Leading Filipino VAs: Why Understanding “Power Distance” Will Change Your Approach Forever By Fiona

 

Power Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of a business within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

Australia scores low on the Power Distance Scale at 36. Australian businesses establish hierarchy for convenience; managers are always accessible and rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise.

The Philippines scores as a hierarchical society, with a score of 94 on the Power Distance Scale.

People accept a hierarchical order. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities - one singular authority. Team members expect to be told what to do, and their ideal boss is a very kind and caring leader that has absolute authority for all decisions.

Here are some leadership tips for you when working with Filipino VAs:

1. Remember the Power Distance when communicating with your Philippine team and show patience as you build your working relationship.
2. Select Philippine Team Members that have experience either working overseas or previously with foreigners for your first team member that can then act as a Team Leader as you scale your team.
3. Ask team members to repeat back instructions. This may seem condescending at first and time-consuming; however, it will allow you to scale faster in the long run. It avoids situations where your team member is saving face and too ashamed to ask questions.
4. Remind your team constantly that “Asking questions doesn't mean you don't know your job, it means you give me confidence that you want to know your job better.”
5. Have written SOPs and videos for your team to refer to.
6. Share our article on “Closed Loop Communication” with your team member