Embedding Your Company Culture by Regular Travel to Philippines for Team Building and 1-on-1 Rapport Building

If your business is somewhere else in the world but you are running a team in Philippines, we strongly advise someone from your management travels over here to the Philippines and visits your staff at LEAST once per year.

Yes, it can be hard to commit that time and cost when it’s so easy to do a video call instead. But the cost and effort will be rewarded via stronger relationships and by embedding or strengthening your company culture in the Philippines team.

There is simply no substitute for spending time together in the flesh.

Building rapport with 1-on-1 meetings and team activities will reduce the fear your staff feel when dealing with you and other managers. As our clients know from our initial consulting, fear of managers is one of the biggest hurdles to openness, and therefore it affects effectiveness, productivity, retention and more.

Until the (foreign) boss comes to visit, it may feel like your company isn’t fully invested in your PH team. Sure you can SAY your company is committed, but if years go past and management does not regularly visit your team, the team is going to feel less important than your onshore staff.

Visiting shows your financial commitment to your team. They are acutely aware of the cost of your time and your travel expenses. This is another pisitive sign for overseas workers who rarely feel tangibly connected to your company’s financial position, or whether layoffs are just around the corner.

Visiting also shows that you care about them personally. The Philippines is an emotive culture, so the best leaders connect with staff emotionally. Sharing a meal together is culturally important and the easiest way to build stronger relationships.

You’ll also likely spot issues with your own business processes and with individual skill gaps, simply by sitting alongside your team and watching them work.

Visiting will also give you some insights into how the Philippines culture can positively influence your onshore culture . (That one is usually unexpected because there is a lot of focus on how to make THEM more like US, and most managers don’t think about what positive influence that foreign culture may bring the entire business). After a few trips here you’ll start to notice some Filipino cultural magic.

Improved Retention

If these “soft” reasons don’t sway you into committing to an annual visit , maybe retention will prove the point.

Most of our clients have very high skill teams, with staff whose skills are in demand globally. The staff have lots of opportunities, which makes retention efforts even more important.

Those clients who visit their teams regularly (1-4 times per year), will routinely have team members with 4-10 years of tenure, significantly better than the average.

The benefits of visiting are well worth the cost.

Client Concierge

All Technology Elite clients can make use of our free travel concierge services to help you plan your trip, including assisting with hotels, transfers, itinerary, booking training facilities, and recommendations for team building activities and treats. We also provide a first-time travellers guide so you are fully briefed on Philippines travel essentials before you leave home.

Request your free Offshoring Opportunity Assessment here.