Since January 2012, I have been officially working full-time at home as a Social Media Manager for a US-based company. Some may find it cheesy, but I feel like I found my calling. Though I have always excelled in other jobs I took on in the past (no, I’m not bragging – just stating the truth 😛 ), being a social media manager has been really fun and interesting for me.

And when I love what I’m doing, it’s only inevitable that I’ll somehow be noticed for the kind of work I do and my work ethic. That’s why late last year, I was promoted to supervisor of our team of social media managers. I am currently handling a group of 4 SMMs, and I consider myself the right hand of our manager.

I believe that in the 10 months that I’ve been officially managing our team, I have improved the quality of work my team members have put out. I have imposed certain rules and implemented a couple of weekly and monthly responsibilities here and there with the hopes of keeping the morale up while ensuring the team performs.

One of the most important things I believe I have improved with the team is their time management. I wanted to make sure everyone is using their time well and not extending work hours, which usually happens in work-at-home situations because people are more likely to slack off since they can do the work later.

I have weekly coaching sessions, which is currently postponed with the amount of work I’m getting, but I implemented a weekly report to keep them in check on how their clients are performing.

I do miss, however, holding meetings or conferences in a formal office environment. It’s difficult to completely get people’s attention when you’re only text chatting on Skype. They can acknowledge what you’re saying without genuinely paying attention.

I remember, back when I was still a team leader in the last 2 companies I worked for, I hold my team’s meetings and our agents’ training sessions inside spacious conference rooms where the IT department ensures have the most attention-grabbing multimedia enhancement. With the continuous advancement of technology, I’m sure there are more high-tech audio video solutions available today. One can even use a smartphone for presentations, which I would’ve loved to do this coming week.

Anyway, I am enjoying what I’m doing because, I believe, managing people is also one of the things I’m meant to do. And since social media is ‘in’ and continues to become a bigger part of our lives, I believe I’ll be enjoying working as an SMM for a long time. 🙂