this is why ssvs should only be hired from the inside and be promoted not outside hires that are basically green beans. my bestfriend was an example of this she worked with me at a different restaurant and quit to go be a shift at starbucks, luckily hers was a cafe store but still it was a rough adjustment but she got the hang of it eventually and you will too love! hang in there! and remember, you were hired for a reason and you’re in charge so don’t worry about making pals, that will come on it’s own, right now worry about establishing your authority and being confident in your capability and the rest will come naturally ❤️

It's not easy to suddenly take over a role you aren't used to, especially with extroverted people you don't know. It also isn't easy to suddenly take on someone new in the crew. It's an adjustment. It's alright to get used to things, and you don't try to delegate until you're sure of everyone's abilities, in fact, it would rankle me more if someone new tried to tell me what to do. That's because my coworkers trust me to do my job without interference and I trust them.

You need respect and confidence first, so you aren't wrong. You obviously know you can't just have their respect, but you will earn it. This doesn't have to be camaraderie or personal sharing. It's about not asking more than what people are willing to give, and not pretending to know anyone's job better than them. In fact, if they're confident, boost yours off of them. If you don't know something, ask politely to be shown before trying it. I know even the people I've trained and sent into the world didn't know everything, but if you struggled with bar on day one then I'd say that's not really your fault.

Tell them point blank what you don't know, and ask them to show you. They don't want to tell you your job any more than you should tell them theirs, nobody likes that. But if you ask, it's fair game.

As for confidence: Believe that it will get better the more you know your job. I'm naturally fairly introverted myself, but I have a small, close crew to rely on. A few months after starting I was sharing the inappropriate jokes on the side, and two years later I'm telling trainees my life story and brandishing spoodles and throwing paper towels. If you project confidence, you will feel confident. If you know, you know. If you think you know, go with and apologize later. If you don't have a clue, ask. If it makes you anxious to ask, change your own body language. Lift your head, set your shoulders, widen your legs, harden your eyes and walk like you expect people to clear a path. Speak moderately in speed, tone, and amount, and be clear in what you expect by determining what to say beforehand. I think you'll feel a lot better.

That's my two cents.

It does get better. I came back to the company after two years as a shift. I was a shift when I left but two years and a ton has changed. I was not trained I was thrown in and had to swim. My hardest challenge was timing. Timing is hard, figuring out how and when to send breaks is hard. Getting your opening and closing routine is hard. But the people they are easy. I always say if you take care of your baristas they will take care of you. Part of that is asking them for help. Ask if you don’t know what to date something or how to make something. Communicate with them, everyone of them has been a green bean they know what your going through. The other thing you have to learn is how to not beat yourself up. Sometimes doing your best and showing you care is enough. You sound like you care you clearly want to do better but it comes with time. Don’t push yourself so far out of your comfort zone that you feel uncomfortable but expand it slowly. Talk to your people tell them where you are at and show them you are there for them. They will come around to your side.

When I first started out as a barista years ago, I was so stressed out by everything that I had to learn that I was going home crying multiple nights sometimes. I felt like the expectations that were being put on me were so high and unreasonable. You're not alone. There's a steep learning curve to a lot of things at Starbucks and it can be incredibly stressful. But the more you do, the more confident you'll become in your abilities. It kind of sounds like you're getting to that point, where you know the duties and responsibilities and can execute them successfully, which is great! That's the most important thing. Focusing on that and building up that confidence that you really are doing the right thing will be a great foundation for you. I heard one of the shift leads at my store just the other day say that she feels like she constantly goes home having done a bad job when, in reality, we all think she's just great and a huge help to the store. Responsibility-wise, you can always talk to your SM and see if there are things you can be doing better. That shows initiative and I'm sure they'd be happy to help.

Socially, there are a lot of big personalities as baristas. Food and beverage fields can be like that. As an introverted barista, I personally like to work hard and show that I'm there to help. I'm not a big talker but I can always keep the bar clean and the fridges stocked, and people like that. I try to do things for people as much as I can during slow periods. If you want to socialize more, people love to talk about themselves. Ask them if they're in school, what they like to do for fun. Find some common ground with them. The partners at my store love animals, so we can always talk about our pets or about cute dogs that happen to pass by our store or come through drive. Compliments can be good too. We compliment each other a lot at my store. If you like someone's outfit or hairstyle at work, for example, I'm sure they'd love to hear it! Or if someone did a bang up job of closing, you could let them know you appreciate their effort. It will come with time. I feel like there's a period for most of us when we first start or when we transfer where we feel a bit lonely and on the outside just because those big personalities are so established. You're not alone. Plus, it can be hard for partners to reach upwards to shift leads and make social connections sometimes because they're in charge and sometimes we assume that someone who is in charge is busy and needs to focus on what they're doing instead of socializing. If you're feeling especially brave, you can always invite them to a social function outside of work, like bar trivia or a backyard barbecue. Even just going to a roller rink or public pool can be a great opportunity to connect off the clock.

Long story short, my advice is...give it time, get your responsibilities down pat and the confidence will come with that, and try to reach out if you can and make connections with your fellow partners by asking about them and finding common ground. I'm sure you're doing a better job than you realize!