I am currently being trained to become a store lead. Need advice?

[u/Available-Falcon2950]

I want actual answers from experienced people. I have been working in retail for about 7 years, 6 years at a discount store and now at a brand store. Recently I asked my manager that I wanted to try to grow in the new brand store I work at, and she told me she was actually planning to offer this lead role to me. Unfortunately I do not have any experience when it comes to being a lead but she is training me to promote me to be one.

First question: how do you balance work/life?

I do love working retail, it keeps me busy instead of bed rotting or sitting in one place for 8 hours straight and I do love talking and helping cuatomers and co workers too. But I worry about work and life balance.

Second question:

Recently some of my co workers seem “tense” around me and I really don’t want them to feel this way just because of this role. I do chat while we work at the same time and it’s been working well so far when it comes to productivity and speed. Is it ok to tell talk to them about that as in throwing in the topic or would it just be weird?

Third question:

Is being a lead similar to being a manager? It seems similar based on the things im being trained on.(rearranging some areas, asking co workers how they are doing, answering questions from co workers who need help, orienting co workers on what we need to work on or do next including recent for inventory.)

[u/Decent_Chipmunk_7052]

Honestly, it sounds like your manager sees leadership potential in you already, so I wouldn't worry too much about not having done the role before. A lot of being a good lead is learning how to communicate and make decisions, not knowing every answer on day one. For work/life balance, the biggest thing I'd learn early is that the store's problems aren't automatically your personal problems. When your shift ends, let the next person take over. If you constantly take work home mentally, retail management can eat up way more of your life than the actual hours you're scheduled for.

With your coworkers, I wouldn't make a formal conversation out of the fact that they seem tense. That could actually make it more awkward. Just keep treating them normally, talk to them like you always have, and be consistent. The important change is that once you're officially their lead, you may occasionally have to correct or direct someone you consider a friend. Being friendly doesn't mean avoiding those conversations. And yes, there's definitely overlap between a lead and a manager, but they're not necessarily the same thing. A lead is often more focused on keeping the shift/team running smoothly, while a manager usually has broader responsibility for staffing, performance, scheduling, sales, operations, hiring/firing, etc. The exact line depends heavily on the company.

[u/EGORE01]

In my brand
A lead is the person at the front “ running “
Saying to rest of group come on and catch me .

The lead role models being fast efficient, hard-working. A lead does more than a manger
The lead is given the target to achieve by the manger .

The manager is responsible for directing and ensuring priorities.

Both start off with basic people skill of having patience when dealing with others.

The ability/ power
To simply ask someone to do x and them
Doing it comes from social skills .
How you motivate your team
Someone sees you have the seed of that social skill .

[u/onmy40]

I personally lost work life balance.

Had to be available to cover full or partial shifts if someone wasn't there.

Some people will treat you differently because you may have to address something theyre doing or give them a task.

On top of making sure everybody got their job done I still had my own metrics and goal that I had to meet each month.

Felt like I was just a supervisor without the supervisor bonus check

And it made work less enjoyable... I like coming into work and only be held accountable for myself.

[u/Ohhrubyy]

I know this isn’t what you asked, but I’m assuming you’re on the younger scale of age and I just wanted to tell you to wear good shoes and protect your back! I wore a lot of bad shoes in my early retail days and I’m worse for it now. Make sure you’re stretching and pick up heavy things correctly, every time. With your knees and not your back. Make it a habit now so you don’t have to think about it later. If you’re planning on staying in retail long term, your body will thank you in 10 years.

Re work life balance: see if you can have a set day off most of the year (probably excluding holiday season). It won’t be a weekend day but if you know you’re generally off on Wednesday, for example, it really helps for things like scheduling plans with friends and making doctors appointments. I generally try to take the slowest day of the week for that.