The Long-Distance Teammate: Stay Engaged and Connected While Working Anywhere

by Kevin Eikenberry, Wayne Turmel

Overview

"Full of concrete, real-world examples, this guide is written with both understanding and encouragement--'Maybe you're already feeling this. Some days you feel isolated and alone,' they offer. With so many office jobs now being done at home, this couldn't have arrived at a better time."
--Publishers Weekly

Even before the coronavirus hit, remote work was growing at nearly 30 percent per year, and now it's just a fact of life. There are many millions of people who once worked at a central location every day who now find themselves facing an entirely new way of working. Written by the founders of the Remote Leadership Institute, this book is the most authoritative single resource for helping remote workers get work done effectively, build relationships that are both productive and satisfying, and maintain a career trajectory when they are not in constant close contact with their leader, coworkers, or the organization in general.

The Long-Distance Teammate tackles three important issues: navigating the personal and interpersonal, growing the skills to be productive, and communicating effectively--all from a distance. In short, there is a big difference between working at home and being an effective member of a team. This practical guide describes that difference and allows you to be a great remote teammate.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781523090303
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	01/19/2021
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	438,724
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Kevin Eikenberry founded the Kevin Eikenberry Group in 1993 and is the cofounder of the Remote Leadership Institute. He is the creator of the membership-based leadership learning product the Remarkable Leadership Learning System. Eikenberry has twice been named one of Inc.'s Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World. He is the author or coauthor of three Amazon bestsellers: Remarkable Leadership, From Bud to Boss, and The Long-Distance Leader.

Wayne Turmel is the cofounder of the Remote Leadership Institute. Turmel is the author or coauthor of seven nonfiction books, including The Long-Distance Leader and Meet Like You Mean It.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1 You as a Remote Teammate 9

Chapter 1 The 3P Model for Remote-Work Success 13

Chapter 2 Getting Your Mindset Right 21

Chapter 3 Getting and Staying Motivated When You Work Alone 29

Chapter 4 Getting (the Right) Stuff Done 39

Chapter 5 The Power of Establishing Routines 53

Part 2 Skills to Help You Succeed 61

Chapter 6 Getting Clear Expectations for Your Work 63

Chapter 7 Creating Great Remote Communication 73

Chapter 8 Creating Ethical Visibility 89

Chapter 9 Building and Maintaining Relationships 97

Chapter 10 Building and Maintaining Trust 109

Chapter 11 Giving and Receiving Feedback 117

Chapter 12 How to Work with Others Remotely 125

Chapter 13 Participating in Meetings 139

Part 3 You and Your Future 147

Chapter 14 Taking Care of Yourself 149

Chapter 15 Planning Your Career Path 157

Chapter 16 Managing Your Learning and Growth 163

Part 4 If You Lead Others 171

Chapter 17 Leading Great Remote Teammates 173

Final Thoughts 179

Notes 181

Acknowledgments 183

Index 185

About the Authors 193

About Our Services 195

More Than Leading at a Distance 197

Editorial Reviews

11/09/2020

Eikenberry and Turmel (The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership), cofounders of the Remote Leadership Institute, return with a timely overview on how to make remote work both productive and meaningful. Writing that the “trend toward remote work is undeniable,” the authors aim to “relieve the stress and frustrations that come from remote working arrangements.” Eikenberry and Turmel focus on three concepts they persuasively contend “are critical to successful, satisfying remote work”: being a good teammate, staying connected to colleagues, and remaining engaged by work. Their guidance is centered on communication and preventing work from devolving into a solo enterprise; remote workers are encouraged to be proactive in reaching out to supervisors and fellow employees rather than passively awaiting feedback or more work. Each chapter ends with reflection questions, such as “What morning routines serve you well?” and “What frustrates you about working with others now?” Full of concrete, real-world examples, this guide is written with both understanding and encouragement—“Maybe you’re already feeling this. Some days you feel isolated and alone,” they offer. With so many office jobs now being done at home, this couldn’t have arrived at a better time. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Eikenberry and Turmel (The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership), cofounders of the Remote Leadership Institute, return with a timely overview on how to make remote work both productive and meaningful. Writing that the ‘trend toward remote work is undeniable,’ the authors aim to ‘relieve the stress and frustrations that come from remote working arrangements.’ Eikenberry and Turmel focus on three concepts they persuasively contend ‘are critical to successful, satisfying remote work’: being a good teammate, staying connected to colleagues, and remaining engaged by work. Their guidance is centered on communication and preventing work from devolving into a solo enterprise; remote workers are encouraged to be proactive in reaching out to supervisors and fellow employees rather than passively awaiting feedback or more work. Each chapter ends with reflection questions, such as ‘What morning routines serve you well?’ and ‘What frustrates you about working with others now?’ Full of concrete, real-world examples, this guide is written with both understanding and encouragement—'Maybe you’re already feeling this. Some days you feel isolated and alone,’ they offer. With so many office jobs now being done at home, this couldn’t have arrived at a better time.”
— Publishers Weekly

“The Long-Distance Teammate provides meticulous instruction on how to be productive autonomously and balance independence and isolation when collaborating as a virtual team.”
— Laurel Farrer, CEO of Distribute Consulting and founder of Remote Work Association

“This book will help you towards a high competence level while working anywhere.”
— Dr. Deasún Ó Conchúir, BSc PhD CEng FIEI FIET PMP, founder of Scatterwork

“Kevin and Wayne’s book is FRESH— a model that motivates and launches future success. Long-distance teammates will be taken to another level.  Not boring and a must-read for all.”
— Cindy Price, CEO, HCA/Parallon Houston Shared Services Center

“If being the best teammate and leader in this fast-changing world of remote work is important to you, read and fiercely apply the  lessons from The Long-Distance Teammate.  Kevin and Wayne will guide you to make the impact you want others to see and feel.”
— Bobby Herrera, CEO of Populus Group and author of The Gift of Struggle

“This book is a must-read not just because the authors have been at the cutting edge of remote leadership for some time, but because it is engagingly honest, practical, and useful.”
— Nicola Hunt, managing editor of Management-Issues.com

From the Publisher