of other shit to do, but he made/found time for us. I definitely complained about him in the rant thread, but I mean, no ones great all the time.

 

[HRZone]

We were really short in flow and our ETL jumped in and started working there. Hes quirky but he seems to really value hard work.