The Distance Manager: A Hands On Guide to Managing Off-Site Employees and Virtual Teams [Hardcover]

Kimball Fisher (Author), Mareen Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0071360654 | ISBN-13: 978-0071360654 | Edition: 1

Global business demands and new technologies have created a virtual workplace for many companies, with employees and teams routinely collaborating from distant geographical locations on the road, from home, at client sites—even on the other side of the globe. The Distance Manager provides practical information and tools to help managers bridge the communication gaps created by geographical separation, and get peak performance from employees they rarely see. This handbook is perfect for sales managers, project team leaders, senior managers, and anyone who manages people at more than one location. Key topics include:
• Using e-mail, teleconferencing, and videoconferencing for maximum effectiveness
• Mastering the people skills required to manage from a distance
• Virtual team building, and strategies for managing multiple locations

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

How do you know you're getting peak performance from people whom you manage at another location?

How do you motivate and communicate with people who work off-site?

How do you coordinate the responsibilities of virtual team?

How do you lead people who don’t report to you and may even work for another company?

As the nature of the workplace changes, more and more managers are confronting these challenges. This is the first book that answers them. The Distance Manager draws on the experiences of a cross-section of managers at every corporate level—men and women who themselves have been thrust into the challenging world of distance managing and who have learned to do a tough job well. Some are sales managers, some are field managers, some are production managers. They work for large Fortune 500 corporations and for small technology start-up companies. Now you can benefit from their experiences and hard-won wisdom as you discover the secrets of:

*Inspiring and motivating individuals and teams from afar
*Coaching for peak performance via e-mail, the telephone, teleconferencing and videoconferencing
*Building a cohesive team comprised of workers in different locations
*Managing projects from a distance
*Using the Web to set up effective shared workplaces and files
*Leading people who don’t report to you
*Keeping work on track and on time
*And much more!

About the Author

Kimball Fisher and Mareen Fisher are co-founders of The Fisher Group, Inc. and have worked with many Fortune 100 companies to implement high- performance management systems. They have consulted to clients in North America, Western Europe, Asia and Africa with companies such as Amoco, Apple Computers, Chevron, Corning, Delphi/Delco, Hewlett-Packard, Monsanto, Motorola, NBC, PepsiCo, Proctor and Gamble, The Port of Seattle, Shell, and Weyerhaeuser. The Fishers have trained thousands of managers. They are widely published and are popular speakers on teams, leadership and organization design. Kimball. Fisher is author of Leading Self-Directed Work Teams and co-author of Tips for Teams.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (September 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071360654
• ISBN-13: 978-0071360654
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, September 17, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Distance Manager: A Hands On Guide to Managing Off-Site Employees and Virtual Teams (Hardcover)

Kimball Fisher and Mareen Duncan Fisher document the special skills needed for the new but increasingly common task of managing far-flung work groups. The approaches that they examine are becoming increasingly essential for all managers. Although they explore relevant technologies carefully, their human relations advice is probably more important. The Fishers emphasize the interpersonal and leadership skills that a manager needs to head a virtual team. If you read this book cover to cover, it can seem repetitive, since many of the rules and tips offered in one area overlap with those in other areas. However, the book is designed to allow you to review specific management challenges and technologies, and to ignore areas that are irrelevant to your situation. We [...] recommend this clear, practical work to anyone who leads virtual teams and to the telecommuters and freelance workers who report to them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Use Guidebook, December 10, 2009

By 

Gretchen G. Griffin "ThreeGs" (ThreeGs) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Distance Manager: A Hands On Guide to Managing Off-Site Employees and Virtual Teams (Hardcover)

I ordered several books on virtual teams to design a leadership course on the topic. Out of all of the resources, this book was the easiest to read and had the most valuable data. I will be using this book as the main source of data for the class I am designing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read Book, June 10, 2010

By 

New Manager (IL, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Distance Manager: A Hands On Guide to Managing Off-Site Employees and Virtual Teams (Hardcover)

I recently became a Distant Manager so I needed a book that would help me through it. This is an excellent book that gives you ideas as to empowerment and how to lead a team. I would highly recommend this book to any new manager whether Distant or not.