April Lunch with the CEO: Practice Makes Perfect

The highlight of our April Lunch with the CEO was a highly anticipated announcement—which is proof of how far we have gone forward since GO-VA opened for business five years ago. Starting with only around 30 team members, GO-VA has now grown tenfold and is likewise making its presence felt in the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of everyone in the tribe and our loyal clients, who have kept their trust with us through the years. We are now catering to 82 active clients and 3 Virtual Assistant partners.

Our CEO, Fiona Kesby, announced to the delight of the team members that we will be moving to a bigger and better location in IT Park—a move that she jokingly described as “the worst kept secret in GO-VA.” The new location will accommodate both GAGFA and AS Fortuna team members and still have enough room to spare for future clients and team members. What’s more, we will have a larger pantry at the site with our own GO-VA-employed cooks so team members can purchase healthy, affordable meals. Emergency day care is also available for parents who have to bring their children with them to work. Plus there will be an on-site doctor 3 days a week, where team members can also bring their children and avoid long wait times.

One of GO-VA’s core strengths is its ability to recruit the top talent in Cebu and throughout the Central Visayas region. Another excellent source of driving our growth has been our very own team. After the successful launch of the “Win an Island Holiday” Referral Competition in April, a frontrunner has quickly emerged. She is no other than Jinky. However, the other contenders—Edmund, Michael, Debbie, Joanne, Fritzie, Daisy, and Michael – are hot on her heels. Anything can still happen though, as there are still 6 months left before the winner is announced in December 2019. Watch out for more updates.

Every month, we celebrate our successes and victories. We start it off by recognizing our team members who celebrated their work anniversaries.

Congratulations on your 6th month:

Bryan B. – Client Services Admin;
Nikki Z. – GO-VA Social Media Coordinator;
Vanessa E. – Delegate Telesales;
Cristy F. – Client Services Admin;
Edmund J. – Client Services Admin;
Rana G. – Data Admin;
Corrine J. – CSA;
Cindy L. – Delegate Telesales Rep;
Zyra O. – Delegate Telesales Rep;
Rose P. – Financial Accountant;
Jefner T. – Electrical Estimator;
Aylser S. – Data Acquisition Officer;
Louella R. – Delegate Acquisition Exec.

Congratulations to our 1st Anniversary Celebrators:

Carlos E. – GO-VA Head RC;
Michael G. – GO-VA Network Engineer & IT Support;
Kevin J. – GO-VA IT Support;
Ivy C. – Chief Happiness Officer;
Sheila E. – Bookkeeper;
Sarah O. – Bookkeeper;
Leah I. – Data Researcher;
Harold O. – Sales Executive;
Mikael G. – Electrical Estimator;
Rica B. – Technical Recruiter;
Shiela P. – Recruiter;
Mary D. – Virtual Assistant;
Rainbow G. – GO-VA Clark Receptionist/Gen Admin;
Beverly B. – Virtual Assistant.

Congratulations to our 2nd Anniversary Celebrators:

Elmer P. – GO-VA Proofreader/Copy Editor;
Isabella Z. – Team Leader/Client Services Admin;
Mitzi M. – Web Developer;
Beverly C. – Meta Data

Congratulations to our 3rd Anniversary Celebrators:

Deborah F. – Recruitment Assistant
Nino C. – Web Developer

Last but definitely not the least, congratulations to Mark and Charessa for celebrating their 4th year with the company! You both are legends! Congratulations!

Our mission is to create a work environment where everyone is happy. We live by our values to create a culture ahead of others. Here are our Remarkable Team Members for the month of April:

Care Awardee: Jhony A. – Company Driver;
Drive Awardees: Robert T. – Delegate Sales Rep and Alfie O. – Team Leader;
Humility Awardee: Rana G. – Data Administration;
Learn Awardee: Edmund J. – Client Services Administrator;
Gratitude Awardee: Cindy L. – Delegate Telesales Rep;
Execute Awardees: Debie B. – Sr. Customer Consultant; Rick B. – Client Services Admin; Jennen G. – Client Services Admin; and Deborah F. – Recruitment Assistant;
Find a Way Awardee: Sydney T. – Executive Assistant.

This month’s CEO Awardee is Fe, our Business Analyst. One of her team members described Fe as “a pleasure to work with, her positive attitude and etiquette towards her work is excellent.”

Congratulations to Fe and all awardees! You exemplify all that is good in GO-VA.

The GO-VA culture is made up of the best assets of Australia and the Philippines. This month, Fiona revealed how different cultures can interpret the same expressions differently. Here are some commonly misinterpreted expressions and the right words to use:

FOR A WHILE
Client: I will get to you in a long while.
Replace with: One moment, please.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT
Client: My VA has no respect for our opinion.
Replace with: My thoughts are…

NOTED
The client is thinking:
Is my VA acknowledging that she/he has received my email?
Has my VA read my email?
Is my VA starting this task today?
Your reply should be: I have read the email and (insert actions to commence, time frame)

I HAVE A CONCERN
The client is thinking: There is something wrong (anxiety/worry)
Replace with: I have a concern (a matter of interest or importance)

Clear communication is therefore essential to bridge each side’s cultural perspectives so we can work effectively together. You can use this downloadable card as a guide.

Moving forward and upward, our road to 1000 is made up of remarkable stories of our team members. We’re beyond thrilled to share these stories with all of you.

Our first story is about the Dev Team, who were handed their awards as Finalists in the recently concluded Australian Fintech Awards. Here at GO-VA, we encourage great minds to synergize and create remarkable results. Out of the Dev Team’s hard work and dedication, the only Real Estate/Property Payments solution to have earned the award this 2019 was born. Everyone was grateful for the chance to be part of this groundbreaking project. What an excellent achievement, team!

Our 2nd story centers around our environmental awareness and cleanliness as a company. GO-VA is taking part in the viral #TrashTag Challenge. We are launching the Clean It To Win It competition to spur team members to do a cleanup activity within their communities. Registration is limited to only 50 team members, so better hurry. The complete mechanics will be sent out separately to all team members of GO-VA.

Our 3rd Road to 1000 Stories this month spotlights our Team Members who have just become happy and proud parents. Congratulations to Rod, Kenth, Christine, Jhony, and Mona. And love is definitely in the air! Best wishes to newlyweds Hazel G. and hubby.

Our CEO Fiona Kesby has also been very much in the limelight this month. Fresh from her maiden speaking engagement, she was invited to speak for another event at the Asia CEO Forum, where she spoke about why they chose Cebu and GO-VA’s culture as well. It was not only GO-VA that celebrated a birthday. Fiona also marked her birthday on May 1st, and the Internal Team surprised her with cake, flowers, and balloons.

Fiona wrapped up the CEO Session with a quote on creating a habit through daily practice. As you know, it takes 21 days to create a new habit. It’s your daily habits which you improve each day on that is your journey to success. She shared the 8 habits that are helping her on her journey to be a CEO.

Exercise
Increases energy levels, controls weight, reduces risk of chronic disease, helps with brain health and memory.

Eating Well
Include fruits and vegetables in your diet because these will provide energy to perform at a peak level at work.

Learning
Every day, learn something new about how to get better. Reading — or alternatively, listening to audiobooks — on something that interests you helps improve your skill every day.

Planning Your Day
Keep a daily journal and plan your day out. A well-planned day helps minimise stress and you always get a better end result when planning ahead. Deliberate planning gives your brain more time to think and make well-informed decisions.

Completing Your Most Important Task First
Stop and think about the most important task you need to do today and prioritise it. Block out that time and get it done so you’re not caught up in a whirlwind of being busy.

Breathing / Meditating
Improves your focus, ability to relax, self-awareness and self-control. Enjoy better emotional health. Here’s my favourite 5-second breathing hack: Inhale for 5, Hold for 5 and Exhale for 5.

Showing Gratitude
Saying Thank You is important. Be mindful to reach out each day and thank one person. When you see someone doing something really good, thank them as well. It makes you feel really good and positive and you make the other person’s day as well.

Spending Time With Loved Ones Without Your Mobile Phone
The most important and memorable moments with our loved ones are spent without your mobile phone. Are you letting that moment slip away just because you’re on your phone?

Always remember that GO-VA believes in you!

If you would like to start your global team with us or expand your team, you may contact us through sales@go.team.

We are Go-VA. Helping Businesses to scale and people to exceed. Home of your global team.