Parks Place

A place for me, Parks, to put thoughts, feelings and whatever else runs through my brain.

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Category: Working In Home Improvement

  • Working In Home Improvement (Part Seven)

    The three-year mark came and went. The Zone Manager system had settled somewhat but not a terrible amount. It was still very volatile, and the turnover rate was still very high. Princess and Hammer lasted. Most of the others did not. There was a revolving door over the Specialty departments that didn’t seem to go…

  • Working In Home Improvement (Part Six)

    When we last left off, The Culling had just occurred. Overnight the store was stripped of leadership and some very tenured members of the staff were suddenly left wondering where they would fall in the shuffle. As stated before, all acting Department Supervisors were guaranteed an interview for the new Zone Manager position. To put…

  • Working In Home Improvement (Part Five)

    Welcome back, dear reader. When we last left off, I boldly announced that I was going to apply for the now-vacant Department Supervisor position. And I did exactly that! Did I get the job? Absolutely not. Ivan the Terrible didn’t think I had enough experience to lead a department—and he was probably right, at least…

  • Working In Home Improvement (Part Four)

    Where to begin with flooring? If I’m honest with myself (and with you, dear reader), I’ll always have a soft spot for my time in the Flooring department. It was the first point in my life where I was (eventually) put in charge of a team and given expectations and metrics to meet. At the…

  • Working In Home Improvement (Part Three)

    When we last left off, I had just accepted the position of Specialist in Appliances. I was excited to get started but, at the same time, a little apprehensive. For one thing, I didn’t know much about appliances beyond the basics (I’m fairly certain you take the frozen pizza out of the freezer and put…

  • Working In Home Improvement (Part Two)

    Welcome back! At the end of Part One, I said I jumped at the chance to take on a full-time position. That’s what this post is about. I had applied for several full-time openings and been passed over in favor of longer-tenured employees—no complaints there. They’d put in the time and earned their shot. About…

  • Working in Home Improvement (Part One)

    I thought I’d spend some time talking about my former job. I spent ten years doing it, so it made up a significant portion of my adult life. Because of that, I’ll probably break this into a few posts so it doesn’t turn into a hundred-page novel. Before I dive in, a quick clarification: whether…