The Western and Filipino workplaces both bring their own unique strengths to a business. In general, we see businesses struggle when they expect their Filipino teammates to be more like them. On the flipside, the businesses that thrive are the ones who harness the strengths of their team in the Philippines and combine them with what their local team are already doing well.
So what are these differences in working styles, and how can you harness them to nail it when working offshore?
We were lucky to have Mike Grogan of Kaizen Leadership Asia share his insights with us at a recent client webinar.
Mike is a Philippines-based business coach, who works with international businesses to boost productivity and effectiveness within their Filipino teams.
Here are his best tips on avoiding common mistakes and creating better alignment between the gifts that your domestic and international teammates are both able to offer.
Less ‘Boss’, more ‘Coach’
Your style of leadership may be a complete culture shock to your new Filipino team. Society in the Philippines is more hierarchical than at home. Mike calls this the “power distance” and it can be a limiting factor unless it is addressed and tackled. Your team may expect to be led by a “kind dictator” who will tell them what to do every hour of the day. Clearly, this level of micro-management will not work for you, so you need to move the dial for your Filipino teammate. Your leadership style needs to focus on coaching your team and challenging them to take initiative and think outside the box.
Using the power of the collective
The Philippines is a close-knit society. Family is the centre of most Filipinos’ world and they bring this innate loyalty and sense of belonging into the workplace as well. Your team will go above and beyond if you can create the sense of community they crave. Your team is their “second family” so create opportunities for bonding, establish some rituals to boost connection and harness the power of your Filipino tribe.
Best of both worlds
The beauty of working with an offshore team is that you can bring the best elements of both cultures. You have a team of positive, loyal, customer-focused teammates. But with your coaching, you can grow their confidence to tackle problems creatively, work independently and ask for the support they need to help your business win. Make sure your team knows that you merit asking questions (rather than hiding problems), that you prefer to be challenged when they have a different solution and that you want to move from cooperation to collaboration. Your teammates and business will grow as a result.
