Shift Manager.

A couple months ago, I posted about the week my store manager, B., was out of town, and how the shifts went. That was a great learning experience, being tossed into the fire to see how well I fared. Since then B. has offered me the opportunity to run shifts with up to 10 or 11 employees scheduled on my own, with his supervision, basically every single shift I work that's not a close (and then I am running a difficult shift as well, having only 4 people including myself) . It's actually opened my perception a bit to his teaching ability - or ...

I'm quite confused as to B.'s intentions and which of us is actually in control of me running day shifts. I remember sometime in early December working an early day shift, and being stuck to a position (2nd cashier) during lunch and being primary cashier before and after lunch. I did not like it at all. Throughout the next 3 weeks I basically worked closes or late day shifts, and did not really have to worry so much about lunch, and was basically running the floor whenever I worked.

In January, I started working many day shifts again, and I chose, I remember clearly making a conscious decision, to run the lunch shifts. I positioned crew, I ran the orders, I delegated responsibilities, I controlled the lunch and it was pretty good. I remember the day, B. and I were looking at each other going "Man, we didn't even do $450 for our hour" at about 1:00. We looked, and even though our lunch hour felt slow to us, we did $600. We made it feel easy, and I know it's because I communicated to my crew exactly what they were doing, how much time they had to do it in, and the offered a solid reward (a free dessert item to all the Production Crew if we hit our goal). How easy is that?!

If I were in B.'s shoes, I'd allow my "Guy" (the manager under my wing) an opportunity to run the show, while being there to offer guidance or help if they need it (or, to take over if my "Guy" crashes and burns, LOL!). That would make me a phenomenal teacher! I know I'd have a hint of ulterior motive, or rather a benefit for me personally that I would indubitably take advantage of - being able to run a stress-free lunch hour with MY GUY! W00t! in charge. That's if I were in B.'s shoes.

Then again, often, I am in B.'s shoes. Tonight, M. is the closing manager (almost a manager), who I mentioned previously when she was a new crew member because she took control and action. I just got off the phone with her at 10:00, to make sure everything was good, offer her an opportunity to ask questions, explained a process based on her questioning, and gave her encouraging praise, as well as offered her my trust in her ability to do a good job.

Fuck, I should be writing books.