Participate in a company outing in the Philippines

In 2016, we established our subsidiary, LH&creatives Inc., in Makati, located southeast of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and is an area where multinational corporations and Philippine companies are most concentrated.

We communicate with our subsidiaries through chats and project management tools, but of course, we don't have opportunities to communicate face-to-face.
Therefore, to enable direct communication with our Filipino staff at our subsidiary and to provide them with knowledge about the country of the Philippines, we have a few Japanese employees travel to the Philippines on business trips every year.
These past three years, we have had to suspend operations due to international travel restrictions caused by COVID-19, but this summer, two Japanese staff members (one of whom is me) will be traveling to the Philippines on a business trip.
This trip's objective went beyond communicating with Filipino staff and learning about the Philippines.
As I'm usually involved in back-office operations (accounting, HR, public relations), I don't interact with them on creative tasks.
Therefore, as Public Relations, we have set the following objectives.

• We will be sharing updates on communication with LH&C members in the Philippines.

• We will communicate in a way that allows members traveling to the Philippines next time to do so with peace of mind.

•  

In the Philippines, "company outings," which are equivalent to Japanese company trips and excursions, are popular.
Companies are not obligated to hold company outings, but since these events are related to engagement and retention, many companies hold them once a year.
It is held in May, which is the height of summer in Japan, during the dry season, and we go out to the sea and mountains.
For Filipinos who love having fun, this company outing is truly a big event.
Much like Christmas parties held in winter, it is also considered important. (Of course, companies are not obligated to hold Christmas parties...)
When Japanese staff are on business trips to the Philippines, we have them participate in company outings so they can experience areas outside of Makati in the city center and get to know the real Filipinos.
This time, I was able to participate in the one-night, two-day company outing.

I heard it's customary to play a few games during company outings, so I decided to prepare a simple game to help me get closer to everyone.
However, I'm not very good at English, so I can't explain the purpose or rules of the game in detail.
So,

• The rules are simple and easy for anyone to understand.

• The English explanation is short.

Katsu
-. Glimpse into the humanity and way of thinking of Filipino staff

The game I thought of that would satisfy this is... "The Ultimate Two Choices"!
For example, a question where you ask them to choose between two options like, "Would you prefer a life that's ordinary but long-lasting, or a life that's short but where you can have anything you want?"
Conversations like "Why did you choose that option?" naturally arise, and it also brings out humanity.

I asked a female staff member in the Philippine subsidiary who is in charge of the same back-office operations as me for support, and she provided supplementary explanations in English and Tagalog on the day.
Thanks to that, I only had to read my pre-prepared questions in English, and this request for support led to good communication with the local staff.
Furthermore, the Filipino manager actively cooperated with us on that day, and as a result, the distance between us and them suddenly shortened.

Well...

What do you think happened with the "ultimate choice"?
I was worried about bombing, but it turned out to be a huge success!
It was a great success, and even the Filipino staff got to see sides of each other they didn't know, which really livened things up.
(I think the alcohol also had an effect, but...)

My first trip to the Philippines and participating in a company outing with Filipino staff made me realize that "not being able to communicate (not being good at English)" is not a big problem.
Of course, it's best if you can communicate in English, but I felt that being "in the same space" with colleagues I always see through chat screens meant even more.

I realized the power that comes from people gathering, and how relationships deepen through sharing time together in the same space.
When communicating with them locally, you can see their characters, traits, and qualities. I came to want our Japanese staff to know about them as well.
Until I traveled, I couldn't match the names to the faces of the Filipino staff...
I've now fully learned it, and I'm filled with the desire to promote the charms of the Philippines, both internally and externally, with them.

Our company has subsidiaries overseas, so we sometimes receive consultations from companies considering expanding into foreign markets.
In fact, we receive inquiries every year from several companies in the Philippines who wish to visit or learn more.
In those cases, our Japanese manager on the ground and individuals involved in establishing the corporation in the Philippines will be providing the support. They will be discussing "the importance of understanding and respecting local culture and customs, and managing accordingly, rather than simply how to establish a company."

Through my business trip to the Philippines, I was able to interact with local staff and experience the country firsthand. Thanks to that, I feel I now have a better understanding of the importance of understanding a country and the people who were born and raised there.