Shawn Belling - Remotely Possible: Strategic Lessons and Tactical Best Practices for Remote Work

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If you are reading this, the odds are high that you spent most of 2020 and 2021 in a working environment that was quite different from what you were used to. If you had to pivot to a remote work scenario that was completely new to you, you perhaps found this jarring, empowering, interesting, or confusing. If you are a leader trying to figure out what the future of work holds now that everyone knows remote, distributed work models are a viable option, this book is for you.

I was fortunate. I had opportunities to work and lead remotely from 2005 to 2017 and even taught graduate courses that dealt with aspects of globally distributed remote teams and collaborations. When the Covid-19 pandemic emerged, I spoke to other organizations and leaders trying to navigate this scenario for the first time and offered what advice and assistance I could. I also had the idea of writing a book that would speak to leaders and organizations seeking to learn from the experience and perhaps permanently implement a remote model.

In this book, I draw upon my experiences working in various remote situations as a team member, a leader, and a professor. I have seen good and bad implementations of remote work, and I know what good looks like. I also draw upon examples of several organizations that have been highly successful with remote distributed work models as a core part of their overall operating model. I use examples from the many contemporary instances and lived experiences of companies and prominent people during the 20202021 timeframe during which a global remote work experiment took place.

I speak to specific practices, culture, and leadership and their place in enabling successful remote work. At the center of this book and all the thinking and guidance in it, the concept of work as something one does versus someplace one goes is critical. I recognize that not every profession or work scenario lends itself to remote or distributed situations lets get that out of the way. My hope and intent are to offer you practical ideas on implementing remote and distributed work options because you have had the experience yourself and now know that you will do well to make it a part of your organizational model to benefit your employees and customers.

Remotely Possible will introduce you to scenarios that predate the Internet, the Covid-19 pandemic, and speak to the fact that people who wanted to work together while separated by geography have always found ways to do so. You will read about specific examples from various organizations and learn about the concepts and practices you should consider as you embrace the possibility of transforming your workplace into a truly remote, distributed, potentially asynchronous, productive, and satisfying organization.

The book will combine best practices from experiential and academic perspectives with practical examples and case studies where appropriate.

I acknowledge the contributions of EDL Consulting and CloudCraze founder Bill Loumpouridis. I interviewed Bill for this book, and while I worked with him, his examples of company culture and working practices taught me what a successful remote distributed organization looks like. Bill also supported me in my career and provided me and others at EDL and CloudCraze with some of our careers most exciting and rewarding opportunities.

I also acknowledge the late Dr. Ginger Levin. As a professor and mentor, Dr. Levin encouraged me to pursue teaching, writing, and a doctorate. Dr. Levins course in leading remote teams was my first exposure to the formal techniques associated with remote work, and it is with respect and humility that I now teach and periodically revise the course that she created.