Neeley (The Language of Global Success), a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, shows in this much-needed survey that the seismic shift from in-person to virtual workplaces has been long underway and is here to stay. While Neely cites many benefits of remote work (increased productivity among them), she also shows that there are considerable drawbacks, including employee isolation, lack of synchronization and the ability to have shared goals, and problems with bonding and trust. To combat these challenges, she offers employers and managers research-based guidance, tackling common issues such as how to best use digital tools (cloud-based apps such as Slack and Microsoft Teams "require virtually no investment in infrastructure"), assess productivity, manage global teams across different cultures, and identify when remote working fails. Among the examples of companies who have made successful transitions to remote work, Neeley cites Unilever's formation of agile teams and petrochemical company Tek's move to add "respect for others and their cultural differences" to their annual employee evaluation criteria. A supremely helpful guide for addressing topics covered in each chapter rounds things out. Significant and timely, Neeley's guidance will provide vital information to those struggling to work and lead in the virtual workplace. (Mar.)

A series of answers to eight questions on topics like leading virtually and trusting colleagues informs this guide to the "new" form of work from Harvard business professor Neeley. It also can be read as a consulting treatise, with in-depth data on things like, for two examples, the two types of trust and productivity tracking tools. Many will find the explanatory text a bit dense, except for case histories from companies like Cisco and Sun Microsystems; in that case, the best digest is in her end-of-chapter "success from anywhere," a synopsis of actions to take. For instance, in her response to the question, "How should I use tools in remote work?," the recommended seven actions range from "mix it up" and "be present" to "don't forget to ask" and "remember less can be more." At the very end is an action guide with questions, charts, and reflections that steer leaders and managers alike to arm themselves for remote work with panoramic awareness, active anticipation, and immediate actions.