The 5 Best books on working from home for remote workers
Remote work is amazing. Goodbye soul-draining commute and uncomfortable "business professional" outfits, and expensive takeout salads.
Welcome to leisurely mornings!
But remote work is also tough. Remote work is difficult as you may be hundreds to many thousands of miles away. Additionally, you have a home workspace that does not have the amenities of an office. It can quickly make your work-life boundaries blurred.
To master these challenges -- plus others you've not yet discovered Take a look at these books on remote work.
1. Work from home: The Success Strategies for employees working in Distributed TeamsUnlike other remote work books designed for solopreneurs and leaders, Douglas, Gordon and Webber focus on remote workers. The book is divided into seven chapters. Each chapter is focused on a different aspect of the success of WFH.
This book will show you how to handle your inbox, overcome loneliness, and work with other people. The authors provide concrete tips and include anecdotes as well to help make their points more concrete (no pun intended).
2. Work-from-home Hacks: 500+ Simple Ways to Get Organized, Stay Productive, and Maintain a Work-Life balance while working from home!
HubSpot's Boston headquarters was my last visit. My keyboard and monitor were brought along with me. I thought I would use them for a few more weeks, maybe a month -- after which they'd return to the office.
Our team has been working at home for eight months now. This will continue for years. It could be for ever!
This book is packed with all the information I wished I had when I moved to a permanent remote job. It covers common scenarios like maintaining boundaries between work and your life (when your office is also your bedroom or kitchen) fighting loneliness and isolation and getting over the "out of sight, out of mind" effect. The book offers specific advice to parents, managers, freelancers, or employees.
When you're done you'll have all the information you need to know to be successful and content as a remote worker.
3. The Holloway Guide to Remote Work
This guide was created to assist leaders in tackling common remote-work challenges, including the onboarding of remote employees and their the process of setting expectations, communicating expectations; and establishing channels for communication.
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Buritica & Womersley draw upon their respective experiences as the leaders of teams of engineers distributed across Splice and Buffer. Remote.com employees, Doist, Angel List and other remote companies have also contributed. So, every suggestion is real and practical.
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4. REMOTE Office Not Required
This manifesto discusses the advantages and drawbacks of working remotely. Fried and Hansson are the main authors of REMOTE Office Not Required arguing the arguments against allowing folks to work from anywhere they'd like. For instance:
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Collaboration doesn't require an office
Whatever the size or type of industry you run in your company, it doesn't really matter.
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The pool you have will grow, and it won't shrink.
Already believe in remote work? Are you looking for helpful tips to help you do it correctly? I suggest that you go through the Holloway Guide or Work-From-Home Hacks.
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5. Subtle Acts Of Exclusion: How To Recognize the signs, stop, and understand Microaggressions
Microaggressions -- or Subtle Acts of Exclusion (SAEs) as Jana and Baran call them -- happen whether you're remote or co-located.
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But SAEs are harder to manage when you're not together in the same space: You can't drop by someone's desk to let them know what they said was hurtful, or stop a conversation in its tracks by asking the offender to leave.
You're also the one who committed the SAE. Without the benefits of sharing an Office, it's much harder to repair the damage caused by the relationship.
Jana Baran and her book are essential for teams that are distributed. How to prevent, detect and manage SAEs. It will make sure that everyone feels included and safe.