Tiger Team Ep#3
Summary
The host of "The Tiger Team" podcast talks about mid-year performance reviews in warehouses and fulfillment centers. He says they often include things that are not relevant or applicable to the work that warehouse employees do, and shares his own experience with a manager who cut and pasted feedback for his review. He also tells a story about getting so angry at a maintenance employee who was watching a movie instead of responding to a radio call, that he locked him in an office using a large cage. The next The speaker shares a story about being reprimanded by their boss for not following protocol, which they had previously promised to do. The speaker expresses their frustration and advises others not to make the same mistake around review time. They also mention the pressure cooker environment of working in an FC, and recall other stories of coworkers "rage quitting" or getting fired in dramatic ways. They also discuss what things can "grind their gears" at work, such as area managers who are overly focused on We continue being the voice of wit, humor, and sarcasm for all things happening in offices around the world. We discuss how to deal with negative feedback, annoying emails, and metrics. We also remind everyone to spread the word about our podcast and suggest ideas for future episodes.
Transcription
Speaker 2
[00.00.02]
Okay. Welcome back everybody. This is the Tiger team. Episode number three at the warehouse Underground with my host of course Jordan. Welcome back. Thanks for coming back to join the show. I'm I'm I'm surprised that you you came back for episode three, but I'm very happy that you did. So how's things been going for you?
Speaker 1
[00.00.25]
You know, things have been going. I heard we have some fans out there. I heard that I just have such a majestic voice that I sound like AI, so I, I'm loving this audience feedback.
Speaker 2
[00.00.39]
Yeah. So first, um, let me throw it out here to the audience and to Jordan you. Congratulations. Because I know you recently got your MBA. And so I just want to say thank you, you know, good good job getting the MBA. It's very difficult to get an MBA while you're working in the world of ops. And so good on you. I'm really I'm really proud of you for getting it. So awesome work on that work. Well, I appreciate that. That's why there's less salt. There's less salt in the air now because I actually feel happy for once in a few years. So
Speaker 1
[00.01.13]
hopefully, hopefully it doesn't ruin it completely.
Speaker 2
[00.01.16]
Yeah, I get it, I get it. It's surprising that you were able to get your MBA because of the fact that you're not even a real person.
Speaker 1
[00.01.23]
Right, right, right.
Speaker 2
[00.01.25]
So a little bit of a backstory. So somebody contacted me and and they said, hey, hey, man, I want to let you know the Tiger team is super cool. They I think they're looking at at my website when they're doing this. So they see the image. And the art that we have for the Tiger team is very cool. And, uh, who's the lady? Is that AI? And so I said, the lady, I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's AI, that's that's Jordan. She's the co-host of the show with me. And he goes, okay, well, uh, in case you were ever looking for a real host of the show, hit me up. Go. Go! Well, she's a real person. Just the image that we made of her is AI. So, Jordan, you need to know if you are not performing on the show. The robots are coming to take your job. Just like in the real warehousing world, the warehouse underground is not immune to that. So the robots are coming at us.
Speaker 1
[00.02.27]
Well, you know, maybe there'll be a little bit more witty and a little bit more salty, but y'all are stuck with me for now, I guess.
Speaker 2
[00.02.36]
Cool. Well, so. Okay, so it's June at the time of this recording, and June means something very special for a lot of fulfillment centers and warehouses out there across the country. And I think it's something that's near and dear to your heart. And that is mid year performance reviews
Speaker 1
[00.03.01]
for.
Speaker 2
[00.03.05]
So mid-year performance reviews are something that I absolutely loathe, and I know that. I know that I'm not alone out there, and I want to kick it off and talk about the first one. That is the most common that I think people hate the worst, and that is the 360 degree reviews. Have you ever had a 360 degree review? Jordan
Speaker 1
[00.03.30]
I actually have not.
Speaker 2
[00.03.32]
Okay, well they're coming.
Speaker 1
[00.03.35]
Good lord. That just sounds like something else that I am going to love as part of my. Yeah.
Speaker 2
[00.03.40]
So the the 360 degree review means that you don't just get reviewed by your immediate boss or your immediate supervisor, you get reviewed by all the other people that might be in your circle. So. So I have to go. I'm getting reviewed by Rebecca in HR and Rebecca in HR. Thinks that I always look like I'm in a hurry, and that I never have time for the other departments then that I need to slow down. I need to slow down. And in my in my in my in my management, my thing. Well, thanks, Rebecca, but I'm not sure you understand what it's like out here on the floor.
Speaker 1
[00.04.22]
Oh, yeah, that's that's tough. Especially when, you know, they've got their comfy little cubicles and their little spaces away from the hubbub of everything else going on, man. Yeah. And then and then another one. People out there probably experience this too, where you have these reviews that are formatted that in a way that is obviously not intended for a warehouse employee, but yet you still have to use it to, to evaluate them. And you're looking at the questions of this, and I've seen this before. There literally was a question on there about their dress and appearance. And I think, okay, well, we're talking about warehouse folks. I think this is more for a sales team. I'm not sure that I can evaluate my warehouse guy on his on his dress, dress and appearance or then the the other one where the this is another thing that will happen, Jordan, where they try to make this big giant gap, this big giant link between the total core competencies and and mission of the company with the work of the warehouse employee at that level.
Speaker 2
[00.05.40]
Yeah. And I remember I remember one where I was at a company and one of its kind of tenants, one of its pillars or whatever you want to call it, was giving back. And I thought, okay, well, that's great. That company wants to give back and they want to do all this stuff, but I'm trying to how am I supposed to evaluate a warehouse employee on their ability to to give back. Give back to what? You're just you're just kicking and packing.
Speaker 1
[00.06.08]
Right. And and not only not only that, but there's there's. The core operations role is just there's so much to it that it's so tough to plan out all these other things. You can't just take a corporate retreat in the middle of an operations day and go do some volunteer, uh, opportunity. You gotta if you don't get the packages to your customers, they're going to be pissed.
Speaker 2
[00.06.35]
Yeah, yeah. And I look at it and I think, okay, well, I'm sure there are some employees out there. And in fact, I know there are because I know them that went up the ranks from the fulfillment center, and now they're the chief operating officer of their organization. Right. Okay. But but for most of my team, most of the warehouse pickers or packers out there, they couldn't care less about the path to becoming an executive. It's like, why is there anything in my review that is relating to my competency to be to be a senior leader at the company? I just want to know that I hit my rate, and how am I going to get my next favorite. It's always funny when the reviews are that, but the last one. So I had one time. So I back to being a manager. So I'm a manager and I'm getting reviewed by my immediate boss, my immediate supervisor, and he is starting to give me these review points. And I think none of these are really applicable to me. I don't think they are the things I need to work like what what what what is happening here? What is going on here? But I'm so young. So I just nod my head and and and go about my way. Well, come to find out, he was just so busy and so tasked with writing writing reviews that he just cut and pasted his his stuff, the things that he needed to work on, that he that he got from his general manager, and he just cut and pasted those into mine.
Speaker 1
[00.08.10]
Wow.
Speaker 2
[00.08.11]
That came out later. I did, and then. So I finally called him on and he says, ah, well, you know, you know how it is. I'm like, no, I don't know how it is. I
Speaker 1
[00.08.24]
actually want feedback. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. So in the, in that world. But here's the thing. And this is my advice to everybody out there because this can really bite. Don't do anything that is rage level when it is near. Time for reviews to happen. So I'll give you I'll give you a little bit of the story. So I'm a brand new manager. I'm working night shift at a very busy and fast with Beaumont Center and both the other managers that fall out. And so it's just me and maybe 75 employees, maybe 100. I'm the sole manager running the. You get the picture? Yes. I'm I'm stressed out. I am running around crazy, pulling pages and doing feedback and doing time off tasks and responding the emails. I mean, I am a wreck and the whole thing sweating and I'm tired. So we have a we have a maintenance issue that comes up. Something something breaks. And so I call on the radio to the maintenance man, not manager, but the maintenance employee. And I asked them to come out to help me fix probably 130 in the morning, maybe two in the morning. No response, no response, no response. And after about 20 minutes of that of getting no responses, I go back to his office, where he is probably a 15 minute walk away because we're in a big giant film set, right? And I go back there and Jordan, I look in the window of his office and he is in there with his back to me watching a movie. Yes.
Speaker 2
[00.10.14]
And I, I know he could. I know he could hear me on, on the radio because I looked in there and the brick was there right beside him. And so it was not as if it was in his pocket. So he's in there watching a movie. Okay. I lost
Speaker 1
[00.10.36]
yeah. Yup yup yup. That's the correct response
Speaker 2
[00.10.41]
in my head. I think I'm I'm going to kill you. But
Speaker 1
[00.10.48]
again, reasonable.
Speaker 2
[00.10.49]
I took a breath. I took a breath. But I was absolutely furious, and I couldn't, I couldn't I couldn't let it go. And so, Jordan, I went and got one of those big giant blue cages that go on the back of water pictures. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about. I do. They're big, giant blue cages, and they have a cage on three of the four sides. So the the the four side where, where it opens is open. But the, the rest of it is cage. And then on the other side of the cage is where you grab the handlebar to pull it. And the and the foot lock is there. So I grab one of those blue cages and I push it very quietly up to his office door. All all the way, all the way with the foot lock on the other side. And I park it there and I lock it.
Speaker 1
[00.11.40]
No.
Speaker 2
[00.11.43]
And he is now. He is trapped. He is locked in his office because there's no way for him to. He can get into the cage, but he can't reach through the other side to undo the foot break. And there's cages on on both sides of it so he can't get out.
Speaker 1
[00.12.00]
Oh, no, oh, no no,
Speaker 2
[00.12.03]
I mean, and I was steaming and so I left him there. I left him there, I went home and I don't know how it ended up. Okay, so the next day I get a text from my boss and he goes, hey, I need you to come in about an hour early
Speaker 1
[00.12.18]
today. Oh.
Speaker 2
[00.12.20]
And so I, we, we drive in there and I walk in and he is ready to receive me as soon as I walk in the door. He's right there. And I think, hey, well, are we about to do a facility walk through? Is there an executive here? I'm just kidding. That's a call back to you. Episode episode two. The emotions in me. And he just waves his hand and he says, follow me.
Speaker 1
[00.12.45]
Oh. I go, yeah,
Speaker 2
[00.12.49]
yeah. So I follow him and we go into and we go into the office and he sits across the chair from me and he just shrugged his shoulders and holds his arm us up in the air and says, what were you thinking? So I reply back, hey, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. My my emotions got the best of me and it won't happen again. He's like, well, what are you talking about? I'm referring to the fact that you didn't leave the gemba last night, like how you were supposed to do. Is there something else I should know? Yeah, so. But then. But then he goes, just kidding. I know damn well what you did last night. And he gives me the whole spiel, and you tied my hands. And I can't promote you if you're doing this and and review. And the next week, two weeks later was the reviews. And I got trashed my reviews and shredded in my reviews. So, look, if you were out there and you're working in FC, I know there could be some times where you start to rage and rage and get the best of you. But but don't do that when it's around review time. Wait, wait, wait till after.
Speaker 1
[00.14.03]
That that is true. And it is also very true to as infuriating as it is sometimes, be nice to support partners because they do have a say. At some point during the review, uh, and uh, sometimes they have more to say than you think. So probably. I mean, I love that story. I would have never been so bold. Um, uh, inside of this, uh, cold, hard exterior is, uh, actually a baby, so I, I don't think I would have ever pulled that move, but, uh, it is true. It is true to try to play the game a little bit more when you're coming around. Review time.
Speaker 2
[00.14.44]
Yeah. And and you can, uh, I guarantee you that there are lots of stories out there of Rangers inside of FCS because it's just it's a pressure cooker. It's a pressure cooker environment. It's stressful and there's some rage quitting with. I've had some rage quitting. I remember one of my managers, Jordan. So we're managing the shift and he's the co-manager with me and he he he just decides to rage quit right during the middle of it. And I try to talk him out of it. Hey, don't you gotta think this through and it's not worth it. And the whole nine yards. But it was just because it. But I was so institutionalized. It was just because as he was walking out the door, rage quitting, I go, hey, what am I supposed to do about your portion of the industry report? I said, let's just put on that. Is to be the bird by his ear as he's walking out. And I think, okay, well, I guess I'll just write it myself. Thanks a lot, jerk. At least you didn't pull the move that I've seen. Uh, many young managers, little words like. Oh, yeah, this person wasn't here to do this portion of the wash, so that's why I didn't do it.
Speaker 1
[00.16.07]
You did something.
Speaker 2
[00.16.10]
But I look back and I think, man, this guy just drastically changed his life and upturned his life. And the only thing I could think about is I was so under the gun back then was not his life. And his is the industry for
Speaker 1
[00.16.26]
me in this life.
Speaker 2
[00.16.28]
So I'm so embarrassed. Jerk. You left me. You left me. You left me on my own. I
Speaker 1
[00.16.34]
write this myself
Speaker 2
[00.16.35]
by quitting right there in the middle of it. But at least he didn't get fired. Well, and there can be people who rage after they get fired, too, because I actually had, uh, a an assistant manager who the writing was on the wall. It was common. They, they were being really lazy about their job. And I think they just, you know, had one too many missteps. And so, uh, they got fired, uh, and then afterwards it was shared amongst, uh, the leaders that, uh, after they got fired, they actually, uh.
Speaker 1
[00.17.15]
Basically burned out in front of the facility. So they, you know, had, you know, really cool car, muscle car. And they started from one, one end of the front of the facility because there's the parking lot goes through, uh, speed bumps and all. Uh, and they so they just went and they burned right through Flip the Bird on their way out. And that's how. Yeah. You know, obviously they're not coming back, but, uh, I, I've seen that too. It's just it's crazy to think, like, what are you going to do next?
Speaker 2
[00.17.49]
Did it get caught on. Did it get caught on the video on the on the security feed.
Speaker 1
[00.17.54]
And that was that was shared across many. It was I mean, it was an incredible video to watch. Just again somebody being that hole that they just burn out right in front, right in front of the warehouse,
Speaker 2
[00.18.09]
that's when if you can if you can get a copy of that on your laptop, sometimes you can get it, sometimes you can't get security. That's when people do that, make it their background. They'll they'll make it their background when they send emails, they're stationary or what have you.
Speaker 1
[00.18.28]
I've actually had, uh, I've known a few people where they have folders and they just collect them over time. And it's it's kind of their, uh, the, a collage of of all the moments that make this job a lot more interesting.
Speaker 2
[00.18.43]
That's my. That's my hero. Yeah. Oh, who is that? That's my hero. And then it probably never fails to the moment people do that. So if you if you, if you work at Amazon and you and you quit or you get fired, you get the proverbial promoted to customer, which is, yeah, it's which is can we just can we just put that can we just put that phrase to bed? Maybe that was kind of funny and sarcastic 15 years ago, but it's so overused now. It's like it's
Speaker 1
[00.19.15]
it's also it's also kind of awkward too, because you you look at Amazon and they're everywhere. So it's just a very awkward like, oh you got promoted to customer. And it's like oh, oh that's awkward. You still gotta see your see your former employer everywhere you go. Well,
Speaker 2
[00.19.35]
I know I'm surprised we left that off the list when we did. Episode two Jordan of what the what warehousing terms mean I'm surprised I forgot Promoted customer because I just I hate that. I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1
[00.19.46]
It's definitely you. It's definitely used a lot from what I've heard.
Speaker 2
[00.19.50]
Yeah. It's that it's everywhere. Yeah. Well. All right. From
Speaker 1
[00.19.56]
the from the, uh, they got fired to the, um. Just what things in the world kiss you all because, you know, it is around, like we said, review time. There's a lot of pressure. We've talked about. The FDA's a pressure cooker. But, man, when you're in those moments, there are just things that grind my gear. And I really try very hard to keep my composure. And it doesn't always work internally. I rage as well. Uh, but one of them is when area managers go overboard, when they learn, uh, how labor hours work, and then that's all they care about. All they care about is how their team performs, how many minutes they can save, how many minutes they've wasted, uh, the percent that they've, uh, saved or lost for their one area. And I just sit there staring at them like, okay, there's a big
Speaker 2
[00.21.01]
here. There's. Yeah. It's funny about that because in the beginning when you start, you don't you don't really fully understand it yet. No. And then and then it's sort of as if you learn a new language, and then when and then when you learn that new language, you can't stop speaking it. It's in everything. So. So yeah, my employees went into the bathroom, but the cleaning crew had tape across all the stalls, causing my employees to come back out. And so that was that was 14 employees and it was seven seconds per employee. And they start putting that shit into the into the bridge at the, at the, at the end. There's all these ridiculous, ridiculous things and they think. But to them it matters. But if it's if it's a general manager, a regional, they're they're way higher level than that. They just they just think it's just silly. It's just stupid. But it's true. When you're young and a new manager and you start thinking that way, it's second tier and then you try to add it up and yeah, on a grand scale, okay, it will matter on a grand scale, all the fks across the country. But don't tell me that your shift was crap because there was a stall that was not open and they had to go from stall one to stall three, and that took an extra three seconds to get, you know, getting that
Speaker 1
[00.22.24]
or oh, they, they came back from lunch because they had to walk from the break room. Well, there is another break room that is minutes closer that they just chose not to go into. So why don't we have a conversation with them about that?
Speaker 2
[00.22.38]
That's a good one. What else? What's next?
Speaker 1
[00.22.41]
Well, uh, there's one, and it's the it's the US versus that. It's the the manager who's your peer who is just so overly competitive to the point where, okay, sure, I'm competitive. I care about how well, uh, the team is doing or not doing. I want to win, but at the same time, like, come on, my guy. We're all on the same team here. Like, let's just let's just partner a little bit more. You know, like, I, I just, I hate the overly competitive because then it, it sinks down to, uh, the area managers and then the employees and then that, and then that's what ends up as, uh, an employee risk or it's like, oh, well, back half and front half or nights and days can't get a break from it. Then you go over there and you say, hey, can I borrow a couple of your radios? Hell no. Right.
Speaker 2
[00.23.40]
No. Get out of here.
Speaker 1
[00.23.42]
Yeah. They start putting locks on the equipment and. Oh. It's wild.
Speaker 2
[00.23.48]
There they are. And then, speaking of employees to, uh, the employees who just. I understand everybody is going through something, but the ones who just every bad thing has happened to them. They suck. They. You know, my life is horrible. Uh, you know, this and that. And then you're sitting there like I was just talking to you about, you know, following one of the standards, like putting your hair up or something basic. Now I feel like I can't do that because you're telling me your life story, and it's really, really sad. And all these five bad things happen to you. But it's not just one of those. It's it's
Speaker 1
[00.24.30]
so, so many, so many of them. And I'm like, oh my gosh, how how do you survive on the outside world? It's a wonder. Yeah. Hey, I'm about to give you your ride up. Oh no. I suck so bad. I deserve this and worse, right? My mom, my mom and parent. My mom and dad both hate me. I suck right,
Speaker 2
[00.24.51]
in hopes that you won't write them up. No you're not. You know you don't suck. You're actually good. You're actually good. Here, let me just tear this right up. And that's where desensitization comes from because they're like, wow. Like, I feel like I really don't care and I probably should care. But I've heard this so many times from so many people.
Speaker 1
[00.25.10]
Yeah. And that's why we learn empathy.
Speaker 2
[00.25.14]
Yeah. I got I got a couple for you. So. Okay. Let's go. Maybe you've experienced this. Maybe you haven't. But. When. So if you're if you're if you're a manager and there's a very senior manager or sometimes an executive that that goes through the facility, they will that will like if they go out there and they see something that does not look good. Say there's a pallet that's stowed improperly or bad or it's hanging over or something like that, they'll just send you a photo of it and maybe there's a sentence attached to the photo, or maybe not. Maybe it's just a question mark and you get it and you think, okay, what what what am I supposed to do with this? I get it, you found one one pallet in a 25,000 pallet facility. That that was bad. What is. And so once in my life, I just want to reply back to them with something that else was in the picture. But I know that they didn't intend me to care about. I want to write back and be and say wow, that that crossbeam is super level. The did a fantastic job installing the no. I'm talking about the pallet that's stowed improperly. Jerk. Oh you are. I mean, I was just focusing on that that cross beam. I didn't even see the pallet behind it in the 25,000 Ben facility, but I hope I can find that
Speaker 1
[00.26.38]
right. Like, oh, sorry, I did it. Walk all 300 aisles for you today.
Speaker 2
[00.26.43]
I got a little bit more detail like, hey, take a picture of this out here is the bin location that it is in. These are the things I want you to fix. Other than that, everything else looks incredible in your facility. The one off photos are just annoying as as
Speaker 1
[00.26.58]
like, I hate. I hate them like this one little thing is out of place. Okay? I'm sorry. My bad. I'll do better.
Speaker 2
[00.27.07]
Yeah. So here's another one I. And this, this is happening more now with the with the rise of teams and messenger and everything. Where okay, I'm a floor manager. I'm out there. It's maybe five minutes before the end of my shift, or I see another floor manager that's out there five minutes before the end of their shift, and then all of a sudden I just see them start to bang, bang, bang their their computer and their desk. I go over them, hey what's up man? Like what's going on? Customer service just wrote
Speaker 1
[00.27.39]
what
Speaker 2
[00.27.40]
customer service just wrote me five minutes before the end of my shift saying, hey, can you help me run something down for the customer?
Speaker 1
[00.27.49]
Oh.
Speaker 2
[00.27.50]
Because you can't leave now. You know you can't leave because you gotta be customer obsessed. So you're so pissed that customer service rates you into the shift. So don't don't it? But when it gets to be about 20 minutes before the end of the shift, my wifi magically starts to stop working. I don't know what's up with that.
Speaker 1
[00.28.08]
Oh, so that's interesting,
Speaker 2
[00.28.11]
huh? I don't, I don't know. And the last thing
Speaker 1
[00.28.14]
that problem will go on.
Speaker 2
[00.28.16]
I mean, I put in a ticket for it, Jordan. But, you know, how can we take tickets to get resolved? Yeah,
Speaker 1
[00.28.22]
it'll probably take, you know, a few months, something like that.
Speaker 2
[00.28.25]
I don't have Wi-Fi. The closer to the end of my shift. It is. I'm just kidding out there, by the way. I've stayed late many times. Just kidding. Okay. Anybody's listening. I care about the customer. And lastly. Okay. And this is near and dear to my heart. Look, if you are a senior out there and you are going to beat up a manager over not hitting a metric, you're gonna look at a metric and it's in the red. You better be damn well sure that you understand how that metric is being calculated, and if it is being calculated incorrectly. Fix the way that the computer is calculating the metric. If you just have the manager bridge the same red over and over and over again, nope, that's not actually right. Nope. Our orders actually did turn out on time. The metric just doesn't calculate weekends correctly. Or holidays. They're going to get pissed. They didn't get pissed off. Like figure it out, right? Figure it out. Do something to fix the way that metric is calculated. And stop having people bridge things that don't need to be bridge. Just just fix the thing. Just. But hey, all people care about just being in the right. Just being the.
Speaker 1
[00.29.40]
Well, I mean to it's like, hey, you know, there is an operation behind the data. If you really don't trust me. Come out the floor and see for yourself. I promise you, we're we're hitting the metric.
Speaker 2
[00.29.55]
Yeah. All good. All right, guys. Well, that concludes episode number three at the Warehouse Underground with the Tiger team. As always, thank you for tuning in. And, Jordan, thank you for doing the show. Thank you. I you know, I, uh, I think I think we got something here. I think we have some, some we have more than a handful of people that are listening to this now. So if you're out there, we appreciate that. And please spread the word and appreciate you tuning into the show. And we look forward to being your voice for wit, humor and sarcasm and all things that are going on out there in the world. Offices across the globe. You have ideas. You have things you want us to talk about on the show. Hit us up, let us know, uh, leave us some comments or email us and we appreciate it. And with that, we will see you next time next month for Tiger Team episode number four. Take care guys. Bye bye.
