HENRY KURKOWSKI is a pioneer in managed Wi-Fi technologies and digital engagement. He has co-founded a number of up-start technology companies and has a long history in the telecommunications and SaaS industries. His insights on brand strategies and leveraging business partnerships have been featured on Forbes.com. Henry has helped thousands of small businesses across the US to leverage remote technologies and digital communications to automate operations, increase engagement and boost the bottom line.

Foreword xxvii Introduction xxix Chapter 1 You Can't Go to the Office: Where Do You Go from Here? 1 Disaster Strikes 2 How Long Will the Crisis Last? 3 COVID-19 3 Prepping the Whole Team 4 Management Work Policy 4 IBM and Yahoo! 5 Top Concerns of Management 7 Do Not Fight the Tide 8 Remote Working Is Older Than You May Think 10 Productivity and Job Performance 11 Adjusting to the New Work and Home Balance 13 Social Isolation 13 Employee Engagement 14 Maintaining Growth and Profitability 16 Let's Get to Work 17 Notes 21 Chapter 2 The Remote Workspace: Set Up Your Mind and Your Space 23 Your Work Zone: Distinguished from the Rest of the House 24 Choosing Your Space 24 Good Lighting 24 Broadband 25 Monitors 27 Grab a Seat 27 Invest in Yourself 27 Add Privacy If Needed 29 Set Healthy Boundaries with Family and Friends 30 No Is a Powerful Asset 30 Self-Motivation from Home Can Be Perilous 31 Productive Procrastination 31 Work and Play 32 Your Mental Space 32 Take Breaks and Don't Feel Guilty 32 You Are Not a Machine 33 Replenish Your Resources 33 Take Breaks Early 34 Take Better Breaks 34 Create a Morning Routine Different from When You Were Commuting 35 Set Daily Goals 36 Tasks vs. Goals 36 Longer-Term Goals 37 SMART Goals 37 Team Goals 38 Communication Habits: Respond Quickly and Use the Right Tools 39 Communicate Proactively 39 Set Expectations Early On 39 The Right Conversation Tools 40 Be Precise 40 Daily Check-Ins 40 Make Yourself Available 41 Get Dressed for Work 42 Dress the Part 42 Business Casual 42 Know Your Audience 43 Set Yourself Up for Success Right from the Start 44 Notes 48 Chapter 3 Office Technology: Stay Connected and Competitive 49 VoIP: From Desktop to Soft Phones and Features 49 Cloud Management 51 Automated Attendant 51 Forwarding and Follow Me 51 Soft Phones and Mobile Phones 52 Email, Chat, and Channels 53 Email 54 Chats 54 Channels 55 Voice Chat 56 Videoconferencing 56 Internal Meetings 57 External Meetings 59 Google Meet 59 Cisco Webex 59 Microsoft Teams 60 Zoom 60 Remo 60 Team Collaboration Tools 61 Trello 62 Basecamp 62 Asana 63 Teamwork and Teamwork Desk 63 Slack 63 Microsoft Teams 64 Google Workspace 64 File Sharing and Cloud Storage 65 Cloud Backup 66 Cloud Sync 66 Cloud Storage 67 Data Protection 67 Cybersecurity 68 Wi-Fi 68 Securing Devices 68 Two-Factor Authentication 69 Remote Wipes 69 Virtual Private Networks 69 Business Tech Advantages 70 Chapter 4 Choosing Technology: Getting the Right Digital Tools for You 75 Scale to Meet Your Needs 76 Reliability 78 The Five Nines 78 Performance 80 Locally Hosted 80 Local or Cloud 81 Focus on the Need 82 Integrations and Working Well with Other Tech 83 Look at Your Future 84 Look for Reviews 85 Compliance 86 First-Time Setup 86 Configuration 87 Customization 87 Administration Levels 88 Data Migration 88 Data Selection 89 Data Formatting 89 Data Deduplication 90 Mapping and Templates 90 Migrating 91 Outside Implementation Companies 91 After the Sale 92 Customer Service 92 Customer Support 93 Response Time 94 Total Cost of Ownership 95 Focus on Your Pains 96 Upfront Costs 97 Software 97 Hardware 98 Implementation, Migration, and Customization 99 User Licenses 99 Training 100 Operating Costs 100 Software Support and Maintenance 100 Additional Licenses and Training 101 End User and Admin Tech Support 101 Network and Data Center 101 Backup and Disaster Recovery 101 Scaling Up or Retirement 101 Choosing Wisely 102 Chapter 5 Time Management: The Result Is What Matters Most 105 Being Productive 105 Measuring Productivity 106 Objectives Focused 107 Check-ins and Target Adjusting 108 Deadlines and Prioritizing 109 Team Deadlines 109 Deadlines for Yourself 109 Time Boxing 109 Productivity Apps 110 Calendar Apps 110 Google Calendar 111 Calandly 112 Woven 112 Reclaim 113 Clockwise 113 Lightpad 113 Automation 114 Zapier 114 IFTTT 115 Tray.io 115 DocuSign 116 Hootsuite 116 Two-Way and Group Communication 117 Loom 117 Yac 117 Pragli 118 Sococo 118 Distraction Blocking 119 RescueTime 120 Freedom 120 Forest 121 Spark 121 Time Tracking Software 122 Toggl Track 122 Everhour 123 Harvest 123 TMetric 124 Monitoring Remote Workers 124 Fear of Loss Overrides Trust 125 Ramifications of Monitoring Workers 125 Nobody Wants to Work for Big Brother 127 Transparency Is the Best Strategy 128 Company Culture and Trust 129 Monitoring Software 130 Prodoscore 131 Hubstaff 131 Time Doctor 132 Time Managing as a Whole 132 Chapter 6 Group Tasks: Keeping the Teamwork in Your Team 137 Remote Work Fatigue 138 Lowered Work/Life Balance 139 Mental Health 139 Perform a Reset 141 Encourage Boundaries 141 Know When to Log Off 141 Turn Off Emails 142 Encourage Breaks 143 Foster an Environment of Engagement 143 Expenses for Home Office Needs 146 Gratitude 146 Collaboration Tools and Usage 147 Too Many Video Meetings 148 No Back-to-Back Meetings 149 Schedule a Meeting-Free Day Each Week 149 Pick Up the Phone 150 Do You Need the Meeting? 151 Asynchronous Communication 152 A Round of Applause 152 Results over Schedule 153 Allow People to Work in the Right Rhythm 154 Accountability and Expectations 154 Outcomes 155 Open Virtual Office Hours 156 Make Decisions as a Team 158 Bring Back the Break Room 158 Build Non-Business Activities into Business Hours 158 Non-Work Chat Channels 159 Your People Are Your Best Assets 160 Chapter 7 Client and Team Meetings: Making the Most of It 165 A Quick Case for Virtual Meetings 166 I Stopped in 2014 167 The Personal Relationship 168 Before You Start 169 Keep Them Engaged by Design 170 Prepping Your Space 172 Check Your Lighting 172 Design Your Background 173 Declutter 175 Prepare Your Devices 175 Remove Online Distractions 175 Kill the Bandwidth Eaters 176 Test Your Audio 176 Eliminate Background Noise 176 Krisp 177 SoliCall Pro 177 Change Audio Settings 177 Adjust Your Camera 177 Prepare Yourself 178 Dress for the Meeting 179 Posture 179 Know Your Attendees 179 Get Some Clarity: Quiet Your Mind 180 Etiquette 180 Check Your Tech 181 Arrive Early 181 Make Eye Contact 181 Cut the Mic 181 Use Their Names 181 Pay Attention 182 When You Are the Presenter 182 When You Are an Attendee 183 Make Use of Whiteboards 183 Bluescape 184 Conceptboard 184 Draw.Chat 184 Hoylu 185 Miro 185 Engagement and Communication 185 Chapter 8 The Watercooler Has Moved--Engagement and Socializing Remotely 193 The Impact of Social Isolation 194 It's Far More Than Loneliness 194 Safety and Security 195 Love and Belonging 195 Esteem 196 The Need for Social Interactions 196 Avoiding Social Isolation 197 Be on the Lookout for Isolation 197 What to Look For 198 It's Preventable 199 Changes in Appearance 199 Changes in Communication Habits 200 Changes in Quality of Work 201 Cancellations or Lateness 201 Overproductivity 201 High Levels of Distractability 202 Don't Make Poor Assumptions 202 Self-Assessment 202 Negative Thoughts and Feelings 203 Change in Sleep Patterns 203 Fatigue 204 Disinterest 205 Lowered Motivation 205 Irritability 206 Trouble Maintaining Focus 206 Depression 207 Combating Isolation 207 Structural Changes 207 Make Work Accessible 208 Visibility and Transparency 208 Communication 209 Check-In 209 Feedback 210 Recognition 210 Mental Health Support 211 Mental Health Toolkits 211 Encourage Physical Fitness 211 Engagement 212 Showing Up and Staying 213 Not Out of Mind 214 Engagement Aligned with Other Values 214 Foster Openness 214 Listening Actively and Empathetically 214 Social Needs 215 Creating Non-Work Spaces 215 Virtual Lunches, Coffee Breaks, and Happy Hours 216 Make Pre-Meeting Time 216 Celebrations 217 Encouraging Friendly Competition 217 Plan In-Person Events 217 Company Values and Mission 217 People First 218 Chapter 9 Generational Struggles 221 The Generations 222 There Is No Generational Gap at Work 225 Negative Stereotypes 226 Work Styles 226 Priorities 227 Baby Boomers 229 Generation X 231 Millennials 233 Gen Z 234 Common Ground 236 Flexibility 236 Feedback and Positive Reinforcement 237 Appreciation and Recognition 238 Commitment 239 Chapter 10 Creating the Right Remote Team Culture 245 You Already Have a Company Culture 245 What Is Company Culture? 246 Impact on Remote Work 247 In Times of Stress 248 Company Culture and Success 248 Retention: The Cost of Replacing Employees 250 Controllable Quit Rate 251 Shape Your Culture with Remote Work in Mind 253 Leaders Set the Tone 254 Workplace Transparency 254 Be Worthy of Their Trust 255 Define Your Vision Well 256 Emphasize Meaningful Work 257 Stay Engaged 257 Get Feedback and Act on It 258 Be Clear on Digital Work Policies 258 Check Your Headings and Adjust Course as Needed 259 Maintaining Culture When Remote 259 Be People-Centric and Values-Centric 260 Get the Tech You Need 260 Ownership and Accountability 260 Employee Recognition 261 Bonusly 262 Nectar 263 Fond 263 Kudos 264 Cooleaf 264 Cultural Fit 265 Chapter 11 Operations and Administration 269 Company Accounts 269 Automate 270 Paying Bills and Getting Paid 270 Melio 271 Corpay One 271 Bill.com 272 Online Bookkeeping and Accounting 272 QuickBooks Online 273 Wave 273 Zoho Books 274 FreshBooks 274 Human Resources 274 No Dedicated HR 275 Record Keeping, Compliance, and Benefits 275 BambooHR 275 Zenefits 276 Namely 276 Gusto 277 Paycor 278 Losing People during the Switch 278 Remote Hiring Process 279 It Begins before the Hire 280 All Digital Engagement 282 Questions for the Remote Worker 282 Remote Work Experience 282 Measuring Success 283 Ability to Maintain Focus on Work 283 Their Workspace 284 The Biggest Concern with WFH 284 Company Values 284 Remote Tech 285 Attributes and Skills 285 Written and Verbal Communication Skills 286 Being a Self-Starter and Being Independent 286 Organization and Time Management 286 Reliability 287 Collaboration and Teamwork 288 Work-Life Balance 288 Remote Onboarding 289 Make a Solid Plan 289 Solicit Feedback 290 Facilitate Social Connections 290 Getting the Right Team Members 290 Chapter 12 The Complete Package 293 Work Remotely with Added Confidence 294 Make Your Space Your Own 295 Team Strategies 296 Technology Is Your Asset--Choose Wisely 297 Scalability and TCO 297 Make the Most of Your Time 298 Keep the Faith 299 Keep the Client and the Team Happy 299 Be Mindful of Signs of Isolation 300 Stay Social 301 Generations and Personalities 302 Leadership Grooms Your Culture 303 The Right People 303 The World Is at Your Fingertips 304 Index 307