Books about remote work worth checking out

With summer here, it is a great time to put together a list of books that might be worth adding to your summer reading lists. The following books are all focused on being more effective and successful with remote, virtual, or distributed work. Happy reading!

• Distributed Teams: The Art and Practice of Working Together While Physically Apart, 2021, John O’Duinn, Release Mechanix, ISBN-13: 978-1732254923
  • This book includes three parts discussing 1) why, 2) how, and 3) humans and culture related to working as a distributed team. The author shares his experiences based on the technology industry and working remotely. 
  

• Global Teams: How the Best Teams Achieve High Performance, 2016, Jo Owen, Pearson, ISBN-13: 9781292171913
  • This book includes eleven chapters outlining what global teams are and how to lead in this space. Trust, communication, goals, systems and processes, people, culture, and structure are all addressed specifically. The details in the book are based on the 80 companies that the author worked with or studied. 

• HBR Guide to Remote Work, 2021, Harvard Business Review, ISBN-13: 978-1647820527
  • This book is a part of the HBR Guide series and includes 28 chapters from a number of different authors. Each chapter can really stand on its own.

• Influencing Virtual Teams: 17 Tactics That Get Things Done with Your Remote Employees, 2016, Hassan Osman, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-1530005147
  • This is a very short book that highlights specific tactics for working with remote employees.

• International Virtual Teams: Engineering Global Success, 2015, Pam Brewer, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-118-33900-8
  • This book is focused on explaining what virtual teams are and how to set them up for success. The author even includes example projects.

• Leading at a Distance: Practical Lessons for Virtual Success, 2021, James Citrin and Darleen DeRosa, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-119-78244-5
  • This book includes ten chapters beginning with what was learned from the pandemic. An explanation of what a high performing virtual team looks like is included as well as tips for leading virtual meetings. Onboarding and coaching/training is also included. The contents of this book are based on research.

• Making Remote Work Work: How to Work Remotely & Build Teams from Anywhere in The World, 2019, Gil Gilnder, Baltika Press, ISBN-13: 978-1733794817
  • This book is written from a freelancer perspective about his experiences working remotely. The book focuses on building remote teams, the blueprint for success, tips for the worker, and workflow and communication practices.

• Making the Team: A Guide for Managers, 2018, Leigh Thompson, Pearson, ISBN-13: 9780134484204
  • This book has thirteen chapters focused solely on teamwork. Chapters 12 and 13 specifically focus on virtual and multicultural teams.

• Office Optional: How to Build a Connected Culture with Virtual Teams, 2020, Larry English, Centric Consulting, ISBN-13: 978-1735056722
  • This book was written by a consultant and includes eleven chapters on remote and virtual work. This practitioner focused book includes examples and stories contributed through quotes.

• Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home, 2021, Charlie Warzel and Anne Helen Petersen, Penguin Random House, ISBN-13: 978-0593320099
  • This book includes four parts on 1) flexibility, 2) culture, 3) technology, and 4) community. This practitioner-oriented book includes interesting and thought-provoking ideas about what it means for people to be working outside of an office.

• Power Teams Beyond Borders: How to Work Remotely and Build Powerful Virtual Teams, 2020, Peter Ivanov, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-119-76299-7
  • This book includes thirteen chapters on building trust, establishing communication, and uniting global teams. Foundational definitions, examples, and case studies are included that are specific to global virtual teams.

• Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace, 2022, Phil Simon, Racket Publishing, ISBN-13: 979-8985814729
  • This book is specifically targeted towards project or product leaders, seasoned project managers, service providers, people who hire service providers, project contributors, project management newbies, and project management students. 

• Projects Without Boundaries: Successfully Leading Teams and Managing Projects in a Virtual World, 2017, Russ J. Martinelli, James M. Waddell, and Tim J. Rahschulte, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-119-37640-8
  • This book includes nine chapters on working in a virtual world, planning virtual projects, building high performing virtual teams, executing and leading projects, addressing multicultural challenges, and using technology. Real-world examples are included to illustrate the concepts and a virtual project readiness assessment is included. 

• Remote: Office Not Required, 2013, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, Currency, ISBN-13: 978-0804137508
  • This book was an early look at what remote work is like and makes the case for why remote work can work. Each of the chapters offer interesting examples for readers to consider.

• Remote Work: Redesign Processes, Practices and Strategies to Engage a Remote Workforce, 2021, Chris Dyer and Kim Shepard, Kogan Page Limited, ISBN-13: 978-1398600362
  • This book includes twenty chapters about working and leading from home (or remotely). This book is practitioner-oriented and based on the author’s years of experience about taking a company remote.

• Remote Work Technology: Keeping Your Small Business Thriving from Anywhere, 2021, Henry Kurkowski, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-119-79453-0
  • This book really is really framed in relation the pandemic and what people should do when they cannot go into the office. Overall, there are twelve chapters included with examples, recommendations, and even specific technologies mentioned.

• Rituals for Virtual Meetings: Creative Ways to Engage People and Strengthen Relationships, 2021, Kursat Ozenc and Glenn Fajardo, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-119-75601-9
  • This book primarily focuses on how to make virtual meetings successful, which is an important topic that is not addressed often enough. A chapter on online teaching and training is even included.

• The Art of Working Remotely: How to Thrive in a Distributed Workplace, 2019, Scott Dawson, Knight Rose Press, ISBN-13: 978-1733991308
  • The author of this book is from the user experience (UX) and web development industry and the contents of this book are based on his experience. The book covers his path, space, and habits.

• The Everything Guide to Remote Work: The Ultimate Resource for Remote Employees, Hybrid Workers, and Digital Nomads, 2022, Jill Duffy, Simon and Schuster, ISBN-13: 978-1507217863
  • This book is a part of “The Everything Series” and specifically focused on remote work. There are fourteen chapters addressing definitions, finding remote work, setting up a workspace, leading remotely, etiquette, teams, meetings, productivity, balance, growth, hybrid work, culture, and the future. This book provides useful tips for a working professional in a remote position.

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, 2002, Patrick Lencioni, Jossey-Bass, ISBN-13: 978-0787960759
  • This book is solely focused on team leadership and a model of team dysfunction. 

• The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership, 2018, Kevin Eikenberry, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-1523094615
  • This is a practitioner-oriented book focused on long distance leadership lessons. The book includes nineteen specific rules for long distance leadership as well as eighteen chapters about getting started, specific models, outcomes, engagement, understanding, and development of long-distance leadership skills. This book does include a clear distinction between remote and virtual workers as well as co-located, completely remote, and hybrid teams. 

• The Remote Revolution: How the Location-Independent Workforce Changes the Way We Hire, Connect, and Succeed, 2017, John Elston, Lioncrest Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-1619618527
  • This book presents a story from a former CEO about championing remote work and the ability to work from anywhere. The book includes the application of remote work to the gig economy.

• Virtual Culture: The Way We Work Doesn’t Work Anymore, a Manifesto, 2017, Bryan Miles, Lioncrest Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-1619617216
  • This is a six-chapter book specifically focused on virtual culture.

• Virtual Team Success: A Practical Guide for Working and Leading from a Distance, 2010, Richard Lepsinger and Darleen DeRosa, Wiley, ISBN: 978-0-470-87241-3
  • This book addresses why virtual teams are useful and the related challenges and successful approaches. Virtual team leadership is also addressed. 

• Virtual Teams For Dummies, 2018, Tara Powers, For Dummies, ISBN-13: 978-1119453802
  • This book is from the “dummies” series and outlines what virtual teams are. Altogether the book has twenty-two chapters about virtual team development, nurturing, and best practices.

• Work From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Becoming a World-class Hybrid Team, 2021, Alison Hill and Darren Hill, Wiley, ISBN: 978-0-730-39088-6
  • This book uses a story approach to explain the emergence of hybrid work and developing a work from anywhere strategy. The chapters conclude with summaries and coach check-in questions.

• Work Together Anywhere: A Handbook on Working Remotely -Successfully- for Individuals, Teams, and Managers, 2020, Lisette Sutherland and Kirsten Janene-Nelson, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-119-74522-8
  • This book focuses on why people work remotely, how to find a remote job, how to hire a remote employee, and overall facilitate success. This book is based on interviews that the author has done as a part of her podcast (Collaboration Superpowers). This book even includes FAQs and other extra materials.

• Working From Home: Making the New Normal Work for You, 2020, Karen Mangia, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-119-75892-1
  • This book includes eleven chapters discussing what it is like to work from home including ideas and recommendations for rituals, routines, boundaries, how to hold meetings, team building, and achieving success.

• Working Remotely: Secrets to Success for Employees on Distributed Teams, 2020, Teresa Douglas, Holly Gordon, and Mike Webber, Simon and Schuster, ISBN-13: 978-1506254333
  • This is a practitioner focused book that outlines having a remote mentality, setting up a physical space and logistics, establishing communication best practices, addressing professional growth, and management topics. Individual quotes are used throughout to provide examples.

• Working from a Home Office Successfully: Best Practice Tips, 2010, Cecelia Jernegan, Outskirts Press, ISBN-13: 978-1432751456
  • This book outlines some helpful tips for working from home.