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Virtual Culture: The Way We Work Doesn’t Work Anymore, a Manifesto
It’s the twenty-first century, yet most companies maintain a twentieth century corporate culture. Despite instant communication and collaboration through wireless computers and smartphones, employers needlessly rent or own office space. Bryan Miles has a reality check for the future of business is virtual, and it’s going to take more than technology upgrades for you to upgrade your workplace environment.
In VIRTUAL CULTURE, visionary entrepreneur Bryan Miles champions the benefits of remote
working, which will save your company tons of money and create an atmosphere of trust
between you and your employees. Productivity comes from people completing their tasks in a
timely, professional, adult manner, not from mandatory daily attendance in a sea of cubicles and offices. When you recognize and respect your employees’ time inside and outside work hours, giving them the freedom to work from home, you will retain amazing talent and create a result-oriented virtual culture as a forward-thinking employer that embraces the future of work.
In VIRTUAL CULTURE, visionary entrepreneur Bryan Miles champions the benefits of remote
working, which will save your company tons of money and create an atmosphere of trust
between you and your employees. Productivity comes from people completing their tasks in a
timely, professional, adult manner, not from mandatory daily attendance in a sea of cubicles and offices. When you recognize and respect your employees’ time inside and outside work hours, giving them the freedom to work from home, you will retain amazing talent and create a result-oriented virtual culture as a forward-thinking employer that embraces the future of work.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 8, 2018
39 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 30, 2018
Virtual Culture:
Wins at:
1. Highlighting the inefficiencies (both time and money) of making naturally “virtual-able” positions in-office positions (and therefore the savings (both time and money) of making said positions virtual).
2. Providing a manual for the major organizational adjustments (both in ideology and practice) that are required to create a healthy (virtual) culture.
Loses at:
1. No real concession and/or disclaimers around the industries that are inescapably non-virtual (i.e. manufacturing, most of healthcare, etc). Obviously the goal of the book is to sell the idea, but it comes off as a bit ignorant in the early sections.
2. Low acknowledgement of the mental transition required by employees who depend upon face-to-face connection (whether rightly or not).
Closing:
Makes you want to sell your office space, but then, after thinking it through, makes you want to zero in on the roles and responsibility that require in-office time and restructure everything else.
Wins at:
1. Highlighting the inefficiencies (both time and money) of making naturally “virtual-able” positions in-office positions (and therefore the savings (both time and money) of making said positions virtual).
2. Providing a manual for the major organizational adjustments (both in ideology and practice) that are required to create a healthy (virtual) culture.
Specifically:
a) Over-communication is required (and establishing a “rules of engagement” handbook)
b) trust is foundational
c) regimented onboarding process for new hires (i.e. give them a daily/weekly schedule that Will make them successful at their position)
d) clear KRA’s for every position (make work exclusively* results-based, not time-based)
*as close to exclusively as possible
e) built-in structure for face-to-face meetings (one-on-one and corporate)
f) apparently just use Zoom for everything you possibly can.
Loses at:
1. No real concession and/or disclaimers around the industries that are inescapably non-virtual (i.e. manufacturing, most of healthcare, etc). Obviously the goal of the book is to sell the idea, but it comes off as a bit ignorant in the early sections.
2. Low acknowledgement of the mental transition required by employees who depend upon face-to-face connection (whether rightly or not).
Closing:
Makes you want to sell your office space, but then, after thinking it through, makes you want to zero in on the roles and responsibility that require in-office time and restructure everything else.
January 28, 2018
A truly fascinating book about moving to a virtual working world and having mor employees work from home or wherever they want. I agree the cubicle world may be going out of style but I don’t know if I think that it is as imminent as Miles argues. I did find many things that were challenging of my assumptions when it comes to work.
Choosing trust over suspicion is a great point when it comes to thinking of virtual work and remote work. You can’t control what you can’t see,
Giving people a job description that tells them what it look likes to win at this job is another great idea that is underutilized.
I wonder if this book is more targeted at an older demographic with kids than with the younger generation that are fresh out of college and moving to new cities.
Overall a great book and an easy read.
Choosing trust over suspicion is a great point when it comes to thinking of virtual work and remote work. You can’t control what you can’t see,
Giving people a job description that tells them what it look likes to win at this job is another great idea that is underutilized.
I wonder if this book is more targeted at an older demographic with kids than with the younger generation that are fresh out of college and moving to new cities.
Overall a great book and an easy read.
May 12, 2018
I recommend this book as one that could potentially open your eyes to: 1) a growing virtual workforce and 2) some best practices of a healthy company culture. Bryan Miles has authority to speak to this because he owns a rapidly growing VA contracting company that is 100% virtual and has been awarded numerous times for a best company culture.
I’d encourage my ministry friends to consider the applications of Bryan’s thoughts of virtual culture for their context, since a virtual workforce could save a lot of over-worked pastors of churches around 100.
Anyone who wants to help lead an organization that people would love to serve in should take notes as Bryan shares some of his practices at BELAY.
I’d encourage my ministry friends to consider the applications of Bryan’s thoughts of virtual culture for their context, since a virtual workforce could save a lot of over-worked pastors of churches around 100.
Anyone who wants to help lead an organization that people would love to serve in should take notes as Bryan shares some of his practices at BELAY.
March 18, 2019
Some important tips on how to create a virtual corporate culture. Very helpful for me as an entrepreneur building a remote only company, as this book validates my beliefs about the future of work as well us gives some important advice from someone already done what I plan to achieve. Might be a good read for those shifting their business from cubicle offices to a virtual environment. Also lists more helpful resources to further dive into the topic.
October 26, 2019
Some good detail here...but religious connections may put off some
I am researching about remote work for a professional situation where there must be a clear line of demarcation between church and state. I can use some of the information provided here, but already know Mr. Miles' company focus on religion may lead those I am researching for to want to dismiss it entirely because "BELAY is not like us" in that aspect. Still, I am glad I read it.
I am researching about remote work for a professional situation where there must be a clear line of demarcation between church and state. I can use some of the information provided here, but already know Mr. Miles' company focus on religion may lead those I am researching for to want to dismiss it entirely because "BELAY is not like us" in that aspect. Still, I am glad I read it.
March 24, 2018
"Home" Work
I have worked in a virtual environment for 4 years, and I have recently gone back to the physical one. Bryan has a lot of great insight that I hope to use when I go back to a virtual environment and maybe lead in the future. I would love to work for Belay. Any openings for someone in Hawaii?
I have worked in a virtual environment for 4 years, and I have recently gone back to the physical one. Bryan has a lot of great insight that I hope to use when I go back to a virtual environment and maybe lead in the future. I would love to work for Belay. Any openings for someone in Hawaii?
October 15, 2018
What an amazing book. Bryan really gets into the important parts of how people work together. Not just promoting his method but giving real practical examples for how it works. He even includes some ideas on how to think differently about work environments and relationship interactions with co-workers that will definetly help with the way I work going forward.
February 25, 2018
Strong Manifesto
His passion and his vision for virtual work shines strong. This is a quick and engaging read on the future of work. And the future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.
His passion and his vision for virtual work shines strong. This is a quick and engaging read on the future of work. And the future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.
May 27, 2018
Reworked would have been a better title
If you’ve read rework or remote then there’s nothing new here for you other than perhaps an advertisement for the authors business. The message is still solid, I just prefer the original source.
If you’ve read rework or remote then there’s nothing new here for you other than perhaps an advertisement for the authors business. The message is still solid, I just prefer the original source.
December 12, 2018
Short book, but well worth the time.
July 14, 2019
Very well written, straight to the point analysis or a cutting edge concept. This book will make you re-examine everything about your workplace and work life!
October 14, 2019
Loved this read. Certainly challenged my thinking and inspired some great ideas for business!
August 20, 2020
A PR book for his company. The author spends more time on this than on anything valuable.
April 28, 2021
Compelling pitch for virtual work
This book makes a compelling argument for why going virtual is the future of the workforce. Thought provoking to say the least.
This book makes a compelling argument for why going virtual is the future of the workforce. Thought provoking to say the least.
August 19, 2019
This book was so helpful to me. It showed that a virtual culture can work and some of the things that will make it work for us.
The book does present a bit of a false picture that there are only two alternatives: either people come to a place they don't like to work with people they don't like doing things they don't like towards a vision they don't believe in OR they work from home and love what they do and love the people they work with.
We are moving to virtual, but our office is a place of encouragement, collaboration, vision and passion. We aren't moving to virtual to get away from a horrible situation, but to move forward given our people and their circumstances.
The book does present a bit of a false picture that there are only two alternatives: either people come to a place they don't like to work with people they don't like doing things they don't like towards a vision they don't believe in OR they work from home and love what they do and love the people they work with.
We are moving to virtual, but our office is a place of encouragement, collaboration, vision and passion. We aren't moving to virtual to get away from a horrible situation, but to move forward given our people and their circumstances.
September 13, 2020
Timely when published, only for skeptics
This was really timely in 2018 when published. Now that most companies have gone through some version of virtual work to manage through COVID-19, the book reads more like a historical treatise. If you still don’t think Virtual “works” then this is a great read for you. If you are in the market for a virtual assistant, this is a very insightful advertisement for Belay. If you, like I am, are looking for ideas on strengthening the virtual company culture that you already have in place, this doesn’t offer much advice past the virtual happy hour, and the more typical advice on trusting your employees and having a point for your business that is more than financial. All good advice, just not what I was looking for based on the title.
This was really timely in 2018 when published. Now that most companies have gone through some version of virtual work to manage through COVID-19, the book reads more like a historical treatise. If you still don’t think Virtual “works” then this is a great read for you. If you are in the market for a virtual assistant, this is a very insightful advertisement for Belay. If you, like I am, are looking for ideas on strengthening the virtual company culture that you already have in place, this doesn’t offer much advice past the virtual happy hour, and the more typical advice on trusting your employees and having a point for your business that is more than financial. All good advice, just not what I was looking for based on the title.
January 8, 2024
Wasn’t what I expected. Was still good easy to read. Think Jerry McGuire meets virtual culture!!!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews