Chamber Members:
Happy Halloween! Stay safe with whatever plans you have for the weekend. Today we take a quick look at the happenings related to the ongoing pandemic. The election is only 4 days away so for those that have not yet voted, make sure you exercise your right to do so. Check out the info towards the bottom regarding the open grants and our next virtual conference.
Remember to push your clocks back one hour this Sunday at 2 A.M. as it’s that time of year.
*Daily Coronavirus update brought to you by Silver Cross Hospital
Latest on Relief Discussions
Lawmakers in both parties see a deal on a new coronavirus relief package as more likely in the lame-duck session once the political pressures of the 2020 elections have abated. Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a press conference Thursday said she wants to get a deal with President Trump after Election Day.
Senate lawmakers and aides say Senator Mitch McConnell and Pelosi, both longtime members of the Senate and House appropriations committees, have strong incentive to get a coronavirus relief deal done in the lame-duck session because it will make it easier to put together a full-year annual appropriations package before Christmas.
A senior Senate GOP aide predicted a deal is likely in the lame-duck because Senate Republicans will be less worried about angering their base by agreeing to Democratic priorities, such as infusion of aid for state and local governments, and Democrats will be less motivated to deny Trump a legislative victory and credit for boosting the economy. “Pelosi and Schumer didn’t want to cut a deal before the election. After the election and after McConnell is reelected as leader there is more opportunity,” said the aide.
More Mitigations Around the State
The region covering Springfield (Region 3) has been placed under mitigation measures because of surging cases of the coronavirus. The move was made on the same day Illinois smashed its previous record for the number of new COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period. Illinois reported 6,363 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, 202 more than the previous record set less than a week ago.
Meanwhile, a chunk of east-central Illinois that includes Champaign-Urbana and Decatur will become the 10th of 11 regions in the state to come under tighter restrictions, including a ban on indoor dining and bar service, as the coronavirus continues its resurgence across Illinois, Governor Pritzker’s office announced Friday.
Friday’s announcement leaves only one region — a wide swath of north-central Illinois that stretches from Kendall County on the outskirts of the Chicago suburbs to the Quad Cities and includes Peoria and Bloomington — without stricter rules aimed at slowing the surging COVID-19 pandemic.
The administration said that the number of new COVID-19 cases has gone up 151% since Oct. 1. Hospitalizations have gone up 73% during that time, and the number of patients in intensive care units has increased 61%. The number of patients on ventilators has gone up 63%, and deaths have increased 82%. The positivity rate, which measures how quickly the virus is spreading, has increased 3.4 points.
Illinois Restaurant Association News
The IRA has launched a hashtag campaign ( #FightForIllinoisRestaurants ) on social media, along with a letter writing campaign. You can join them by posting the below graphic on your social media channels, with this suggested caption:
“Gov. Pritzker’s mitigation plan is a death sentence for restaurants. 5,600+ have signed a letter demanding he give our industry a chance to survive.
Here is the link to the letter campaign: http://bit.ly/FightForIllinoisRestaurants
The image is also attached to this message.
In addition, they announced at a press conference today that they’ll be working with the National Restaurant Law Center on an amicus brief to be used in pending lawsuits to assert the industry position and make compelling arguments challenging the executive orders and mitigations imposed, as well as the unfairness of targeting the industry.
What Sports Teach Us About Winning Teams
Article from Katie Burke, Chief People Officer at Hubspot
You don’t have to attend a playoff game in person to see amazing teams in action: they exist in organizations all around us. Building high-performing teams isn’t all that different from coaching them, and I believe leaders can learn a lot from following great athletes’ footsteps–I know I have.
Below I’ve outlined three secrets that winning teams have in common, whether they’re on the baseball diamond, basketball court, or boardroom.
Winning teams make it safe to fail.
Google’s research on high-performing teams makes it clear that the composition of a team matters less than how that team interacts with one another. Specifically, psychological safety plays a huge role in performance. Said differently, the best teams actively nurture an environment in which people learn from failure and mistakes together versus feeling shame or uncertainty.
A great example from the world of sports is watching how legendary NBA coach Steve Kerr connects with All-Star Steph Curry off the court. He identifies positive elements of Curry’s play even when the scoreboard doesn’t reflect it, and praises his confidence shooting even when his shooting percentage is off.
The best teams in the world know you can’t win all the time, and that even your star players will have off days. That’s why it’s important to create systems to normalize failure. All of us can be more like Steve Kerr in how we coach and inspire our teammates when things aren’t going their way.
Winning teams believe in the seemingly impossible.
Brett Phillips of the Tampa Bay Rays is a career .202 hitter, so very few people bet on him as the catalyst for a win this past week. During the recent game, Phillips pinch ran for his teammate in the eighth inning and had little hope he would bat when his time came. It turned out, not one but two coaches believed in him. Paul Hoover told him he could win the game for them, and third base coach Rodney Linares was heard yelling “swing the bat, you can do it!” right before his ninth inning plate appearance. Phillips won the game for the Rays with his clutch offense, becoming an unlikely hero and tying up the World Series.
The best teams in the world know the data and challenges ahead of them in any outcome, but they also actively believe they can make history together. They aren’t afraid to set ambitious goals, and it shows in their esprit de corps and ability to be bold in their thinking and approach.
Winning teams stay tough in the moment.
I have so much admiration for Des Linden, who, in 2018, became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years. When asked about the race, she referenced the importance of “enjoy[ing] this step and this mile and this moment” versus anticipating the next hill or challenge in her way. Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox and current Uber Board member, echoed a similar statement from her experience, noting that if you’re placed in tough situations at work, “don’t run away because it’s likely one of the best experiences you can have.”
No one wishes for adversity, but the best teams and leaders respond with calm confidence and acceptance when circumstances are stressful. This year in particular, we’ve seen what a difference compassionate and clear leadership can provide during a global pandemic, so it’s clearer than ever that we need managers and teams that stay strong but kind when times are challenging.
Even if the only sports I’ll be watching this year are from my couch, I still look to athletes and coaches for inspiration on how teams can grow and improve together, and for commonalities amongst winning teams and leaders. The truth is, the very best organizations in sports and in business make it safe to fail, believe in the impossible, and stay tough and calm when the stakes are high or challenging. Those are lessons we can all apply, even without the roar of a crowd.
Ready to Grow Your Business?
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at JJC is offering assistance for existing businesses during these times.
21 Topics in 21 Minutes for 2021 Growth
In less than 30 minutes, the SBDC will help you prioritize key 2021 business plans whether it is for your people, your product, your marketing, your sales, your money, or the impact of this crisis. In this short, one-on-one exercise, we will help you determine up to three of the biggest opportunities for growth in the year ahead. We will offer no-cost tools to develop your strategy for success in those areas. Email us at SBDC@JJC.edu and we will send you a link for registration.
Will County Small Business Assistance Grant
https://willcountyillinois.com/CARES-Act/Local-Business-Assistance
Business Interruption Grant
https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/C19DisadvantagedBusGrants.aspx
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAMS
ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOANS (EIDL)
Expanded by the CARES Act, the EIDL program has been around for a couple of years and is intended to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue during a declared disaster. Here’s our step-by-step guide.
DEBT RELIEF PROGRAM
The SBA will pay 6 months of principal, interest, and any associated fees that borrowers owe for all current 7(a), 504, and Microloans in regular servicing status as well as new 7(a), 504, and Microloans disbursed prior to September 27, 2020.
EXPRESS BRIDGE LOANS
These loans allow small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.
Click here for the Small Business Administration’s website, where you’ll find additional programs as well as more resources and guides for coronavirus-impacted businesses.
Finally, we are announcing that our next virtual conference will be on Thursday, November 12th. The topic is an extremely important one as all should know by now that by the end of this year it is mandatory for ALL offices to go through anti-sexual harassment training. We have partnered with Marji Swanson from the offices of Mahoney, Silverman, & Cross, LLC to deliver this session that fulfills your requirement. Unfortunately, it does not apply to bars and restaurants as that training is an industry specific one.
We will present more information soon, but wanted to get this on your calendar for 11 am on November 12.
Stay well,
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry Staff and Board of Directors
Mike Paone
Vice President – Government Affairs
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry
mpaone@jolietchamber.com
815.727.5371 main
815.727.5373 direct