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Debra Charles, Founder & CEO of Novacroft
Being diagnosed with Dyslexia at a young age, Charles often placed herself in the box of limitation where the words “I can’t” and many impossibilities reign strong. Though it wasn’t an overnight process to realising this herself, if you trace Charles’ life now, you will see her love for technology alongside the roles that on paper, she wasn’t actually qualified for but was still employed into at the likes of Westinghouse and Apple, was only the making of an extraordinary woman.
Charles recalls the day she saw her dyslexia as a positive, as opposed to the negative thoughts that had taken refuge in her mind since she was a child. She realised that she saw things differently and that was a strength not a weakness. Due to her dyslexia, she knew she always had to do more, so she had dedicated longer time to prepare for an upcoming meeting whilst working at Westinghouse. Her counterparts on the other hand, had just shown up. It was a light bulb moment for the tech entrepreneur. Her dyslexia no longer excluded her, it made her an asset.
Novacroft is the digital transformation and business process outsourcing organisation that Charles founded in 1998 after the passing of both her parents. The company boasts over 500 team members, that she refers to as ‘superheroes’ who make a difference everyday. Today, 32 million people use their products and services and the likes of Transport for London (TfL) and the Royal British Legion (TRBL) can be found amongst their clients.
2020 has been a real opportunity for Charles to lead with kindness and protect the lives and livelihoods of her team, clients, their customers and the the wider community through such uncertain times. “In the 22 years of leading an organisation through its highs and lows, you reflect and learn, have clarity, empathy and a core of steely determination and recognise that everything is part of the journey of life. Every catastrophe has an opportunity within it,” Charles comments.
“When Boris Johnson made his lockdown announcement on the 23rd of March, team Novacroft had already started thinking about what we needed to do, yet listening to that announcement which was inspiring, in many ways led to the realisation that I really needed to protect lives and livelihoods - something I never thought I would be saying as a leader. This led to a focused Triage, Stabilise and Thrive plan. We planned in 100-day cycles and kept moving forward by working closely together. It's having a common purpose that's really helped us and leading with kindness and that’s thoughtful action. Thoughtful action is seeing the bigger picture, empathy and it can also be tough love too.”
Central London, local government, transport and charities make up the majority of Novacroft’s clientele. Inevitably, the company saw a whopping 95% drop in income. They thought fast and moved staff offsite, secured new projects and recruited new talent to the team also.
“I believe the key to everything is ‘people first’. There’s something amazing in everyone. We are all unique and all fragile. Leading must be about helping people feel they belong, have a purpose and can make a meaningful difference.”
2020 is the year of connecting in an authentic way. Charles kept in constant contact with her 536 team members, speaking with them about loss and sharing her own experiences, whilst being able to empathise and have a mutual understanding with them. She runs weekly sessions for her entire team where they speak about Novacroft updates and check in on each other. “With more and more people losing their jobs around the UK, it has been vital that I unleash my team member’s hidden talents, and give them an opportunity to step forward to develop their self-belief and skills to make a bigger difference. It's clear that the future of work requires diversity, creative thinking and adaptability, so it also equips (my) team members with the ability to seize the opportunities emanating from the fourth industrial revolution.”
Volunteers represent about 1.25 million jobs in the UK alone. Alongside her team, Charles has taken on responsibility to help charities avoid closure and get fit to thrive. Her next charity collaboration takes place on Friday 11th December 2020. She will focus on practical steps charities can take to help their organisations survive and thrive, along with takeaways to support their own wellbeing too.
“In 2021, #IPLEDGE: To enable 1000 recruits to seize the opportunities of the fast-approaching 4th Industrial Revolution.”