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    Handbook for the Modern Worker (365 Daily Tips)
    Handbook for the Modern Worker (365 Daily Tips)
    Handbook for the Modern Worker (365 Daily Tips)
    Ebook398 pages1 hour

    Handbook for the Modern Worker (365 Daily Tips)

    By Scott Dawson

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    About this ebook

    The Handbook for the Modern Worker covers the entire range of concerns for anyone not working in a traditional office environment - communication, discipline, health, performance, managing up, managing others, leading meetings, professional development, quality workspaces, and networking. As a compendium of 365 tips, they're a fantastic resource

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKnight Rose Press
    Release dateDec 12, 2021
    ISBN9781733991346
    Handbook for the Modern Worker (365 Daily Tips)
    Author

    Scott Dawson

    Scott Dawson is no stranger to remote work: he's worked from a home office since 1998. Professionally, he's a web designer and usability expert, and he authored The Art of Working Remotely. He enjoys writing, acting, creating art, and making music. You can find him running year-round on the roads and trails of Tompkins County in upstate New York. Connect with him at @scottpdawson or scottpdawson.com.

    Read more from Scott Dawson

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      Book preview

      Handbook for the Modern Worker (365 Daily Tips) - Scott Dawson

      Knight Rose Press

      knightrosepress.com

      Trumansburg, NY, USA

      Copyright © 2021 by Scott Dawson

      All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

      ISBN

      978-1-7339913-3-9

      978-1-7339913-4-6 (eBook)

      Library of Congress Control Number

      2021923424

      For Amy, Elizabeth, and Xander

      Foreword

      I’m a remote work veteran, having worked from a home office since 1998. I could not have foreseen the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the world of remote work. It upended entire industries, thrusting us into situations we never thought we’d be in.We didn't commute on trains, planes, or buses. Instead, we traversed hallways and staircases in our homes, townhouses, and apartments. We didn't settle into desks in corner offices with expansive city views.We occupied kitchen table corners and jockeyed for the best views of the outside world.We didn't have the clear boundaries of a necessary commute to bookend our day.We were stuck in a never-ending loop of work, life, and sleep.We didn't enjoy geographical or temporal markers to guide our day. For some of us, it was a genuine struggle. For others, it was just another day in the office.

      I wrote The Art of Working Remotely in 2018 and 2019. It went on sale in July 2019, just six months shy of the start of the pandemic. When the lockdowns began, my entire team started working 100% remotely.We’d been a hybrid team until then, so we were wellpositioned to continue thriving. Others were not as fortunate.The struggle was real, and so many of the reasons I wrote the book snapped into acute focus. I heard from people all over the world about how much it helped them. I saw an uptick of interest in #RemoteChat, the weekly communityoriented chat I moderated on Twitter from 2016 through 2021.

      The world of remote work-related advice became cacophonous. It was difficult to cut through the chatter: everyone shared prescriptive advice in books, articles, and podcasts. Problem is, a lot of that prescriptive advice skimmed the surface and never dove deeply to the root of the matter.We’ve all read the same boilerplate how to work from home blog posts.They all recommend the exact same things.

      In a Twitter post, I pointedly asked,When will working remotely simply become working? I've felt this way for a long time, but eagerly anticipate a working world where geography is generally not a distinction. If the pull of some companies back to office life is a sign, the answer is a resounding ‘not yet.’ One thing is clear, though. Remote work is here to stay, even more so as a result of the pandemic.

      On January 1, 2021, I set a goal to write 365 practical and unique tips about thriving as a distributed worker. Here’s what I wrote on that day.

      I'll be publishing a helpful work or life-related tip every day in 2021. By the end of the year, it should be rather impressive to look back at 365 (hopefully inspiring) pieces of advice.They'll be related in some way to success at work or life, with a distinct leaning toward thriving in a distributed workplace.The very first one is directly related to this goal. It's all about taking that first, crucial step, no matter your goal.

      I posted tips on Twitter and LinkedIn every day. Before January was up, I doubled my cadence: for every daily tip I wrote, I wrote one for later in the year. Some tips are from my book and others are new, garnered from my own experiences over the last few years. The tips will help you level up your working game, regardless of where, when, or how you do it. On July 19, my list met in the middle of my spreadsheet. Mission accomplished!

      I sat back and reveled in my achievement. Three hundred sixty-five is a lot of anything, and to see them all in once place? Wow. I knew then what I had to do.The tips I wrote cover the entire range of concerns for anyone not working in a traditional office environment. Communication, discipline, health, performance, managing up, managing others, leading meetings, professional development, quality workspaces, and networking. As a compendium, they’d be a fantastic resource for anyone working in this modern world. And now you hold it in your hand. A literal handbook for the modern worker.

      Who’s that, anyway? The modern worker isn't a popular term at the moment when it comes to describing remote work, distributed work, or hybrid teams…but it should be.The workplace is always in flux. Technology evolves. Teams change. Industries adapt.We communicate asynchronously.Workforces can be entirely virtual, or hybrid with some together, some apart.The world seems smaller and larger, all at the same time. And as the pandemic showed us, geography doesn’t have to dictate how we get work done. We all play in this constantly evolving sandbox, and that makes us modern workers.

      Who knows what the working world will look like in the next decade or two? Nobody, really. But if you keep these tips front of mind, your career will be, as a good friend of mine says, ‘rich and full.’

      I hope you enjoy the read, whether you rip through it in a few sittings, patiently go through it day-by-day, or randomly open it up when you need some inspiration. If you want to get in touch, find me @scottpdawson or scottpdawson.com.

      Scott Dawson

      December 2021

      Contents

      1. Don't let the size of an endeavor overwhelm you. Just take the first step.

      2. Master your reaction to change.

      3. Don’t just grease the squeaky wheels.

      4. Don’t burn bridges. Instead, preserve pathways.

      5. Invest in your workspace.

      6. Be inquisitive.

      7. If at first you don't succeed, try another angle.

      8. Make time to take stock.

      9. Color outside the lines.

      10. Write well.

      11. Have more than a hunch about your lunch.

      12. Tame your administrivia.

      13. Cultivate your background.

      14. Give the gift of time.

      15. Speak up.

      16. Accept the things you cannot change.

      17. Know when to ask for help.

      18. When helping someone, teach them.

      19. If you're feeling sick, recuperate and rest.

      20. Seek out new challenges.

      21. Counter the 'out of sight, out of mind' mentality.

      22. Adore your door.

      23. Be tactfully candid.

      24. Get lost to get going again.

      25. Set your own bar for success.

      26. Find the work that brings you joy.

      27. Set a daily goal for physical activity.

      28. Make tough decisions and own them.

      29. Know when to call it a day.

      30. Judiciously go into overtime.

      31. Do what you do best.

      32. Park yourself in all the best spaces.

      33. Take it one step at a time.

      34. The best team offense is a solid management defense.

      35. Pronounce names properly.

      36. Be disciplined.

      37. Transcend your title.

      38. Solicit input to gain perspective.

      39. It's not about heroics.

      40. If you don't know, say so.

      41. Seek understanding publicly.

      42. Be a lifelong learner.

      43. Give credit where credit is due.

      44. Be punctual.

      45. Lead with compassion.

      46. Make time to celebrate.

      47. Cast yourself in the best light.

      48. Get by with a little help from your friends.

      49. Compartmentalize.

      50. Embrace the crazy days.

      51. Bring humanity into the workplace.

      52. Give yourself a break.

      53. Plan to keep your nutrition in check.

      54. Systematize your day.

      55. Become a pro at taskmanagement.

      56. Make time to connect.

      57. Bid adieu to vices and video games.

      58. Bring some weekend into your weekday.

      59. Don't leave chores to chance.

      60. Learn to say no.

      61. Are you busy or are you free?

      62. Dress to impress.

      63. Lend context to your correspondence.

      64. You won't regret an office pet.

      65. Master the business of being social.

      66. Ruthlessly edit yourself.

      67. Don't underestimate the power of positive thinking.

      68. Be kind to everyone.

      69. Work in your window.

      70. Tell the story you want to be heard.

      71. Share how you feel.

      72. Practice makes you better.

      73. When it comes to tech, trust but verify.

      74. Talk to yourself.

      75. Schedule with sensitivity.

      76. Knowledge is power.

      77. Ignorance is bliss.

      78. Expect the unexpected.

      79. Put a plan in place to combat loneliness.

      80. Set ambitious goals.

      81. Async video can be powerful.

      82. Be transparent.

      83. Daily routines combat stress.

      84. Manage up.

      85. Create physical boundaries.

      86. Don't present a choice if there really isn't one.

      87. Cultivate a safe environment.

      88. Green up your space.

      89. Mix sitting and standing for optimal health.

      90. Remember there’s a person behind every curtain.

      91. Type faster.

      92. Backup your work.

      93. Be specific and timely when giving feedback.

      94. Deploy scents for your senses.

      95. Take time to smell the roses.

      96. Make contingency plans to connect.

      97. Put yourself first.

      98. Relish in the big screen.

      99. Tackle your tough tasks first.

      100. Record incremental progress.

      101. Keep an eye on your eyes.

      102. Commit. Deliver. Repeat.

      103. Share your calendar.

      104. Be available to your team.

      105. Need a break? Hide your video.

      106. Send a daily text.

      107. Listen at least as much as you talk.

      108. Fuel wisely.

      109. Proclaim your OOO status.

      110. Set expectations for deferred actions.

      111. Soak, then scrub.

      112. Find the balance between inadequacy and perfection.

      113. Keep calm in a crisis.

      114. You have to leave off

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