Everyone who works in Human Resources, management, or even as an employee, has memorable first work moments to share. In Human Resources, I can clearly remember the first time I had to fire a staff member – it’s irrevocably etched in my memory. I remember, too, the first disciplinary action I had to take and the first job offer I made. Here are my most remarkable HR moments. What are your most memorable firsts? Please share.

Once upon a time, I had a boss who hurt my ability to accomplish my work. He hobbled my progress by making me seek permission for almost every decision I made. Not a bad boss, mind you, just one who wasn’t sensitive to the impact of his actions on his staff…

I’d put questions and memos in his mailbox or on his desk (since he was always in meetings) and they showed up in my mailbox every day with “see me about this” scrawled on a sticky note. “See me” was the problem. Managers in my then company were in meetings most of the day, playing court to the plant manager. So, I often had to wait for our weekly meeting to get the feedback I needed to proceed. What a waste of his talents and mine! Plus, the “see me” pile was often several inches thick which meant we rarely got to new business during my weekly one-on-one.

I finally reached the boiling level of frustration, decided I didn’t care if he fired me, found an ounce of professional courage, and responded. I took every “see me” piece of paper I received one week, clipped them all together and scrawled on a sticky note: “see me.” I put the stack in his mailbox and held my breath. A few hours later, he was standing by my desk with the pile in his hand – laughing.

Okay, so my “first time I ever confronted my boss” story has a happy ending; they don’t all end this way, I know. But, our most memorable experiences at work shape a lot about who we are and what we believe. My ideas about employee empowerment, employee involvement, and delegation are a result of this experience with a manager I actually liked a lot. See my new article to find tips about building an effective relationship with your boss.

Today, though, I am hoping you will share some of your most memorable HR moments, the moments that you and others experience that are the moments you most remember. You might like to read about my most remarkable, memorable HR moments, but then, please share your remarkable HR moments.

Image Copyright Yuri Arcurs / Getty Images

All Topics | Most Popular | Newsletter | HR Forum

HR Remarkable Firsts originally appeared on About.com Human Resources on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 05:11:34.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Resources
Post Your Resume to 65+ Job Sites
Resume Service

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post