Middle class families are the backbone of any society. They are the ones who work hard to make a better life for their children and contribute to the economy. In return, they expect their children to do well in school and get good jobs.
However, middle class families are not always able to provide the best life for their children. This is because they often live paycheck to paycheck and have little to no savings. This can make it difficult to afford things like college tuition, healthcare, and housing.
Annesa D’ Souza also has a middle-class family background. Coming from a middle-class family, where the only thing we focus on, is whether we are able to complete the daily chores in time and have a good night’s sleep, nothing else really matters!! Small dreams achieved make us happy, and small goals is all that we aim for!
With this background, and with both Annesa’s parents happy with a 9-5 job and just that their children are studying, She is a convent student, with a professional degree, as Fellow Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. Until today, Annesa has been successfully designing and running the Finance department for, age old companies, 6 startups at a given time including overseas and currently in a not so aged, but not so young company. She has 25 plus years of experience in the areas of complete functioning of the Accounting, fund raising, treasury, budgeting, MIS reporting, asset and financial control, ERP implementation, audit, taxation, risk management in manufacturing & service sectors.
Being a Part of Manufacturing Industry
“Finance is all about money, Numbers are fascinating and they reveal a story! This is true for me as I see numbers, I can quickly make out what they say and can put it down in phrases.”
While having a decade of experience in the service sector, a new startup of a manufacturing sector, was looking for a mid experienced person to head its Treasury operations, for which Annesa was selected, and from there the journey in the manufacturing field began. Manufacturing is the process of turning basic materials into more valuable commodities in big quantities. Manufacturing industries in the secondary sector are those that produce finished goods from raw materials. The process of conversion through big machines and thorough engineering is really miraculous. This really motivates her.
Diverting Challenges into Best Results
“People say, Finance and accounts is a very monotonous job and tends to get boring after a while, but I say, F&A has evolved in the last few decades, from just writing books of accounts, to ERPs for accounting, Financial management of funds, Internal Controls, Risk Analysis, Treasury management, Smart accounting, Vendor and Customer integration, Best Practices Sharing and applying across businesses and many more. And this has kept me latched on to the profession of F&A. Everyday a new challenge awaits you and you apply your skill and experience to bring the best to the table.”
Keep People Inspired
It is essential for team leaders to keep their team motivated. A motivated team will be more productive, more efficient, and more likely to achieve their goals. When it comes to team motivation, it is important to understand that every team is different. What works for one team might not work for another. The key is to find what works for your team and then to implement it.
It is also important to make sure that team members feel appreciated. This could be done through regular feedback or by offering rewards and recognition for good work.
Being inclusive is the leadership style Annesa tries to follow, which helps her in better delegation and a place for all. Teams also feel motivated to contribute towards their area of expertise.
“Leaders need to focus on KPI, which is Keep People Inspired.”
Learning and Sharing Knowledge
Learning skills are the abilities and techniques that are used to acquire new knowledge or convert the latent knowledge into explicit knowledge. It is a process-oriented approach which is generally used in educational or training settings. Many people think that learning skills are only required in school or university but that is not the case. Learning skills can be useful in every aspect of our lives.
Annesa Asserts, “Technological improvements have really helped in omission of errors, and manual interventions, saved a lot of time and energy. On the job is the best way of learning, and developing skills.”
The 21st century is an era of constant change, and organizations must adapt to survive. One of the key ways in which organizations can stay ahead of the curve is through knowledge sharing.
Knowledge sharing is the process of exchanging information, ideas, and expertise within an organization. It helps organizations to keep up with the latest best practices, develop new ideas, and improve performance.
Annesa Believes that, “Knowledge grows only by sharing. Years of experience and problem solving will die if it is not utilized and shared with others.”
Balancing the Work and Family Life
It is no secret that the majority of people struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. A recent study showed that nearly 70% of workers feel like they are unable to achieve this balance. This is a problem that needs to be addressed.
One of the biggest challenges to achieving work-life balance is the lack of flexible work arrangements. inflexible work schedules make it difficult to juggle the demands of work and family life. This is especially true for working mothers who are also trying to raise young children.
Annesa States that, “Do what is in front of you. And do not mix the two. Give time to both as both are very important. Aspire, but not as the cost of your family! And if you can get help from parents, nannies, day care centers, employers, etc. take it.”
Work-life balance is important for a number of reasons. It can help to reduce stress, it can improve work performance, and it can help to create a more positive work-life. To keep her mind fresh, Annesa likes to listen to music, dance, read and cook.
Being Fearless
As the tagline says : “Most Fearless Leaders in Business” is not an easy thing to be. It takes courage to be fearless and only comes with self confidence and self belief. One has to always focus on the situation/job/process/issue and not worry of the outcome. Always be a football player, keep the aim at the goal post. If the path is walked with confidence the outcome is surely going to be positive only. Best things happen only to those who never give up! Only Fearless leaders are able to Transform, this is what I have been able to achieve at the current company, complete transformation with digitalisation.
Be Patient and Keep Learning
Annesa’s piece of advice for aspirants is to Be Patient, Learn and Aspire. Be focused on the goal, and walk the path. You will surely succeed
“The Manufacturing industry is critical to a country’s overall, and especially its economic development. The expansion of a country’s manufacturing industries is used to gauge its economic strength. And being part of this industry gives a great feeling of belongingness.”
