I made a catastrophic mistake when I joined Target seven years ago. I made the mistake of putting SUBSTANCE over STYLE. This is the inherent problem with Target, and why it's so broken - and tragically, why it will cost so many good people their jobs. At Target, it doesn't matter what you do - it only matters how you manage yourself upwards and outwards in a never-ending cycle of self-promotion. Meaningful results don't count for nearly as much as how well you've built your so-called "personal brand" in the company. For the first four years, all the so-called "feedback" I received from my so-called "leader" had nothing to do with my actual work product - but the way I was sharing "my story" and "engaging with others" and all the other meaningless drivel about how I was selling myself. It was exhausting, especially when I was covering the tracks of my so-called leader who would spend entire days at a time in various networking coffees leaving me to hold the team together. It was this very kind of brown-nosing and office favoritism that put Tony Fisher - an individual with LITERALLY ZERO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE - put in charge of Target's first international business expansion!!!! And look how it turned out. The cronyism, preponderance of office pets and need to vigilantly manage upward drove HQ straight into the ground. Target's Board of Directors should be held accountable for this mess of an corporate organization, as should the remaining officers who were here when it got so out of control. Jodee Kozlak, Kathee Tesija, Tim Baer, John Mulligan, and all the rest, you know who you are. This is a shameful, horrible, awful environment and I hope everyone who is ousted today ends up a million times happier than they ever were when they wore a red badge.
18 replies (most recent on top)
This is all so true! Look at the position we are in with Canada. We lost our ass there because we put "Leaders" in charge that were nothing more than great self promoters. The mistakes made there were amateur, unnecessary, and just plain stupid. This is why we are in this position!
If we don't pull our heads out and realize that the people that get things done and get results are the people that should get promoted, then we are done. If one more person tells me it's not about my results (which are great), it's about my story and how I present it, I am going to punch them in the nose!
The only thing my team lead was good at was brown nosing!!!!! It was so frustrating watching people around me moving up to higher paying positions and because i have an opinion and stand up for what i believe, it put me at the bottom of my leaders "favorite people" list.... Even told me he would not a support a new position i wanted and worked hard for.... Proceeded to warn me that his feedback regarding my resistance would be shared with the hiring manager... I really thought my work would clearly speak for its self...clearly i was wrong😥
I love Target and loved working there for 10 years. It was great up until around 2010.
I worked at Target for about 10 years, from the late 90s to the late 2000s. During my time, there were the great times where I was proud to work there, where they were innovative, and fresh. Then the dark times started, JUST AS THE ORIGINAL POSTER DESCRIBED. Interviews for promotions started being about "telling your story" instead of explaining how your costly college education and and hard fought experience could benefit the company. You were "encouraged" to find a mentor two levels above your pay grade for leadership and upward movement "tips". Leaders in our pyramid, from executive leadership, to directors, to senior managers had no focused knowledge or experience in technology. They were simply identified as "LEADERS" (LMFAO), and that's all Target thought they needed. I was in disbelief about what I was seeing. Was it just me, or did this absolutely make no sense at all. So I left...of my own accord. Now I work at a place where the "doers" get substantial bonuses for company performance instead of just the LEADERS in the KPMG group. For those of you old enough, remember the retailers that were HUGE in the 70s...Sears, JC Penney, Kmart, Montgomery Ward...where are they now? Target needs to take a history lesson!
The exact reason why i left!! It took a year and 100s of meetings too get anything accomplished and by the time your project makes it through approvals , guess what.... YOU'RE NAME WON'T EVEN BE ON IT! 😥 all that work and someone that knows nothing gets all the credit
Well said. Totally agree, best post this week. I left 13 years ago. And for the "Spot on" cheerleaders.. If you can actually write those words in comment. You need to finish your TARGET Kool-Aid detox. Those catch phrases and a 100 others I could list need to be stricken from your vocabulary. I used to list them in meetings and tally them just to appear engaged, while watching the clock so I could go back and get my work done. And the worst one of all "We owe it to our investors."
I owed my hard work to myself and feeding my family, to my co-workers, to my boss (if lucky enough to have a good one). They get taken care first! The VERY LAST person/thing I owe is some worthless Wallstreet investor. Other than the mentioned HR infected Style over Substance culture. Wallstreet and the greed of board members devastated a once incredible MN company.
Having TARGET on your resume 10 years ago meant something. Now I have to hang my head. So many good experienced hard workers push aside to make room for the young and bubbly MBA's. I still have many friends at TARGET and my heart goes out to them and what they have to endure this week. And the mess to clean up for the ones left standing as Wallstreet takes theirs first.
This comment is so accurate and spot on about what is going on at Target. Only those that can spend all day going from cubes cubes and doing absolutely nothing about the real work get rewarded at Target. As much as I love the people I worked with, just couldn't take it anymore and that was the reason I quit some months ago. I am so happy that I quit but very sad that so many very good people will be impacted by the recklessness of the few people that Target calls leaders.
I agree with all but John Mulligan. I reported to him briefly and I think he is the real deal.
it is sad indeed that layoffs have already started! People with more than 10 years in Target are sent home
Totally agree with this. Actually got a comment on a review . . . :"Great job this year. While your accomplishments were much less than in the past, the relationships you built will be valuable in your future career." 1. stupid comment. 2. They have meant nothing to me as I left shortly after getting that review.
This is true, Target leadership has no vision. Target is going to sink and innocent people are going to suffer.
These comments are spot on. I left Target seven years ago and couldn't be happier with my career. I now work for a company that expects and rewards results. When I worked at Target, the "Target Kool-Aid" people spent 1/2 of their day at worthless brown-nosing activities. I agree, this mess at Target really started spinning about 10 years ago. How did this happen? Who was responsible for the phony management culture?
This is so true....it is sad. I am not sure many even saw how they played into the style over substance reality.
I couldn't have said it better!
Very well put! That is what the "Target Kool-Aid" is all about - those "skills" are not appreciated in REAL business if your results are lacking
This is so true....it is sad. I am not sure many even saw how they played into the style over substance reality.
Great summary, this is right on. Captures the frustration of it all too. You wish we would cut the talentless "general target leaders" and keep the smart ones...but when its this many people, there will obviously be mistakes on both sides of the equation.
Agreed. If you'd rather your work achieve results, you'll be better off anywhere but Target. It has been moving in the wrong direction for at least ten years and it will take another ten to get back on track. Put your efforts elsewhere where they will be appreciated.
This is spot on.
For those that are looking for places that reward results, not coffees and stories, I can assure you that you will thrive outside Target. My friends and I have.
If you go to your next job and only manage up/socialize, doing little real work, you will be in for a rough ride.
Wishing the best for all of you hard workers out there.