I find myself writing about social media a lot at the moment and I just wanted to acknowledge that. It is something I’ve shied away from a bit in recent times as it has become less and less a part of my daily work responsibilities. Also in recent years I’d begun to despair a little of the direction it seemed to have taken and the amount of potential that was spurned.

The thing is though despite all that social media is often my ’happy place’. That tranquil spot in my brain I can go to quiet the doubts and worries I have about the other aspects of my job.

I have a level of confidence surrounding my understanding and abilities in social media that is sadly lacking in other aspects of the many and varied things I do that makes up my job. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the fact that my role is multi-faceted and I’m enjoying the challenge. Sometimes the switch from talking about editorial formats to open data standards to finance is more than a little headache inducing but show me a job that isn’t now and then.

The thing is at it’s very core this job is bloody *hard*. The scale of what needs doing genuinely gives me sleepless nights sometimes. Some of the technological challenges are migraine worthy and the policy aspect is no picnic either. Plus there is the scrutiny – I’ve never felt quite so under the microscope.

I look at the Product Managers I know at GDS and see what they have taken on and wonder if I have that drive and vision that they needed to make GOV.UK happen. I’m not really someone prone to self-doubt. I approach most things with a rather self depreciating confidence but lately? Well lately I’ve been writing a lot about social media.

The great thing is that this is a shared burden and in many ways I get the lightest corner. Laura and Sam are taking much of the metaphorical weight.

I think we are getting somewhere. That “darkest before the dawn” has never felt more on the money than the last couple of weeks.

In the mean time you can expect more blogposts about social media here. Maybe something with a tenuous link to superheroes next 🙂