Sometimes the best laid plans never come to fruition, but if fortunate, a better situation comes along. After obtaining my Bachelor’s in Family Science with a minor in Leadership Studies, I was hired immediately as a case manager within a Non-Profit Organization that provided resource coordination to individuals with disabilities’. While grateful, it was not where I imagined myself after graduation, nor did I feel like I was thriving in my new position. I was seen as the least knowledgeable, which made it hard for my colleagues to ask for my assistance. I took the initiative to come into work early and stay late to prove I could provide optimal services to my clients. I spent hours after work consulting with the director of the agency, asking how I could better serve my clientele. I wanted to ensure that I did all I could to dedicate myself to my profession. I understood the agency’s rules required employees to provide quality care, so I took specific training that would increase my knowledge and enhance my abilities as a case manager. I began to notice and understand the challenges that came with human capital within the agency. The development of planning and management was not as effective and created a weaken environment. I knew then, that I wanted to do something about it. While adhering to state regulations within the agency, I took advantage of every learning opportunity available to use my analytical skills to strengthen the agency’s core values. I was still able to advocate for the people we served as an employee and as a leader. My efforts became noticeable, the day my director asked if I could instruct my coworkers on the topic of advocacy during our bimonthly training. I quickly agreed. That night, I went home to sharpen up on my presentation skills. The next day, I approached the crowd of 15 employees with information that was informative, yet exciting. I allowed my strength of relationship building to shine through my presentation by warming up the group with icebreakers. We then discussed policies governing advocacy and how to maintain boundaries when serving clients. I related the information so well that my director asked me to oversee various training sessions and activities. It was then that I noticed my leadership skill set was tied in with my enthusiasm to help people.
Surprisingly, with this new responsibility came a newfound passion in organizational learning. With the eagerness to understand the foundation of strategic human resource management, I want to develop planning and management strategies based upon assessment of
