Influencing Virtual Teams: 17 Tactics That Get Things Done with Your Remote Employees by Hassan Osman

With millions of leaders and their team members self-quarantined , Zoom et al. have become not only professional lifelines, but a way of life. Osman, a program manager at Cisco, offers a “no fluff, no filler content, no BS” list of tactics for getting stuff done through others via the internet. This book, which reads more like a magazine article, ranges from the obvious (“every meeting should have an agenda”) to the pretty interesting (using the word “because” in your requests increases compliance by 33%). Osman quickly covers how to write the perfect email (put the really important info in the subject line), how to leave the perfect VM, and even how to get your virtual team to like you more. Nothing if not practical for today’s reality.

HIGHLIGHT(S): HBR described how to best manage autistic workers – “[those with autism] have trouble…understanding social cues, such as gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice. You have to be precise and direct with them, be very specific about your expectations, and avoid sarcasm and nonverbal communication”. Osman argues virtual teams need to be managed the same way.