Solve business challenges with performance specialist

April 22, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by Sanford Health.

No matter which area a business or athlete would like to improve, chances are it’s related to performance.

At Sanford POWER, Andy Gillham is a senior sports psychology performance specialist. He works with athletes, coaches and sports teams, providing a fresh perspective to help them develop strategies and, as he puts it, simply get better at what they do.

Gillham also uses the same approach to help businesses solve challenges with everything from employee on-boarding and retention to profit, turnover, management and more as part of his consulting services at Sanford POWER.

“The reality is that if you’re a human trying to accomplish something, we’re going to all behave in similar patterns, whether that’s in sports or business,” Gillham said.

When owners examine the strengths and weaknesses of their business, there are often three areas that emerge as opportunities for growth: leadership, team building and mentoring.

“These are often the big ones from a business standpoint that people have some serious room to get better at,” he said.

Depending on a client’s goals, Gillham can work with the person for anywhere from a few weeks to several years. Some projects he tackles often include building leadership courses and shortening the on-boarding process.

“I’m usually brought in for one specific area,” Gillham said. “Sometimes that’s for culture or for re-evaluating an area like employee training.”

A focus on research

Gillham uses research literature and science as the foundation of his work.

“There’s science out there on how to build the right culture, how to make it more effective and what works and doesn’t,” Gillham said. “So everything I do is based on research, and I also address the unique barriers that exist within each company.”

Gillham said roughly every 10 years there’s a shift in leadership trends, such as the transition from servant-based leadership to the current focus on personality leadership.

Instead of trying to continuously change strategies, Gillham helps businesses expand on what is currently working before adding in new concepts.

“Companies tend to forget that they shouldn’t just throw out 10 years’ worth of leadership practices,” he said. “We want to build the whole picture because nothing happens in a vacuum.”

An opportunity to improve

As COVID-19 shifts employees to working at home and creates different challenges for business leaders, Gillham encourages businesses to step back and consider what the next several months may hold in this new normal.

“I would question how I could make this an opportunity to rethink my business and consider what I want my business or management structure to look like,” he said.

Business owners may be able to find creative solutions to adapt and create efficiencies to further advance in their field, even after the pandemic has passed.

It also challenges businesses to move beyond the status quo and re-evaluate processes.

“So many businesses continue to do things because that’s how it has always been done, and that’s not a great move,” he said. “Sometimes, it takes a pair of outside eyes and ears from someone who is not part of your company to ask those questions.”

Gillham emphasizes that his goal in helping businesses is really about people.

“The process is about getting better and not about finding faults or wrongs,” he said. “My interest is in helping people, and, therefore, helping a business collectively get better.”

For more information, contact the Sanford Fieldhouse at 605-312-7800.

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Solve business challenges with performance specialist

“We’re going to all behave in similar patterns, whether that’s in sports or business.” Meet the sports psychology performance specialist who also can improve your business performance.

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