Are you looking for more information on how to navigate remote work? By reading books on remote work, you can get great insights into managing, collaborating, and communicating with work-from-home employees.
Here are some of the best books on remote work to help you transition from a traditional office environment. We’ve scoped the top-rated reads and briefly summarized each title.
1. Remote: Office Not Required
Summary: The book mainly focuses on why companies, businesses, and managers should embrace remote work. It highlights the benefits and how they outweigh the disadvantages.
Amazon Rating: 4.2
Remote: Office Not Required was written by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier, the founders of Basecamp. The book discusses collaboration, working in different time zones, and maintaining an excellent work-life balance to increase productivity.
This is a good read for anyone who needs convincing and more details on how to start remote work. But, if you’re looking for more practical advice, there isn’t much highlighted.
Key Takeaways
- There are more advantages to remote work than disadvantages.
- It is essential to build a healthy mindset around working remotely.
- All employees should have technological tools for better performance.
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2. Remote Not Distant
Summary: It provides insights on succeeding and how to set up a successful remote work setting.
Amazon Rating: 4.5
The second-best book on remote work on our list was written by Gustavo Razetti, the CEO of Fearless Culture. Remote Not Distant shares secrets on things managers and people in a remote work setting can do to create a good working environment.
It discusses different collaboration modes for hybrid teams; mindset shifts for resetting the workplace, building psychological safety, and more.
Key Takeaways
- Remote leaders manage teams differently compared to traditional office setups.
- There are many ways of resolving remote work conflicts.
- Always build an excellent hybrid work culture.
3. The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work
Summary: Shares behind-the-scenes information about WordPress and what contributes to its massive success.
Amazon Rating: 4.2
This book on remote work is written by a best-selling author. Some of Scott Berkun’s work has been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, and Forbes Magazine.
In this book, Scott discusses real stories on leadership and productivity surrounding remote work.
It mainly focuses on WordPress, which has a unique remote setup, and how companies can learn from them. Allegedly, WordPress workers worldwide barely send any emails but manage to update and improve the platform numerous times daily.
Key Takeaways
- Embrace creativity, productivity, and leadership in a remote workplace.
- Using good processes gets the right results.
- Organizations should learn and adopt new ideas for remote work.
Interested in working remotely but don’t know where to start? Apart from these books, knowing the best laptops for remote working can help you gear up!
4. Remote Work Revolution
Summary: It talks about navigating the challenges of a working-from-home environment and how to build trust in remote employees.
Amazon Rating: 4.3
Tsedal Neeley, a professor at Havard Business School, released Remote Work Revolution in 2021. The book discusses the isolation felt by remote employees and unveils evidence-based approaches to dealing with these challenges.
The author shares tips on improving remote working by keeping employees motivated to increase their productivity. There are also great insights into building trust to help remote workers feel connected and supported and encourage creativity.
Key Takeaways
- Success in remote work includes challenges.
- Managers should always strive to keep employees motivated.
- Remote teams need support to foster connection.
5. Zoom For Dummies
Summary: It discusses Zoom’s ins and outs, setting up virtual meetings, and expanding team collaborations.
Amazon Rating: 4.3
The rise of remote work led to more people using Zoom. As the title suggests, Zoom for Dummies by Phil Simon is a guide on using the platform for virtual team meetings, collaboration, and socializing.
The book also interprets the various terms used in Zoom and PC shortcuts. Phil Simon recently released another book, Slack for Dummies, and hosts a podcast on remote work collaborations.
Key Takeaways
- You can share files, screens, and code snippets on Zoom.
- Apart from formal meetings, Zoom is a great socializing tool.
- There is much more to know about Zoom than what meets the eye.
6. Remote Works: Managing for Freedom, Flexibility, and Focus
Summary: A guide on managing remote teams using new techniques.
Amazon Rating: 5.0
This is among the best books on remote leadership. It pinpoints the challenges of effective communication in remote teams and what tools managers can use to reduce these frustrations.
This book immerses you on a trip to rediscover communication and learn to integrate flexibility, focus, and freedom in the workplace. Remote Works is a good read for people getting into remote work or those looking to expand their skills.
Key Takeaways
- Always declutter by only using remote tools that serve a purpose.
- You can communicate effectively even with fewer meetings.
- Once in a while, give your team the freedom to set a new norm.
Check also the top 5 reads on remote work from Linkedin.
Discover the Best Books on Remote Work!
The best books on remote work share expert insights on how to get started and effectively manage a remote team. Some titles, like The Year Without Pants Book, were based on WordPress, which can be used as a blueprint to show working remotely is effective.
Reading the books will give you better insights into collaboration, communication, and some tools. These are just some of the books. You can explore more titles from the same or different authors.
