Job Angst / Venting

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 03:24 PM

I'm sitting here crying. And that's ridiculous in and of itself. But I don't see a way that it's not going to be over.

I'm an Assistant Manager with Starbucks, as some may remember. My last store I RAN for 8 months. Top to bottom. Got a CE (Consistently Exceeds, essentially the top mark) on my last review, etc.
Moved stores in November (to a new District Manager as well) to make room for a promotion in my old store (girl that I pushed and trained up and everything). And now in the last 3 months...I've been written up 4 times and I've gone from going to work early and staying late just to hang out and make sure things run smoothly to sitting in my car until 2 minutes before my shift/booking it right at the end of the day. So essentially I've gone from a CE to a NI (Needs Improvement, the worst rating) in 3 months, despite being ready for promotion (promotion-presentation done, just waiting on second interview). I'm sure my second interview won't happen now, especially with the writeups and the relationship (or lack thereof, the communication is non-existent unless i'm being written up) I have with this Store Manager.

I've bled and sweat for this company for 7 years (!!) from Barista to Assistant Manager. And then I get put into this store where I'm excluded and relegated to "glorified barista." So obviously I get demotivated, because I'm not invested in the store, I don't have any ownership of anything in the store.

I'm going to call my District Manager on Sunday afternoon and ask to talk to her on Monday (my next day off). Tell her she can essentially transfer me to a new store with a manager who isn't trying to manage me out (I've done it, I know what it looks like, and that's what's happening to me) as an Assistant Manager, or even as a Supervisor (then I could continue my going back to grad school plan), or she can take my 2 weeks notice.

3 months ago I had all the joy and love for this job in the world. I ate/slept/breathed Starbucks. And in the span of 3 months that's been completely killed. I feel completely detached from the company as a whole (have I mentioned I have received ZERO non-coverage time in the last 3 months. I havn't had a chance to read a promo workbook, or learn anything about the breakfast sandwiches which are rolling in two weeks, I still don't have a Voicemail password for this new store) and isolated under a Store Manager who it's clear to me is trying to get rid of me.

I'm going to appeal to my new District Manager to fix the situation, but I'm honestly not holding my breath. I feel like it may be the end of an era. I just don't understand how it got to this point, how I went from being the savior of my old store to sitting here crying and feeling forced out of the new store. Was it me? Was it all the situation I was placed in? Was it inevitable? Is it good? Is it bad? Where do I go from here until grad school?

John Galt · 01-12-2007, 03:36 PM

I'm sorry to hear that. That sucks. I wish I had some good advice, but I don't. Just try to hang in there.

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 03:39 PM

yeah. well i've long known that i was "underemployed" here (hell...ever since finishing school i've said that), but as long as the job was fun and i was enjoying myself it was okay, because the money was ALRIGHT. not good, but enough.

but now it's not even fun and i'm not enjoying myself. in fact it's making me cry and causing me stress and unhappiness in other areas of my life. and i've always said...the day that happens is the day i move on.

so unless (major doubts) I can get myself transferred to a new location, I guess I'll be moving on in one way or another.

stevew · 01-12-2007, 03:45 PM

Food service is a vindictive buisiness run by petty opportunistic mouthbreathers who most likely peaked in high school. This is not always the case, but it seems more often than not to apply. I feel for you, as I've been in some shitty underemployed situations where there's basically nothing you can do. Formulate a plan to escape, and doso whenever you can. Basically once you realize that "person x" is out to get you, you're fucked, and there is no coming back. Try to transfer if you still can, hopefully that can save your job.

Anyways, though, man, if you've gotten written up 4 times in the last couple of months, you still need to step your game up. They may be petty writeups and such, but the attention to detail will transfer to your next job, which hopefully you will like more.

Mustang · 01-12-2007, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

so unless (major doubts) I can get myself transferred to a new location, I guess I'll be moving on in one way or another.

Can you get transferred? Are there really that many Starbucks around? I don't see alot of them...

Good luck talking to the manager. Personality conflicts are just the worse. Especially when you get a manager that just seems to have a bug up their ass...

Desnudo · 01-12-2007, 03:52 PM

When you talk to the district manager, you may want to stay away from an ultimatum. Unless she's dialed in to what's going on, then it will all probably be a suprise to her. If she's unwilling to help resolve the situation (unlikely) then you can walk, but at least do it without burning bridges.

Lathum · 01-12-2007, 03:53 PM

Vote Starbucks

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevew

Food service is a vindictive buisiness run by petty opportunistic mouthbreathers who most likely peaked in high school. This is not always the case, but it seems more often than not to apply. I feel for you, as I've been in some shitty underemployed situations where there's basically nothing you can do. Formulate a plan to escape, and doso whenever you can. Basically once you realize that "person x" is out to get you, you're fucked, and there is no coming back. Try to transfer if you still can, hopefully that can save your job.

Anyways, though, man, if you've gotten written up 4 times in the last couple of months, you still need to step your game up. They may be petty writeups and such, but the attention to detail will transfer to your next job, which hopefully you will like more.

well that's the thing. my game WAS stepped up. until i got into this situation and got massively demotivated and have felt "under the gun" the whole time. it's difficult when you can't communicate with your manager, especially as an assistant manager. And honestly a lot of it was TECHNICALLY justified (in fact all of it was) but it's the kind of mistakes I wouldn't make if I was motivated/invested in the store.

to whit:

1) Both of my alarm clocks failed to go off and I overslept by 30 minutes. Sure...my bad. Happens to everyone.
2) Said something I shouldn't have said. Okay...I take the blame for that too. Reason I said it...because I was not in "I'm a manager" mindset because I have no responsibility/ownership in the store.
3) Got a poor mystery shop. Which it's now policy to write people up for. Did I deserve it...technially yeah. Realistically...manager was sitting in the back with her thumb up her ass and I wasn't about to go and call her out onto the floor to help, because every minute I have to be around her is pure torture.
4) My drawer was short $40. Never mind that the $40 showed up today so it's obvious that I didn't steal it. Technically should I be written up for this...yeah. But realistically...if the money shows up, 99% of managers are going to go "Oh okay...it must have slipped into a crack and gotten lost." But not this one.

The crux of the problem is that she has just completely killed my desire to do the job because I feel (rightly or wrongly) that no matter what I do she'll find something to nit-pick me on. She's killed my "care."

st.cronin · 01-12-2007, 03:59 PM

Vote Grad School

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by st.cronin

Vote Grad School

I <3 you cronin. I really do. In a non-sexual type of way man.

Voting grad school is where it's at true, but I'd really like to hold onto this job until then strictly for the health insurance. But I guess there's other places to go to get that.

molson · 01-12-2007, 04:04 PM

Hating your job sucks. You spend an enormous chunk of your life at work. Plan your escape. Just the planning will improve your mood.

Marc Vaughan · 01-12-2007, 04:17 PM

IMHO having a job you love is critical to being happy - its not nice to think about it but realistically you spend as much waking time at work as you did with family and friends .... you need to enjoy it, if you're not move on.

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

IMHO having a job you love is critical to being happy - its not nice to think about it but realistically you spend as much waking time at work as you did with family and friends .... you need to enjoy it, if you're not move on.

got any openings over there at SI Towers Marc?

then again I suppose not being a coder limits my usefullness

dawgfan · 01-12-2007, 04:33 PM

Your kind of situation is exactly why there are HR departments.

If you do want to keep working at Starbucks, then I'd suggest the following:

- Painful as it will be, you need to have a heart-to-heart with your manager. Discuss all of your issues with her and why you feel your performance has suffered since you transferred to her store. I don't know if Starbucks has a policy of regular one-on-one meetings between managers and reports, and if so whether you've been having them with her, but you need to put everyone out there regarding your situation and your working relationship with her. Figure out if there's a way for you two to resolve your problems, and if not, ask if there's another store that you can transfer.

- I would presume that Starbucks is like most other modern corporations in how it handles employee reviews in that you also have the opportunity at the time of your review to provide anonymous feedback about your manager. If so, make sure you take advantage of this opportunity and list any issues you have with her performance. Don't be petty and don't be emotional about it, but do list the reasons why her style of management has helped turn you from someone getting consistent top ratings in your reviews to your current performance.

- Reiterate to your District Manager your request to transfer to another store if you can't work things out with your current manager. Given your past work history and reviews, it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to see that your transfer hasn't worked out, and that you have the capacity to be a top performer - just not in this current situation. Most companies have enough people in place that realize the importance of good employees and recognize how interpersonal relationships can affect performance - it would be a bit surprising to me if the District Manager didn't recognize that you have been a good employee in the past and wasn't amenable to placing you elsewhere if possible.

- You may also want to contact a Human Resources rep just to talk about your situation and what recourse you might have. That said, the reality is that if both your manager and District Manager don't appreciate you and don't care about your career, your only realistic option is to ask to transfer to a region under a different District Manager or to ask to be laid off.

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 04:40 PM

thanks Dawgfan. Yeah, that's exactly the situation I'm in. Honestly I am waiting on HR to call me (because of the comment that I stupidly made) so I will hopefully end up with the HR lady that I know (and who likes me) talking to her soon about that situation and my situation in general. The District Manager I have known for the last 7 years, so hopefully she is able to see things from my point of view and understand that with my history it's obviously not that my work ethic has slipped but just that I'm in a situation that is destoying my "care."

As for the heart-to-heart with the current manager...that's where I get tripped up. I don't like confrontation, especially with her, as she tends to yell at me and go "LET ME TALK!" when I try to explain things to her when she's correcting me. So I don't anticipate that happening, at least not without the district manager present to...mediate.

stevew · 01-12-2007, 08:32 PM

I got written up the other day for my 3rd late, company policy, whatever. Except this time I notified them ahead of time that I was running a few minutes behind(had to stay till the hour at my other job), and would be there at 10 after the hour. I figure no biggie. Of course, I walk into the office and there is a writeup sitting on the desk. The next time I am going to have to be late, I'll call and tell them I'm going to be about 3 hours late, and go take a nap.....same penalty basically.

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevew

I got written up the other day for my 3rd late, company policy, whatever. Except this time I notified them ahead of time that I was running a few minutes behind(had to stay till the hour at my other job), and would be there at 10 after the hour. I figure no biggie. Of course, I walk into the office and there is a writeup sitting on the desk. The next time I am going to have to be late, I'll call and tell them I'm going to be about 3 hours late, and go take a nap.....same penalty basically.

true that. might as well.

Jonathan Ezarik · 01-12-2007, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

I don't like confrontation, especially with her, as she tends to yell at me and go "LET ME TALK!" when I try to explain things to her when she's correcting me.

Does she actually yell at you?

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan Ezarik

Does she actually yell at you?

more or less yeah. I dunno if i'd say YELL, but it definately falls under the category of "RAISED VOICE."

ie

her: "blah blah blah...bl-"
me: "I know but"
her: "LET ME TALK! PLEASE!"

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 08:42 PM

dola

and i know that's uncool, and that's on the list of things i'll bring up with the district manager. i do blame myself too though, i don't exactly open myself up to criticism from people that i feel don't know as much as me.

stevew · 01-12-2007, 08:46 PM

I'd try to take the detail skills you have obtained, and move onto some sort of commission paying job. Most likely you will make a ton more money than you do now, and you will have an extremely vested interest in the products you sell....basically get paid for knowledge you obtain.

Jonathan Ezarik · 01-12-2007, 09:03 PM

At Barnes & Noble there is (I'm assuming it's still in place) a system set up so that employees can call an 800 number and register complaints. You had to give your name and such, but the person you were complaining about never found out who was making the complaints. They just got the gist of the complaint from the district manager. I don't know if anything would come because of something like that, but at least there would be a record of your complaints. Does Starbucks have something like that?

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan Ezarik

At Barnes & Noble there is (I'm assuming it's still in place) a system set up so that employees can call an 800 number and register complaints. You had to give your name and such, but the person you were complaining about never found out who was making the complaints. They just got the gist of the complaint from the district manager. I don't know if anything would come because of something like that, but at least there would be a record of your complaints. Does Starbucks have something like that?

yeah we do. that's an idea too, although i've definately heard that it is kinda hit-or-miss

Jonathan Ezarik · 01-12-2007, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

yeah we do. that's an idea too, although i've definately heard that it is kinda hit-or-miss

Same with BN, but at least you would have a record of complaints so the district manager (or whomever) wouldn't be caught completely off-guard that there were problems with the store.

pennywisesb · 01-12-2007, 09:20 PM

This story is exactly the same thing my sister is going through right now with Starbucks. It seems like a job you can totally love if you have a good store manager, but when you have a crappy one they can make your life miserable. My sis has worked for 5 years with Starbucks, 4 at one store where she worked her way up from the bottom to assistant manager, and now 1 year in misery at her new store as an assistant manager. She's basically decided the same thing as you have DT, "Give me a transfer or else" because she's sick of it.

KevinNU7 · 01-12-2007, 09:23 PM

I think I would have contacted the DM after the 2nd write-up if not after the first

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinNU7

I think I would have contacted the DM after the 2nd write-up if not after the first

well the problem Kev is that the first two are legit if a bit heavy-handed. The third is more discretionary, but the 4th is pretty much total BS.

pennywise...give her my AIM SN if she wants to commiserate with someone else who's been there a long time and is feeling the same thing (you can find it off my profile, but it's the same as my forum handle)

st.cronin · 01-12-2007, 09:28 PM

http://www.bu.edu/apply/graduate/

KevinNU7 · 01-12-2007, 09:28 PM

The first one is BS. If you are 30 minutes late 1 time it should not be a written warning. It should be a, "what happened?" .... "Oh ok, let's not have that happen again."

It sounds to me by the 2nd write up you were already hating the job so you should have asked for a transfer then

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by st.cronin

http://www.bu.edu/apply/graduate/

BU's strengths aren't necessarily in history though cronin

believe me, i have a whole list of bookmarks of programs. i'm in the whittling-down process, I will post them all either on Sunday or Monday or something next week.

And I still need a job to provide benefits of some sort until I get into grad school and actually start so their health insurance picks me up. especially if i go the classics route and i hafta take a year or whatever to learn me some languages (which is why American history is appealing, although wayyyyy more overpopulated)

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinNU7

The first one is BS. If you are 30 minutes late 1 time it should not be a written warning. It should be a, "what happened?" .... "Oh ok, let's not have that happen again."

It sounds to me by the 2nd write up you were already hating the job so you should have asked for a transfer then

true that.

then again the 2nd writeup was umm...New Year's Day. So I havn't exactly had a lot of time to dwell on things. And then the 3rd and 4th were BOTH today. Which really just...sealed the deal. I've done the whole "i'm creating a paper trail so i can get rid of someone" game. I know what it looks like. And that's what this looks like. Although she doesn't have the authority to terminate me at least.

st.cronin · 01-12-2007, 09:35 PM

http://www.classics.unc.edu/

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by st.cronin

http://www.classics.unc.edu/

hehe. they're on the list. but IIRC their foreign-language requirement is intense. it's like "please be fluent in either latin or ancient greek before applying and be working on the other."

or maybe that was another 'tobacco-row-ish" school.

hehe

st.cronin · 01-12-2007, 09:43 PM

http://socialthought.uchicago.edu/

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 09:46 PM

cronin r0x! lol

st.cronin · 01-12-2007, 09:57 PM

http://www.umich.edu/~classics/

Logan · 01-12-2007, 11:02 PM

You guys are two weeks away from getting the breakfast sandwiches? They've been in this area for months.

EDIT: Do Starbucks employees get pissed when people like me refuse to say those stupid size names?

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

EDIT: Do Starbucks employees get pissed when people like me refuse to say those stupid size names?

nope. i honestly couldn't care less. as long as you can effectively communicate to me what it is you want so i can get it started for you.

and don't think they're trying to correct you when the repeat it with the stupid-name, it's just a matter of "that's what the ear is trained to pickup"

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by st.cronin

http://www.umich.edu/~classics/

haha. i am seriously looking at UM. both of my parents went there for grad school work. My dad is actually ABD from there, by like...1 chapter. so it would be amusing. they're high on the list.

st.cronin · 01-12-2007, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

haha. i am seriously looking at UM. both of my parents went there for grad school work. My dad is actually ABD from there, by like...1 chapter. so it would be amusing. they're high on the list.

That looks like a very well constructed program, but I don't actually know anybody from there. The other ones I posted, I have had professors from those programs.

st.cronin · 01-12-2007, 11:12 PM

And then, of course, there's this place, where it seems like everybody in my family has gone:

http://www.yale.edu/bulletin/html/grad/clss.html

DaddyTorgo · 01-12-2007, 11:14 PM

well i could talk to a family friend who may still have connections at UM and see. but yeah, the construction of the program there looked...impressive. and it's still getting off the ground which = hungary.

as for the others, good to know they're not totally at random. hehe

DaddyTorgo · 01-16-2007, 11:35 AM

well...the wheels are in motion...the balls are in play. I called my district manager and left her a message requesting a sit-down sometime on weds or thurs. no turning back now (yay but a slightly naseous yay)

Desnudo · 01-16-2007, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

You guys are two weeks away from getting the breakfast sandwiches? They've been in this area for months.

EDIT: Do Starbucks employees get pissed when people like me refuse to say those stupid size names?

That's a Tall problem, overall.

st.cronin · 01-16-2007, 12:49 PM

I'm really confused - why would you be nervous about this? It's not like they're going to fire you on the spot. And, even if they do, so what?

CU Tiger · 01-16-2007, 01:50 PM

As someone who spent many years in a corporate management track, you honestly have a 50/50 shot at this.

Im sure you already know that. Whenever personnel situations arise to this level, it is going to go down 1 of 2 ways (90% of the time). If your Dm doesn't value you, or is really fond of the SM, its goodbye time. If your DM values you and sees areas of weakness in your SM, you will get your wish, whether it is a transfer or your SM will be removed depending on bench strength. (if they have an acceptable replacement she is gone)

However if that happens, it is not necessarily good for you. You now have the label as a Mcbeth that climbs the ladder by execution. Which will get forwarded to your new store manager (or DM if you get the promotion) at which point every move will be analyzed to see if you are trying to provoke or set them up, once there is a conflict, well now you have been unable to get along with your last 2 bosses and you obviously have a problem with authority. It sucks, its a viscious cycle.

Reallly in my experience (which I managed 7 division managers each with 10-30 employees under them). Once conflicts rose to this level, I immediately found an exit strategy for the subordinate (regardless of fault) and also evaluated the manager, if the manager was at fault I replaced both.

It wasn't "right" per se, but it avoided all the other BS that came with keeping a boss killer (whether perceived or real) around.

So I'm sorry, for the grim macro management outlook, but I would start looking for another job. Of course this whole process may take 2-4 years to play out so if that is all the time you need, then maybe you can hang on. But I would have serious reservations before making any career plans around this company.

DaddyTorgo · 01-16-2007, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I'm really confused - why would you be nervous about this? It's not like they're going to fire you on the spot. And, even if they do, so what?

not that kind of nervous. more like the "here comes a unpleasant situation" type nervous. cuz whatever way it plays out its not going to be FUN.

and cu tiger...I am aware of that. but the alternative was letting this boss manage me out. which wasn't okay either. and I have several backup plans in place, including grad school.

CU Tiger · 01-16-2007, 03:13 PM

Torgo,
Don't misunderstand, you abolutely did the right thing.

Re-reading my psot it didn't come off exactly as I planned, not a slam on you just more or less saying I feel for you and it is a shitty situation.

Fighter of Foo · 01-16-2007, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

I <3 you cronin. I really do. In a non-sexual type of way man.

Voting grad school is where it's at true, but I'd really like to hold onto this job until then strictly for the health insurance. But I guess there's other places to go to get that.

In MA, if you're a fulltime student by law you must have health insurance, and your school has to offer insurance to you.

st.cronin · 01-16-2007, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

not that kind of nervous. more like the "here comes a unpleasant situation" type nervous. cuz whatever way it plays out its not going to be FUN.

Well, I can understand that.

01-12-2007, 03:36 PM	#2
John Galt Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Internets	I'm sorry to hear that. That sucks. I wish I had some good advice, but I don't. Just try to hang in there. __________________ I do mind, the Dude minds. This will not stand, ya know, this aggression will not stand, man. - The Dude

01-12-2007, 03:59 PM	#9
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	Vote Grad School __________________ co-commish: bb-bbcf.net knives out

01-12-2007, 08:46 PM	#21
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	I'd try to take the detail skills you have obtained, and move onto some sort of commission paying job. Most likely you will make a ton more money than you do now, and you will have an extremely vested interest in the products you sell....basically get paid for knowledge you obtain. Last edited by stevew : 01-12-2007 at 08:46 PM.

01-12-2007, 09:20 PM	#25
pennywisesb College Benchwarmer Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California	This story is exactly the same thing my sister is going through right now with Starbucks. It seems like a job you can totally love if you have a good store manager, but when you have a crappy one they can make your life miserable. My sis has worked for 5 years with Starbucks, 4 at one store where she worked her way up from the bottom to assistant manager, and now 1 year in misery at her new store as an assistant manager. She's basically decided the same thing as you have DT, "Give me a transfer or else" because she's sick of it. __________________ Myspace Profile

01-12-2007, 09:23 PM	#26
KevinNU7 College Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: Beantown	I think I would have contacted the DM after the 2nd write-up if not after the first __________________ Boston Bashers - III.14 - (8347)

01-12-2007, 03:39 PM	#3
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	yeah. well i've long known that i was "underemployed" here (hell...ever since finishing school i've said that), but as long as the job was fun and i was enjoying myself it was okay, because the money was ALRIGHT. not good, but enough. but now it's not even fun and i'm not enjoying myself. in fact it's making me cry and causing me stress and unhappiness in other areas of my life. and i've always said...the day that happens is the day i move on. so unless (major doubts) I can get myself transferred to a new location, I guess I'll be moving on in one way or another.

01-12-2007, 03:45 PM	#4
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	Food service is a vindictive buisiness run by petty opportunistic mouthbreathers who most likely peaked in high school. This is not always the case, but it seems more often than not to apply. I feel for you, as I've been in some shitty underemployed situations where there's basically nothing you can do. Formulate a plan to escape, and doso whenever you can. Basically once you realize that "person x" is out to get you, you're fucked, and there is no coming back. Try to transfer if you still can, hopefully that can save your job. Anyways, though, man, if you've gotten written up 4 times in the last couple of months, you still need to step your game up. They may be petty writeups and such, but the attention to detail will transfer to your next job, which hopefully you will like more.

01-12-2007, 03:52 PM	#6
Desnudo Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Here and There	When you talk to the district manager, you may want to stay away from an ultimatum. Unless she's dialed in to what's going on, then it will all probably be a suprise to her. If she's unwilling to help resolve the situation (unlikely) then you can walk, but at least do it without burning bridges.

01-12-2007, 03:53 PM	#7
Lathum Favored Bitch #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: homeless in NJ	Vote Starbucks

01-12-2007, 04:04 PM	#11
molson General Manager Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The Mountains	Hating your job sucks. You spend an enormous chunk of your life at work. Plan your escape. Just the planning will improve your mood.

01-12-2007, 04:17 PM	#12
Marc Vaughan SI Games Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Melbourne, FL	IMHO having a job you love is critical to being happy - its not nice to think about it but realistically you spend as much waking time at work as you did with family and friends .... you need to enjoy it, if you're not move on.

01-12-2007, 04:33 PM	#14
dawgfan Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Seattle	Your kind of situation is exactly why there are HR departments. If you do want to keep working at Starbucks, then I'd suggest the following: - Painful as it will be, you need to have a heart-to-heart with your manager. Discuss all of your issues with her and why you feel your performance has suffered since you transferred to her store. I don't know if Starbucks has a policy of regular one-on-one meetings between managers and reports, and if so whether you've been having them with her, but you need to put everyone out there regarding your situation and your working relationship with her. Figure out if there's a way for you two to resolve your problems, and if not, ask if there's another store that you can transfer. - I would presume that Starbucks is like most other modern corporations in how it handles employee reviews in that you also have the opportunity at the time of your review to provide anonymous feedback about your manager. If so, make sure you take advantage of this opportunity and list any issues you have with her performance. Don't be petty and don't be emotional about it, but do list the reasons why her style of management has helped turn you from someone getting consistent top ratings in your reviews to your current performance. - Reiterate to your District Manager your request to transfer to another store if you can't work things out with your current manager. Given your past work history and reviews, it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to see that your transfer hasn't worked out, and that you have the capacity to be a top performer - just not in this current situation. Most companies have enough people in place that realize the importance of good employees and recognize how interpersonal relationships can affect performance - it would be a bit surprising to me if the District Manager didn't recognize that you have been a good employee in the past and wasn't amenable to placing you elsewhere if possible. - You may also want to contact a Human Resources rep just to talk about your situation and what recourse you might have. That said, the reality is that if both your manager and District Manager don't appreciate you and don't care about your career, your only realistic option is to ask to transfer to a region under a different District Manager or to ask to be laid off.

01-12-2007, 04:40 PM	#15
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	thanks Dawgfan. Yeah, that's exactly the situation I'm in. Honestly I am waiting on HR to call me (because of the comment that I stupidly made) so I will hopefully end up with the HR lady that I know (and who likes me) talking to her soon about that situation and my situation in general. The District Manager I have known for the last 7 years, so hopefully she is able to see things from my point of view and understand that with my history it's obviously not that my work ethic has slipped but just that I'm in a situation that is destoying my "care." As for the heart-to-heart with the current manager...that's where I get tripped up. I don't like confrontation, especially with her, as she tends to yell at me and go "LET ME TALK!" when I try to explain things to her when she's correcting me. So I don't anticipate that happening, at least not without the district manager present to...mediate.

01-12-2007, 08:32 PM	#16
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	I got written up the other day for my 3rd late, company policy, whatever. Except this time I notified them ahead of time that I was running a few minutes behind(had to stay till the hour at my other job), and would be there at 10 after the hour. I figure no biggie. Of course, I walk into the office and there is a writeup sitting on the desk. The next time I am going to have to be late, I'll call and tell them I'm going to be about 3 hours late, and go take a nap.....same penalty basically.

01-12-2007, 08:42 PM	#20
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	dola and i know that's uncool, and that's on the list of things i'll bring up with the district manager. i do blame myself too though, i don't exactly open myself up to criticism from people that i feel don't know as much as me.

01-12-2007, 09:03 PM	#22
Jonathan Ezarik College Benchwarmer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bossier City, LA	At Barnes & Noble there is (I'm assuming it's still in place) a system set up so that employees can call an 800 number and register complaints. You had to give your name and such, but the person you were complaining about never found out who was making the complaints. They just got the gist of the complaint from the district manager. I don't know if anything would come because of something like that, but at least there would be a record of your complaints. Does Starbucks have something like that?

01-12-2007, 09:28 PM	#28
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	http://www.bu.edu/apply/graduate/ __________________ co-commish: bb-bbcf.net knives out

01-12-2007, 09:35 PM	#32
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	http://www.classics.unc.edu/ __________________ co-commish: bb-bbcf.net knives out

01-12-2007, 09:43 PM	#34
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	http://socialthought.uchicago.edu/ __________________ co-commish: bb-bbcf.net knives out

01-12-2007, 09:46 PM	#35
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	cronin r0x! lol

01-12-2007, 09:57 PM	#36
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	http://www.umich.edu/~classics/ __________________ co-commish: bb-bbcf.net knives out

01-12-2007, 11:02 PM	#37
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	You guys are two weeks away from getting the breakfast sandwiches? They've been in this area for months. EDIT: Do Starbucks employees get pissed when people like me refuse to say those stupid size names? Last edited by Logan : 01-12-2007 at 11:04 PM.

01-12-2007, 11:12 PM	#41
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	And then, of course, there's this place, where it seems like everybody in my family has gone: http://www.yale.edu/bulletin/html/grad/clss.html __________________ co-commish: bb-bbcf.net knives out

01-12-2007, 11:14 PM	#42
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	well i could talk to a family friend who may still have connections at UM and see. but yeah, the construction of the program there looked...impressive. and it's still getting off the ground which = hungary. as for the others, good to know they're not totally at random. hehe

01-16-2007, 11:35 AM	#43
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	well...the wheels are in motion...the balls are in play. I called my district manager and left her a message requesting a sit-down sometime on weds or thurs. no turning back now (yay but a slightly naseous yay)

01-16-2007, 12:49 PM	#45
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	I'm really confused - why would you be nervous about this? It's not like they're going to fire you on the spot. And, even if they do, so what? __________________ co-commish: bb-bbcf.net knives out

01-16-2007, 01:50 PM	#46
CU Tiger Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Backwoods, SC	As someone who spent many years in a corporate management track, you honestly have a 50/50 shot at this. Im sure you already know that. Whenever personnel situations arise to this level, it is going to go down 1 of 2 ways (90% of the time). If your Dm doesn't value you, or is really fond of the SM, its goodbye time. If your DM values you and sees areas of weakness in your SM, you will get your wish, whether it is a transfer or your SM will be removed depending on bench strength. (if they have an acceptable replacement she is gone) However if that happens, it is not necessarily good for you. You now have the label as a Mcbeth that climbs the ladder by execution. Which will get forwarded to your new store manager (or DM if you get the promotion) at which point every move will be analyzed to see if you are trying to provoke or set them up, once there is a conflict, well now you have been unable to get along with your last 2 bosses and you obviously have a problem with authority. It sucks, its a viscious cycle. Reallly in my experience (which I managed 7 division managers each with 10-30 employees under them). Once conflicts rose to this level, I immediately found an exit strategy for the subordinate (regardless of fault) and also evaluated the manager, if the manager was at fault I replaced both. It wasn't "right" per se, but it avoided all the other BS that came with keeping a boss killer (whether perceived or real) around. So I'm sorry, for the grim macro management outlook, but I would start looking for another job. Of course this whole process may take 2-4 years to play out so if that is all the time you need, then maybe you can hang on. But I would have serious reservations before making any career plans around this company.

01-16-2007, 03:13 PM	#48
CU Tiger Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Backwoods, SC	Torgo, Don't misunderstand, you abolutely did the right thing. Re-reading my psot it didn't come off exactly as I planned, not a slam on you just more or less saying I feel for you and it is a shitty situation.

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