The Long-Distance Teammate

November 9, 2020
Eikenberry and Turmel (The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership), cofounders of the Remote Leadership Institute, return with a timely overview on how to make remote work both productive and meaningful. Writing that the “trend toward remote work is undeniable,” the authors aim to “relieve the stress and frustrations that come from remote working arrangements.” Eikenberry and Turmel focus on three concepts they persuasively contend “are critical to successful, satisfying remote work”: being a good teammate, staying connected to colleagues, and remaining engaged by work. Their guidance is centered on communication and preventing work from devolving into a solo enterprise; remote workers are encouraged to be proactive in reaching out to supervisors and fellow employees rather than passively awaiting feedback or more work. Each chapter ends with reflection questions, such as “What morning routines serve you well?” and “What frustrates you about working with others now?” Full of concrete, real-world examples, this guide is written with both understanding and encouragement—“Maybe you’re already feeling this. Some days you feel isolated and alone,” they offer. With so many office jobs now being done at home, this couldn’t have arrived at a better time.