Power of Remote

CYNTHIA WATSON understood remote work long before it was hip. She wrote her 1993 master’s thesis on telecommuting, then went on to build a career around the concept—running and advising a variety of companies while traveling the world. Today, as Executive Chair at Virtira, she continues to research remote best practices and develop training to make sure that everyone, whether working a few days from home or full time across the world, is thriving and productive.SHANE SPRAGGS, Virtira’s CEO, is an industry leader in implementing project-based solutions that ensure sustainable success. He has brought his insights to a variety of Fortune500 firms and top media and software startups. Shane leads a team of consultants who implement remote productivity services, reporting and workflows so companies can drive performance and revenue.

• Acknowledgments Introduction: The New Remote Reality How to Get the Most out of This Book PART I: REMOTE STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHTChapter 1: From Inception to After the Pandemic One Step at a Time Chapter 2: The Virtues and Challenges of Remote Work Productivity The New Level Playing Field Saving MoneyGoing Green Diversity Challenges PART II: BUILDING A REMOTE DREAM TEAMChapter 3: Finding Remote Stars Building the Team Make Your Company a Talent Magnet Look for a Life outside the Office The Value of “Broken CVs” The Introvert-Extrovert Debate The Screening Process Communication Skills Technology Skills Are They Ready for Remote? Autonomous Problem Solvers Needed Social SmartsChapter 4: Long-Distance Socialization Hitting the Ground Running Developing an Onboarding Process Give New Hires a Buddy The Tech Bible Chapter 5: The Remote Workplace Home Office Setup Health and Wellness Coping with Burnout Ergonomics and Safety Remote Work Agreements Getting Tech Right—Especially Audio Chapter 6: Building, Sustaining, and Instilling Culture A Cultural Cautionary Tale CEO’s Welcome Don’t Overwhelm with Details PART III: OPTIMAL REMOTE PERFORMANCEChapter 7: A Great First Impression Optimize All Contact Points The Power of Headshots On-Camera Presentation Chapter 8: Communication and Collaboration Say More with Less Messaging Style Collaboration Email versus Messaging Chapter 9: Making Meetings Work We’ve Got to Stop Meeting Like This Meeting Excellence as Core Competence The Power of the Agenda The Perfect HostDiscourage Stragglers The Power of Icebreakers Chapter 10: Achieving Remote Accountability The Age of Distraction The Sound of Silence The Power of Meeting Minutes Multiplatform Reminders The Human Element Is Key PART IV: EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL LEADERSHIPChapter 11: Optimizing Remote Leadership Approaches to Managing Remotely Where Virtual Management Diverges from Traditional Management Reinforcing Company Culture Chapter 12: Aligning Team and Purpose The Power of Core Values in Remote Teams The Remote Annual Planning Process The Department Retrospective Chapter 13: Building Ownership Encourage Autonomay and Delegate Authority Establish Meaningful Metrics Chapter 14: Ensuring Remote Engagement Building Trust Coaching Remote Coaching Best Practices Chapter 15: The Fire of Passion The Power of Mentorship Use One-on-One Meetings to Instill PassionPART V: TACKLING REMOTE BUSINESS PROJECTSChapter 16: A Better Way to Manage Remote Projects What is RPM, and Why Is It Useful? Building a Better Mousetrap Planning Anchored on Communications Why This Project Now? What Does Success Really Look Like? What Are the Key Project Milestones? What Are the Hidden Costs? How Do We Communicate across a Distance? Who Affects or Is Affected by This Initiative: The RACI Chapter 17: Remote Project Execution The Weekly Cadence Establish an Escalation Strategy Check In for Course Corrections Chapter 18: The Last Mile in Remote Sales The Last Mile: From “Yes” to Closed The Overburdened Sales Rep The Sales Support Consultant