Gareth Evans works for Wicked People: a consultancy specialising in dynamic business transformation and change, and bespoke leadership support for UK organisations.

Over the last four months, Gareth has lent his expertise to ellenor limiting illnesses, and their families, – as a volunteer. Gareth’s contributions have proven invaluable in supporting Michelle Kabia, ellenor’s CEO, as she implements the charity’s three-year strategic plan and drives ongoing engagements.

We spoke to Gareth for an insight into his work, his motivations, and the impact of embracing change within a hospice care setting like ellenor.

Hi, Gareth. What was your goal when you founded Wicked People in 2019?

 My aim was to challenge conventional norms in organisations, advocating for fresh perspectives and greater social impact within our communities. Wicked People is all about guiding organisations not just to survive but to thrive, particularly in challenging times.

You’ve worked with a number of charities in the health and social care space including Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and the Royal British Legion. What drew you to collaborate with ellenor?

Firstly, ellenor is local to me as I live on St Mary’s Island in Medway. I’ve always been passionate about community which stems back to my military days and their strong sense of community, and that’s what I love about ellenor, how it supports local people.

Secondly, many charities like ellenor face significant funding challenges, relying heavily on volunteers, fundraising and community support. If I can help ease some of that burden, I consider it a significant achievement.

Thirdly although ellenor provides invaluable support, it’s not widely recognised.  It was only when I started working with Michelle and her Executive Leadership team and began to engage with the people here at ellenor, that I realised there’s a lack of awareness within the broader community about the essential services ellenor offers. It’s a hidden gem that deserves more recognition and support.

Fourthly, my personal experience of losing my dad, and witnessing his end-of-life journey, has really emphasised the significance of the work ellenor does in that space. ellenor’s end-of-life care helps enable as “good” a death as possible, allowing patients to depart this world with dignity and respect.

Wicked People specialises in business transformation and change. Why is change important to organisations like ellenor?

ellenor has grown from being a small charity to a medium-sized one: and that, naturally, comes with the need to evolve. The nature of the care people require is also changing with people living longer, and the needs of the patients ellenor supports becoming more complex.

Many organisations stick to routines out of habit, sticking to traditional methods simply because they’ve always been done that way. It’s crucial to challenge these norms and reshape perceptions about change.

Why? Because too many organisations look at change as a project rather than an ongoing learning process. Change should be one of the most natural aspects of an organisation’s continued evolution.

 As ellenor progresses through its developmental journey over the next three to five years, the focus is on establishing the necessary infrastructure – the conditions – in which ellenor can learn and adapt. The goal is to empower ellenor to become more self-sufficient and manage change in a more efficient way. If at Wicked People we can make ourselves redundant through our work, we’ve done our job!

What tools and techniques might you employ to help ellenor meet its short- and long-term goals?

One tool we use is the 3i model: inspire, idealise, and innovate.

Firstly, we focus on inspiring the leadership team and Michelle to adopt fresh perspectives. I see myself as a facilitator of conversations operating from a position of more distance – to ask questions others might not consider.

Secondly, we engage in idealising – akin to mind mapping. We take a blank piece of paper, we imagine a hypothetical world in which ellenor doesn’t exist, then we ask: how might ellenor look, if we were to begin again? Then, we compare this idealised vision of ellenor with how ellenor looks now, identifying gaps and devising strategies to bridge these gaps.

Lastly, we prioritise innovating, encouraging bold and courageous thinking: about developing the mindsets to think and act differently to surmount the challenges to come. Take funding, for example: the demands on ellenor’s services are increasing, but the money and resources available to provide those services isn’t so we need to think creatively to address these challenges effectively.

Broadly, what does success look like for ellenor in an organisational sense?

It’s about being self-organised and self-sufficient; about fostering an even greater sense of coherence across the whole of the organisation and creating a culture where everyone knows what they – and everyone else – is doing. A more “open book” across ellenor – that’s the end state. And a stronger recognition that, whatever someone is there to do, they can’t do it on their own.