Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere | Tsedal Neeley

LONGLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES & MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR

“I often talk about the importance of trust when it comes to work: the trust of your employees and building trust with your customers. This book provides a blueprint for how to build and maintain that trust and connection in a digital environment.” —Eric S. Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom

A Harvard Business School professor and leading expert in virtual and global work provides remote workers and leaders with the best practices necessary to perform at the highest levels in their organizations.

The rapid and unprecedented changes brought on by Covid-19 have accelerated the transition to remote working, requiring the wholesale migration of nearly entire companies to virtual work in just weeks, leaving managers and employees scrambling to adjust. This massive transition has forced companies to rapidly advance their digital footprint, using cloud, storage, cybersecurity, and device tools to accommodate their new remote workforce.

Experiencing the benefits of remote working—including nonexistent commute times, lower operational costs, and a larger pool of global job applicants—many companies, including Twitter and Google, plan to permanently incorporate remote days or give employees the option to work from home full-time. But virtual work has it challenges. Employees feel lost, isolated, out of sync, and out of sight. They want to know how to build trust, maintain connections without in-person interactions, and a proper work/life balance. Managers want to know how to lead virtually, how to keep their teams motivated, what digital tools they’ll need, and how to keep employees productive.

Providing compelling, evidence-based answers to these and other pressing issues, Remote Work Revolution is essential for navigating the enduring challenges teams and managers face. Filled with specific actionable steps and interactive tools, this timely book will help team members deliver results previously out of reach. Following Neeley’s advice, employees will be able to break through routine norms to successfully use remote work to benefit themselves, their groups, and ultimately their organizations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Significant and timely, Neeley’s guidance will provide vital information to those struggling to work and lead in the virtual workplace.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A timely, thoughtful and practical guide to moving to effective remote teamwork. . . . This Harvard Business School professor's 20-year research project comes at just the right time, with practical, accessible tips for leading remote work teams.” -- Shelf Awareness

“I often talk about the importance of trust when it comes to work: earning the trust of your employees and building trust with your customers. This book provides a blueprint for how to build and maintain that trust and connection in a digital environment.” -- Eric S. Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom

“Neeley draws on her nearly two decades of research to answer the critical questions regarding how we best build productive and enjoyable virtual routines into our post-COVID-19 professional lives. Few of us are going back to the way we worked. Read her book and begin to prepare for the other side of this pandemic now.” -- Larry Culp, CEO of General Electric (GE)

“I can’t imagine a more timely book or a better person to write it. Neeley has deep knowledge of the science behind team communications and how best to lead from the next desk over or at a distance. Her vivid examples and insightful interpretations make the case for the growing importance of empathy and diversity. And her solutions to the productivity challenges of remoteness make this an essential guide for the future of work.” -- Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor and bestselling author of Confidence and Think Outside the Building

“Everybody—not just the business community— is wondering how remote work will affect our future and how private and public organizations should adjust. With her timely and highly documented research, Neeley provides answers to questions on leadership from afar, on tools and methods needed to enhance productivity of dispersed teams, and on the psychological fundamentals of trust and emotional engagement. Today we do not know what the endgame of remote working will be, but we should definitely read Neeley’s book to ensure our organizations evolve and rapidly adopt the most virtuous models.” -- Vittorio Colao, former CEO of Vodafone Group

“Tsedal Neeley gives us a much-needed playbook on how to embrace the challenges and leverage the opportunities of our new global, virtual workplace. Remote Work Revolution is a must-read for anyone aiming to excel in a world that is continuously being redefined.” -- Lisa Skeete Tatum, cofounder and CEO of Landit

“Through examples and deeply researched insight, Remote Work Revolution details how to build and lead a culture of trust and inclusivity across distributed teams and time zones. It’s about what it takes to truly work together while being apart. Whether she’s writing about digital tools or the importance of social cues and context, Tsedal Neeley has created a guide that will help any organization withstand challenges and realize its full potential over the long-term.” -- Eric Ries, CEO of Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE), author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way

"Suddenly, the business world has changed fundamentally for all of us. With remote work remaining a necessity for many industries going forward, Tsedal’s book is a must-read for any manager navigating the challenges and benefits of a virtual workforce.”
-- Liz Cheng, general manager of television at GBH and WORLD Channel

“Whether it’s part of a long-term strategy or simply thrust upon you due to the pandemic, a remote work program requires a systematic approach to succeed. Remote Work Revolution provides an intelligent framework and practical action guides to help you build a foundation of trust and inclusion that enables teams to be cohesive and productive in a virtual environment. The essential lessons in this book, drawn from years of real-world research, can make the difference between surviving and thriving in this new era.” -- David L. Giunta, president and CEO of Natixis Investment Managers, US

“Irrespective of whether you’re in sales, manufacturing, or accounting; whether you’re in a small or big organization; whether you work in companies, schools, hospitals, or government; or where in the world you live—every modern manager who wants to succeed should read this book.”
-- Morten T. Hansen, professor at UC Berkeley, author of Great at Work and Collaboration, and coauthor of Great by Choice

"The ability to effectively manage remote workers is equally likely to become a requisite skill set for leaders. You can obtain it through trial and error, or you can get a leg up by reading Remote Work Revolution." -- Theodore Kinni, contributing editor of strategy+business

About the Author

Tsedal Neeley is the Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, an award-winning scholar, teacher and expert on virtual and global work, digital tools, leading global and digital transformation. She heads the Leadership and Organizational Behavior required MBA course, co-chairs the Leading Global Businesses executive offering, and is the author of the award-winning book, The Language of Global Success. Her work has been published in top journals and has been featured on BBC, CNN, Forbes, Financial Times, MarketWatch, New York Times, Nikkei, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and many other outlets. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University, specializing in Work, Technology and Organizations.