If you are a Community Manager, this post will probably resonate with you.
Last week The Oatmeal published a post, “Why Working from Home is Both Awesome and Horrible.” I mostly laughed. But here were my realizations:
Awesome
- Less Time Spend in the Car. That is so awesome! I live in Northern California where the 580 meets the 680. The 580 is absolutely horrendous. Not to mention, there’s nothing cool about gas-guzzling! And besides, the less I spend on gas, the more I can spend on Starbucks!
- Fewer Interruptions. This makes me uber-productive.
Horrible
- Loss of Regimen. My days have truly all begun to mesh together. I have to remind myself daily, “Get to the gym. Time to eat. Feed the dogs. Spend time with your husband” I find myself looking at the clock and wondering how it got to be that time.
I concluded there really is nothing horrible about it.
But then I sat back to factor in the “what” of what I do from home. I’m a Community Manager. With that comes a “horrible” not mentioned on The Oatmeal: Finding the ME in TiME.
As a Community Manager, I take deep pride in the Community – in what I am building and in the daily interactions with community members. And part of this “community” is the realization that at 5pm they don’t leave. They don’t “take-a-break” on weekends and they show up on their time. They should, too! After all, this is their community, where they find value in the other members and initiated conversations.
But there must come a point in the day, at night and on the weekends where, as a Community Manager, you must find the ME in TiME. I am a new Community Manager, so I’m curious: For all the Community Managers out there, how do you find your ME in TiME?
Hi Sarah,
Like with anything working from home has it’s good points & bad. I’ve been doing it since 2006 and find that I work more hours than required. But as you said it’s great for getting projects done.
There’s no reason to feel that you need to be there for the community every waking moment (or sleeping too). It’s important to set expectations and empower advocates. Some brands make a note in their profile of the hours that they are available. People don’t expect you to be on 24/7 and it’s not healthy. Find some volunteers and ask them to assist. It’s like having a child. It’s healthier for the community too.
Connie
Connie,
Thank you so much for this! I really needed to hear it, and I appreciate the thought. As a Community Manager, I think oftentimes we care so much about the community, interaction and growth with it that we forget that the same needs to happen within ourselves!
You are such a great “mentor” and truly valuable for the Community Management “community.”