This month’s Chief Encounters sees Norma Corlette, chief executive of Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum, meet Justina Murray of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs
Norma on Justina
What were you expecting?
I have spoken to Justina a few times in passing and she had always come over as someone who is friendly, inquisitive about what I am doing professionally and personally, and very grounded.
What were your first impressions?
I had been intrigued at how Justina had managed to get 80 plus people out on a Saturday for an AGM and it soon became apparent. Justina comes across as having a genuine love for the work she is doing and supporting families affected by drug misuse.
What did you talk about?
Conversation was easy. We talked about how we arrived in the third sector and the relevance of our past experience and the differences in culture. Then we got on to more specifics; I have been in my current role for five years which is a bit longer but the journey has been similar.
What did you have in common?
I was able to empathise with where Justina was and was reassured about my own journey. We were also able to offer one another advice and support about the day-to-day issues that come up – that is a great gift of the Chief Encounters experience.
What did you learn?
I was really interested in Justina’s approach to partnership. She has a lot of experience in this area and is able to be both strategic and empathetic in her approach. She is not scared of bringing multiple partners together or dealing with the complexity that then ensues. As someone who enjoys networking, I was able to reflect on what she felt made a good partnership and the value of what you bring to it. I hesitate to say I think she may have made a better job of Brexit than our current leaders have done.
Where did your views differ?
I don’t think they did we never got that far. Perhaps it’s a conversation to be continued… which I hope we will.
Could your organisations work in partnership ?
We have both won significant funding in the financial year and are currently going through the process of employing new staff. However, yes in the future, I think it would be very beneficial to do so. Sadly too many of our young people from care experience come in contact one way or another with drugs or alcohol so I am sure our young people would be able to tell us how we could make the best use of such a partnership.
Did your meeting generate new ideas?
Yes, in particular about how we approach and sustain partnerships and will put what I have learnt into practice.
Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?
Yes, I think it probably is. We got on well, we both saw the benefit, and clearly there was a trust between us because we felt able to talk candidly. And we work in the same building so it makes sense too.
Justina on Norma
What were you expecting?
I know Norma from our shared kitchen at Edward House, where we both work, and always enjoy a quick chat when we’re getting a cup of tea, so I didn’t think we’d be short of anything to say!
What was your first impression?
When I first met Norma at work I thought she was warm, friendly, interesting, and interested in other people – very easy to talk to.
What did you talk about?
I think it’s more a question of what didn’t we talk about… We met for an hour and a half and could have talked all afternoon were in not for diary commitments. We covered how we came to be where we are now, our experiences of being chief execs of similar sized charities (firsts for both of us), old and new developments at work, and a wee bit about home and family.
What did you have in common?
One thing I already knew about Norma is she is a great traveller – I also love to travel, and that definitely would have been a topic to move onto if we had longer. But we also had lots of work experiences in common, like arriving at our current roles from another sector (public and private), enjoying leading and driving things forward, and an absolute passion for the people we are working to support.
What did you learn?
I learned loads from chatting with Norma – she was really generous with her experiences and advice. I have been a charity chief exec for over a year and a half, but still feel like a rookie sometimes – there is always loads to learn. I really benefit from speaking with other third-sector leaders about issues and ideas. So I will add her to my list of those who I depend on to keep me right!
Where did views differ?
I can’t think of anything we disagreed on, I would say our experiences differed a bit as Norma has been in her post a few years longer than me, so she has ticked off a lot more on the to do list. I am following in her footsteps.
Could your organisations work in partnership?
Definitely – STAF works to support young people who are care experienced, and Scottish Families supports anyone concerned about someone else’s drug or alcohol use, so our worlds definitely collide. Plus we are similar sized organisations, and share a building, so lots in common and easy to connect.
Did your meeting generate new ideas?
Yes for me in terms of some work developments for my own organisation – we didn’t get onto potential partnership opportunities, but that will follow.
Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?
I am not sure we are quite at the point of booking a holiday together, but we had a great chat, got on well, and had lots in common – so a good start. We have already committed to catching up properly again in a couple of months (in addition to the chats in the kitchen of course). So, thank you Third Force News for organising something we should have done ages ago!
