Collaborating with global project teams means understanding cultural differences that may affect business relations. Here are some things you should know when working with partners in the Philippines.
Corporate Etiquette in the Philippines
Filipinos take their time and like to form personal connections, so be punctual, but prepare for less structured meetings. Allow opportunities to build rapport, as your colleagues value loyalty and trust.
Filipinos make business decisions slowly, and don’t like long meetings, so prepare to break for a meal or invite a 3rd party to keep things light and moving along. Don’t assume that a pleasant response automatically means agreement, as Filipinos don’t like conflict. Meeting in person will give you the best result.
Top 3 Project Management Applications for the Philippines
Clear communication is important, so selecting the right collaborative software is crucial. Here are our recommendations for the Filipino market.
1 Wrike
Tackle complex projects with Wrike’s award-winning project management software. Break projects into simple steps, assign tasks to team members, and visualize progress with Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendars. Manage resource allocation and forecasting with software that’s easy to launch. Automation and AI features strip away time-consuming admin tasks so you can do the best work of your life. Streamline your practices, align your team, and ensure you hit deadlines and stay on budget.
2 Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an online work execution platform empowering organizations of all sizes to plan, manage, automate, and report on work. Over 80,000 brands rely on Smartsheet for project and work management.
3 monday.com
monday.com Work OS is the project management software that helps you and your team plan, execute, and track projects and workflows in one collaborative space. Manage everything from simple to complex projects more efficiently with the help of visual boards, 200+ ready-made templates, clever no-code automations, and easy integrations. In addition, custom dashboards simplify reporting, so you can evaluate your progress and make data-driven decisions.
Cloud Computing in the Philippines
The outlook for cloud computing is improving in the Philippines. Government and small-medium business needs will propel noticeable growth by 2020. In general, however, the Philippines fall behind other Asian countries in cloud integration.
The Philippines have suffered several natural disasters, and the country is striving diligently to repair and make upgrades to their IT infrastructure. They anticipate a 3-5 year time frame to successfully transition to the cloud. President Rodrigo Duterte is making broadband capabilities a priority, asking the Department of Information and Communications Technology to develop a National Broadband Plan.
Wrap-Up
Filipinos honor family, are hospitable and value education. They dress well for most occasions, so traditional, conservative business attire is appropriate.
Filipinos are gentle, and don’t like confrontation. Be tactful and polite in all communications. Remember that negotiations rely on personal connection, so take time to build a relationship with your Filipino colleagues.
