You Clean It

 So earlier this spring corporate decided to implement a restructuring of the leadership positions in the stores. 

Their goal was to try and streamline things and make it more clear who was over who. 

But honestly...I'm not that impressed with it overall.

In any case. 

This change meant that I had to officially reapply to a management position. Go through the whole online application and interview and everything ... and if I didn't then I would consider myself 'let go' when the new management positions went into effect.

So needless to say. It was stupidly stressful.

In any case. 

I kept a job! Still remained a manager!

But one of the sticking points has been that I'm now the 'same' position as one of my other managers....

And our work load has not been equal. 

Which makes sense because my job experience focuses more on taking care of the animals...and theirs focuses more on the product and getting it on the shelves.

The irritating thing has been that this manager has shown no initiative to learn how to do the petcare aspects of their job. 

Which has left me in charge of it.

As our current positions has us in charge of the stock of the store. Making sure the shelves are filled. Truck is worked properly. Inventory is accurately accounted for etc......but it also covers the petcare standards. Making sure that the animals are properly set up in their cages and that everything that should be in their cages is in there and that the cages are kept clean and good looking etc. 

Which means we're in charge of the cage cleaning.

Which is kinda stupid that the managers are now in charge of cleaning the cages.

But whatever. The petcare associates are supposed to just focus on the general opening/closing of petcare and helping customers.

While on the bedding change days me or my other manager should be cleaning cages....unless neither one of us is there then the petcare associates would then do the bedding change.

Which we did switch one of the bedding change days to a day that I worked to ensure it would get done.

But out of the 3 bedding changes 2 of them are done by Me and 1 is done by associates because that one takes place on Sunday when myself and my fellow manager don't work.

Regardless. I've asked a couple of times now when the other manager was going to be trained on at least the two other bedding changes that I've been doing. Since they usually always work the One day and occasionally work the 2nd day. 

And it's often been a "Oh this thing is the focus. This other thing is due. Next week for sure!"

I had kinda resigned myself to the fact that they were never going to learn how to clean the cages because everything else would always be considered a higher priority.

But I got surprised today.

As it was the reptile bedding change.

And my other manager isn't usually scheduled to work today. 

But they were.

Which was weird because we had 3 managers in the store before it had opened....

When usually it's 1 to 2 people.

I hadn't thought much of it.

But our Manager over us was like "Hey Sarnic, Teach Manager how to clean the reptile cages today." 

Which.

!!!!!

FINALLY.

I was a little nervous about it to be honest. Because while they've been with the store for years....petcare is not an area they have much familiarity with.

But they did rather well with the bedding change. Did much better than I had been expecting. 

So yay!

It definitely gave me a bit more confidence in leaving the to do the bedding change on their own in the future. So hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me.

But *fingers crossed* that Monday I'll be able to show them how to do the Bird Bedding change as well. 

It may have taken most of the summer.

But I'm glad that we're finally making progress in doing actual training in the areas that we're not familiar with.

Because it was getting irritating that it felt like I was the only one teaching and learning as I try to adjust to my new role and figure out what I still need to be worrying about and not worrying about. 

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi