ABSTRACT

Remote working is the new reality, and transactional work – provided by freelancers, contract employees or consultants – has increased exponentially. It is forecast that as much as half the labor force will be working independently and virtually by 2020.Most organizations are still grappling with how to effectively manage their virtual staff and how to effectively support and motivate them – an increasingly urgent task as more Millennials join the workforce, bringing changed attitudes to work satisfaction. This book, the fruit of the author’s three decades of experience planning and implementing remote working environments, provides expert guidance for anyone planning a shift to remote working, managing teams of teleworkers, or themselves working in a virtual team.Working Virtually is for the executive leading changes in an enterprise that is preparing for virtual work or seeking to improve current performance. It offers tools to assess readiness, advice on creating appropriate reward policies, and strategies to adapt performance management processes to be more team-driven and technology leveraged. Working Virtually is written to and for the virtual leader who wants to establish high performing virtual teams. It provides an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of managing a virtual team, offering a wealth of advice on creating the conditions for collaboration, motivating team members, and identifying and defusing problems.Working Virtually is for the professional who works remotely from home, on the road, or in an office with remote colleagues. It is for anyone who wants to succeed in this new work environment by developing skills and networks to create a sustained and satisfying career path.With this new edition providing a 360° view of the roles and objectives of all stakeholders in the virtual workspace, this book uniquely provides readers with a rounded picture of the policies, processes, work habits, and commitments needed to achieve the shared goal of high performance remote teams.

chapter |9 pages

Introduction

The Network Is the New Workplace

part One|20 pages

Virtually Mobile, Organizationally Attached

chapter 1|11 pages

Vital Mind-Set Shifts in a Mobile World

chapter 2|7 pages

Virtual Roadblocks and Essential Drivers

part Two|41 pages

Will Virtual Work Here?

part Three|38 pages

Essential Virtual Competencies

chapter 7|16 pages

Virtual Leadership Differentiators

chapter 8|9 pages

Henhouses and Jazz Musicians

When Is a Team a Team?

part Four|38 pages

The Threefold Path of High-Performance Virtual Teams

chapter 10|10 pages

The First Path—Develop Your Team

chapter 11|15 pages

The Second Path— Support Your Team

part Five|45 pages

From Me to We

chapter 13|17 pages

Collaborative Tools that Work

chapter 15|9 pages

Virtual Team Risks and Hacks

part Six|58 pages

Expand Emotional Bandwidth

chapter 16|17 pages

Virtual Team Trust

chapter 18|16 pages

The Fourth Path—Lead Your Career

chapter 19|8 pages

What's Next?