Managing Remote Staff: Capitalize on Work-from-Home Productivity offers small businesses -- and managers in businesses of any size -- practical advice, strategies and case studies for managing employees who are out of sight, but NOT out of mind. Managing remote workers is nothing new, but its prevalence has been impacted significantly by COVID-19. Many small businesses and managers are struggling to adapt to the new challenges they face while maintaining productivity, staff engagement, customer satisfaction and a healthy bottom line. This book addresses the myths, misconceptions, pros and cons of remote work for both employers and employees and offers guidance on the attributes of successful remote workers, establishing policies and procedures for remote work, training (employees and managers) and effective management practices with an emphasis on communication.

In Managing Telework, Jack Nilles illustrates that telework is undeniably the corporate wave of the future on a global level. Telework, or telecommuting, a term coined originally by Nilles, means basically moving the work to the worker instead of the other way around. Although there are both risks and opportunities involved in managing a virtual workforce, the opportunities usually far outweigh the risks. As Nilles explains, the key to a successful virtual workforce is making the best use of those opportunities through proper planning and the development of an appropriate management style. Management philosophy, style, and technique constitute the foundation of this indispensable resource. Managing Telework provides crucial information on every part of the telecommuting process. Nilles first explores the issues of selecting the right type of telecommuter-candidates who are likely to be effective workers without the structured environment of the office-and how to find or make proper workplaces for an effective telecommuting program. He then goes on to discuss that central, often unspoken managerial fear of telecommuting: the threat of losing control. Nilles explains that leaders, not administrators, are the key players in successful telecommuting, and that leadership can be taught. There must also be a basis of trust between the worker and the manager, and constant, open communication. Many other pressing topics are discussed in detail, such as how to select the best technology for your specific organization, how to navigate the formal rules and regulations of telecommuting (including union rules and zoning laws), how to measure results, and how to set up a home office. Plus, there is absolutely critical advice provided on other legal, corporate, and cultural issues. This step-by-step guidebook to telework is the only management resource you'll need for the future of business. Learn how to get out of the office. A step-by-step guide to managing a successful, efficient, and happy virtual workforce. "There is no better guide to telework than Jack Nilles. His insights are of growing importance to managers and teleworkers at all levels and sectors of government, business, and industry." -William H. Dutton Professor, Annenberg School of Communication and School of Public Policy and Urban Development at the University of Southern California, and former national director of the UK's Programme on Information and Communication Technologies(PICT) "From his twenty-five years of pioneering and perfecting telework, Jack Nilles defines the essential leadership philosophy of the successful telemanager and presents his time-tested techniques for Managing Telework. These pages are packed with top-notch expertise. I wouldn't be without it!" -David Fleming Fleming LTD "In Managing Telework, Jack Nilles describes what managers and workers need to do to create successful telework programs and explains the benefits they can derive from this way of working." -Paul Gray Professor of Information Science, Claremont Graduate University "Another milestone from the father of telecommuting; an essential reference and stimulation for the biggest change in work organization since Henry Ford." -Peter Johnston Directorate General XIII BI, Telecommunications, Information Market and Exploitation of Research, European Commission "The success of any telecommuting program hinges on thoroughly training telemanagers and non-teleworkers as well as telecommuters themselves. Nilles presents his guidelines in a practical, straightforward manner."-Margaret A. Klayton-Mi, PhD Associate Professor of Business Administration, Mary Washington College "A major transformation in the nature of work is in process. Jack Nilles, for years the foremost expert and visionary leader in the field of telecommuting, has written the definitive book on the subject. This is where the future begins. Don't miss it." -Burt Nanus Author, Visionary Leadership Professor Emeritus of Management, University of Southern California

Get your best work done, no matter where you do it. Video calls from your couch. Project reports in a coffee shop. Presentations at your kitchen table. Working remotely gives you more flexibility in how and where you do your job. But being part of a far-flung team can be challenging. How can you make remote work work for you? The HBR Guide to Remote Work provides practical tips and advice to help you stay productive, avoid distractions, and collaborate with your team, despite the distance that separates you. You'll learn to: Create a regular work-from-home routine Identify the right technology for your needs Run better virtual meetings Avoid burnout and video-call fatigue Manage remote employees Conduct difficult conversations when you can't meet in person Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

A bigger and bigger part of the workforce is telecommuting. And managers need new skills to get the most out of this increasingly far-flung staff. This indispensable guide includes case studies, checklists, and sample forms and charts. It shows managers how to use teleconferencing technology to communicate with distanced workers, make the best use of scheduling software to monitor productivity, and even end the arrangement if it's not working. One of the best ways for companies to save money in lean times is to send their employees home to work. But that requires a different kind of workforce and a different kind of management. This book shows how to make the long-distance relationship work for everyone!

As with many people-oriented initiatives, employee engagement remains an emerging science with as many advocates as detractors. In The Culture Builders Jane Sparrow shares the insight of her research and experience into how companies are creating an engaged workforce. Along the way she looks at the evidence, the case for engagement and how organizations are measuring and defining it. Having an engagement strategy is merely a first step and so the book explores how to enable the manager-as-engager. Alongside the practical models and the guidance, there are stories and examples from leaders and organizations allowing you to learn, amongst other things, about the strong sense of purpose felt in John Lewis Partnership; the importance Innocence places on values; how Sony has used visual metaphors to give context and strategic direction and how MGM Resorts targets engagement strategies to the needs of specific employee groups. The need for sustained employee performance has been put into sharp focus in recent years. The Culture Builders is a book that provides the theory and practice to connect employee engagement to long-term performance. Simply reading it won’t guarantee that performance. Reading it, learning and applying the lessons it offers, will dramatically improve your chances.

Experts from across all industrial-organizational (IO) psychology describe how increasingly rapid technological change has affected the field. In each chapter, authors describe how this has altered the meaning of IO research within a particular subdomain and what steps must be taken to avoid IO research from becoming obsolete. This Handbook presents a forward-looking review of IO psychology's understanding of both workplace technology and how technology is used in IO research methods. Using interdisciplinary perspectives to further this understanding and serving as a focal text from which this research will grow, it tackles three main questions facing the field. First, how has technology affected IO psychological theory and practice to date? Second, given the current trends in both research and practice, could IO psychological theories be rendered obsolete? Third, what are the highest priorities for both research and practice to ensure IO psychology remains appropriately engaged with technology moving forward?

Manage your team from anywhere. Leading any team involves managing people, technical oversight, and project administration, but leaders of virtual teams perform these functions from afar. Leading Virtual Teams walks you through the basics of: Connecting your people to each other—and to the team’s mission Surmounting language, distance, and technology barriers Identifying and using the right communication channels Don't have much time? Get up to speed fast on the most essential business skills with HBR's 20-Minute Manager series. Whether you need a crash course or a brief refresher, each book in the series is a concise, practical primer that will help you brush up on a key management topic. Advice you can quickly read and apply, for ambitious professionals and aspiring executives—from the most trusted source in business.