Being a mother teaches you to lead with care: Anuja Joshi

We, at Adgully, have always saluted and honoured women managers and leaders across diverse fields. Over the years, W-SUITE is a special initiative from Adgully that has been turning the spotlight on some of the most remarkable women achievers in the M&E, Advertising, Marketing, PR and Communications industry.

On the occasion of Mother’s Day this year, Adgully has come up with a month-long special series saluting the Moms of the A&M industry. The series explores how successful women leaders, who are also mothers, are achieving work-life balance, and are also creating an inclusive work environment so that the mothers in their teams can work to their full potential.

In conversation with Adgully, Anuja Joshi, Co-Founder & CEO, Interflora India, speaks about how she maintains work-life balance as a woman leader and mother, how workplaces have appreciated and helped working mothers, and much more.

As a woman leader, how do you manage to maintain a work-life balance as a working mom? What tips would you give to other working mothers who are struggling to manage their work and personal life?

I’m a firm believer that time management solves half your problems. So I try to get a headstart every day. I wake up early, spend quality time with the kids and help them get packed for school. Post that, I take some time where I collect my thoughts, come into the office early and schedule my work hours. But even at work, I make sure to stay in touch with my family. When the kids are done with school, I like to know how their day went and they love sharing their funny little titbits. These conversations make them feel secure, knowing that mumma is there for them. When I’m back home, I don’t miss out on a second of family time. Till the kids are up, it’s all fun and games. But as they go to bed, I get back to work and tend to all the pressing matters, if any.

As I said, once you master time the way you want it to work for you, maintaining a work-life balance gets fairly easier. And that’s something I would like to tell all working mothers. It’s not about spending equal time at home or work, it’s about doing the right things at the right time. Try it. Carve out a schedule around your kids and work, be fully present wherever you are and you will see the difference in no time.

How do you deal with “mommy guilt” while working and how do you balance your personal and professional life while being a mother? Can you share some personal experiences?

No woman can avoid Mommy guilt. You’ll always feel that something’s left behind, you messed up or missed a moment. But it’s not fair for women to be so harsh on themselves. You need to understand that this notion comes from an unrealistic ideal of a “perfect mom.” Moms are perfect in their own way. So, while dealing with this mommy guilt, you need to be your biggest cheerleader. Pep yourself up, say you’re doing really well, tell yourself that you’re giving it your all and just breeze through the day like a champion. All I’m saying is hold yourself in high spirits and just maybe that guilt diminishes.

Could you share your experience of returning to work after maternity leave? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? What changes would you like to see in the workplace to support working mothers?

To be honest, it was challenging. I didn’t want to miss a second with the kids. But I knew what had to be done. So, when I got back to work, it was truly liberating. Interflora is my third baby and when we reconnected, I felt whole again. Of course, I was blessed because I had the support of my in-laws and mom throughout the journey. With all the love and care that I received, the transition from being a full-time mom during maternity leave to being a mom who balances work and life was a seamless one.

I believe this journey should be just as smooth for every mother, which is why at Interflora we make sure to let them be the chief of their time. We have a hybrid work system in place, where they can choose to work from home on the days they feel necessary. This way they can give their all to work and manage to spend time with the kids without feeling torn between two jobs.

How has being a mother impacted your leadership style and decision-making as a woman leader? Have you noticed any positive changes in your leadership skills since becoming a mother?

Being a mother is a full-time job. It teaches you to lead with care. Be it looking after the kids’ day-to-day challenges at school or simply lending an ear when they need one, it’s an experience that teaches you on the job. So as a leader, when you carry these learnings to work, it’s miraculous. The journey of motherhood taught me to face challenges with ease and even my problem-solving skills improved tremendously. Patience and persistence became second skin to me. When there’s a roadblock at work, I try to enforce the same patience level as I do with my kids at home and if I feel like the team is stuck with a problem, we work together to overcome it with determination.

What steps has your company taken to support and empower working mothers, and how do you ensure that mothers are not discriminated against in the workplace?

Setting priorities, making sure workspace is supportive for each other, and embracing flexibility in the workplace can help any working mother. We at Interflora, offer a Hybrid workplace to mothers that can help achieve career goals and family responsibilities. Another way is to establish your preferences and communicate openly with your colleagues, managements. We are also formulating a policy where we can reinstate her back at the position where she left depending upon her performance. We also believe in promoting workplace cultures that value families and make it a pleasing environment.

How can other companies follow suit to create a more inclusive workplace for working mothers? What are the best global practices you have come across in this regard?

Global practices, including long sabbatical before they join back to their current position in office, has been implemented, whereas we offer industry-standard remuneration and benefits that focus on the long term development. Interflora also provides appropriate paid leave to the working mothers. If they want, we can reduce their portfolio as well for better output. Letting our employees have flexible schedules an working hours helps them to do what they need to do at home without guilt and stress, while also supporting them with their work performance.