Table of Contents
Introduction 11
Chapter 1 Defining Remote Work 13
Remote Work Takes Many Shapes 14
Not All Jobs Can Be Remote 18
Working Remotely As an Employee 20
Working Remotely As a Contractor 21
Working Remotely As a Solo Entrepreneur 22
Pros and Cons of Remote Work 22
Is Remote Work Right for You? 28
Chapter 2 Landing a Remote Job 31
How and Where to Look for Remote Jobs 32
Applying to Remote Jobs 34
Tips for Interviewing 38
Knowing the Right Questions to Ask 40
Negotiating Remote Work Benefits 45
Successfully Navigating Remote Onboarding 47
Getting to Know Your Team 48
Setting the Tone Early of Speaking Up Quickly 49
Chapter 3 Setting Up to Work Remotely 51
Making a Dedicated Space 52
Creating Spatial Boundaries 53
How to Set Hours Without Giving Up Flexibility 56
Getting Started with New Routines 58
What Do You Need in Your Workspace? 61
Asking for What You Need (from an Employer) 63
Optimizing At-Home Ergonomics 65
Chapter 4 Learning the Art of Remote Communication 69
Remote Teams Must Overcommunicate 70
A Look at Synchronous versus Asynchronous Communication 73
What Does Transparency Mean in a Remote Work Environment? 76
Tips for Being Clear Yet Concise in Written Communication 79
Embracing Emoji, Reacji, and Exclamation Points! 84
Never Dangle Feedback 85
Chapter 5 Etiquette for Video and Audio Calls 87
Camera On or Off? How to Decide When to Use Video 88
Addressing Privacy Concerns for Video Calls 89
Preparing for a Video Call 91
Tips for Lighting and Camera Angle 94
When and When Not to Mute 96
Tips for Better Audio Quality 97
How to Incorporate Screen Sharing and Virtual Whiteboarding 100
When to Use Broadcast-Style Conference Calls 102
Chapter 6 Understanding Virtual Collaboration and Working on Teams 103
What Is Remote Collaboration? 104
Evaluating Synchronous versus Asynchronous Collaboration 108
Adopting a Capture-and-Share Mentality 110
Setting Boundaries and Rules for Collaboration 113
Maintaining Living Documents and Documentation 118
Working Together on Visual Materials 120
Chapter 7 Remote Work Is Reshaping Meetings 123
It's Time to Rethink Meetings 124
Why Meeting Burnout Is High for Remote Teams 128
Do You Need to Attend Every Meeting? 129
Standing or Stand-Up Meetings, All-Hands Meetings, and One-on-Ones 131
Tips That Make Meetings Relevant, Useful, and Accessible to All 137
Chapter 8 Maintaining Productivity and Avoiding Distractions 141
Don't Compare Your Productivity 142
Measuring Productivity in New Ways 146
Setting New Expectations for Distractions 149
Tips for Dealing with In-Home Distractions 151
Tips for Managing Outside and Environmental Distractions 154
Tips for Handling Self-Interruptions and Personal Distractions 156
Using Sprints to Tackle Difficult Tasks 156
Using Time Blocking to Manage Your Daily or Weekly Schedule 159
Chapter 9 Establishing a Solid Work-Life Balance 161
Defining Your "Balance" 162
Working Flexibly Behind the Scenes 163
Setting Boundaries to Protect Daily and Weekly Time Off 165
Sick Days Are No-Work Days 167
Taking Vacation Time, Holidays, and Personal Days 168
Learning to Take Healthy Breaks 171
Finessing Your Routines for Work-Life Balance 174
Using Existing Habits to Help Establish New Ones 176
Communicating with People Who Share Your Space 178
Embracing the Perks of Remote Work and Working from Home 180
Chapter 10 Ensuring Growth As a Remote Employee 181
How to Stay Relevant When You're Not Physically There 182
Developing a Proactive Attitude 184
Tracking and Sharing Your Progress and Wins 188
Complimenting Others Helps You Be Seen and Heard 190
Tips for Working with Managers and Bosses 191
Asking for What You Need and the Growth You Want 193
Using One-on-Ones to Voice Your Plan for Growth or Promotion 194
Seizing Opportunities for Continued Learning 197
Chapter 11 Mastering the Hybrid Model 199
What Is a Hybrid-Remote Work Model? 200
Is Hybrid Work Right for You? 202
Reaping the Rewards of a Hybrid Work Lifestyle 204
Evaluating the Challenges of Hybrid Employment 207
Setting Up a Hybrid Workplace 210
Chapter 12 Becoming a Digital Nomad 213
Who and What Are Digital Nomads? 214
Navigating Working Hours and Time Zones 217
Celebrating the Rewards of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle 218
How Digital Nomads Decide Where to Go 220
Being Aware of Visas and Location-Dependent Limitations 222
Understanding Tax Implications and Health Insurance Issues 225
Personal Risks and Trade-Offs for Digital Nomads 227
Professional Risks and Trade-Offs for Digital Nomads 231
Chapter 13 How to Participate in Remote Company Culture 233
Contributing to Company Culture As a Remote Employee 234
Making It Fun, Making It Optional 237
Socializing with Colleagues 239
Re-Creating "Watercooler" Moments Virtually 241
Getting What You Need from Team Retreats and Business Travel 242
Organizing Regional Meetups, Online Meetups, and Clubs 244
Celebrating Successes and Boosting Morale 246
Employee Perks Commonly Offered at All-Remote Companies 248
Chapter 14 Preparing for the Future of Remote Work 251
Turning Toward a Remote-Inclusive Mindset 252
Supporting Remote Options 255
Shifting Focus from Hours to Outcomes 257
Making the Most of In-Person Time 258
Make Change from the Bottom Up 260
Appendix A References 263
Appendix B Glossary of Terms 265
Index 269
