WAYS TO HELP, JOB MATCHING LAUNCH & OTHER COVID-19 UPDATES

Dear Friends,

While some businesses are being asked to close or modify operations during the COVID-19 crisis, GLI wants to assure you that, although we are working remotely, we will continue to work for you. As the voice of your business community, we continue to support you during this critical time with the latest news on legislative issues and their impact on your business, and resources that are available to help you and your employees get through this crisis. We are working hard to plan for how our community will prepare for a time after COVID-19.

To that end, GLI and KentuckianaWorks have developed a new job board that showcases immediate opportunities for workers who have been displaced due to COVID-19. This collaborative is meant to match companies currently laying off employees with companies that are hiring. This is an effort to move groups of displaced employees to new employment opportunities and prevent the need for unemployment. If your business needs to lay off employees, we can connect you to employers currently hiring, matching skill sets and requirements along the way. If your business needs to lay off employees, we can connect you to employers currently hiring, matching skill sets and requirements along the way. Contact Jessie Schook for more information.

In other news, yesterday Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued an executive order that goes into effect at midnight tonight, and calls for Hoosiers to stay at home. This order will still allow people to leave their homes for necessities. It follows guidance from the Department of Homeland Security to define the essential businesses and services that may continue to operate. Businesses that have questions about whether or not their work is considered essential can call the Critical Industries Hotline at 877-820-0890.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

• GLI is helping mitigate the spread of this virus and take care of the frontline workers caring for the sick. To assist our hospitals, we are seeking the following public protection equipment: Surgical masks, personal protective gowns, face shields, eye protection, and hand sanitizer. If you can help, please contact Deana Karem to coordinate donations.
• Governor Andy Beshear announced the establishment of a Team Kentucky Fund where residents of the Commonwealth can make tax deductible donations to help residents who have lost income during COVID-19. To make your donation, click here.
• Just a reminder, a coalition of government and philanthropy has joined together to create the One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund that will rapidly deploy resources to households and community-based organizations (nonprofit organizations) working at the frontlines of the Louisville-area coronavirus outbreak. Click here to donate.

Other Updates:

• It’s in the darkest of times that the most amazing rainbows occur. To that end, Louisville Metro has developed Lift Up Lou, an initiative designed to keep our spirits up during our community’s fight against COVID-19. We need to remember to stay connected, be compassionate, eat healthy, get rest, and stop and have some fun every once in a while.
• Has your business been impacted by COVID-19? If so, please complete this quick survey so we can learn more.
• Louisville Metro Government is extending hardship relief assistance to small business loan holders through the Metropolitan Business Development Corp. You can find more information on local incentives and loan programs here.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been tapped to create more than 10,000 ICU-type hospital rooms in hotels, dormitories and other available building in New York City over the next few weeks, in an effort to help meet the need for those affected by COVID-19.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) is rolling out low-interest disaster loans for eligible small businesses and nonprofits struggling with the financial impact of COVID-19. You can see eligibility requirements and resources here.
• Individuals recently displaced from work and seeking unemployment compensation should visit this site to file a claim. Claims should be filed based on a schedule according to last name.
• EMPLOYERS: For companies larger than 50 employees that are laying off 15 or more employees, please file a mass electronic claim (E-Claim). This will allow individuals seeking unemployment compensation to benefit from expedited claims processing. For more information on E-Claims, please contact the Kentucky Career Center by email or phone 502-564-2369.
• Be sure to check out GLI’s most recent blog posts on unemployment insurance rules here.

GLI is collecting the questions we’ve been asked about how COVID-19 impacts your business. To see those responses, click here. If you have a question that you would like answered, submit that below.

SUBMIT A QUESTION

COACHING THROUGH CRISIS

We Are All Coaches – Guest Commentary by Tom Cox , The Oliver Group

When you think of a “coach”, what comes to mind? For many of us it’s likely the image of sideline ranting we associate with sports. While sports coaches are tasked with the development and performance of athletes, in the business world, coaching is something quite different. And, I believe we all have the capacity to coach and help each other.

So, what is coaching in the business world? It can be boiled down to three basic behaviors: active listening, asking good questions and allowing other to process and arrive at their own conclusions.

The challenge with stressful times is that we tend to revert to our auto-pilot behaviors governed by the behavior centers of our brains. Often called the “lizard brain”, it is from where our fight, flight or freeze motivators originate. When fear and worry rise up, they can stimulate an emotional response – sometimes very strong. This can lead to us expressing these emotions in ways that have an impact on those around us.

This is where coaching comes in. Regardless of levels within relationships, being an intentional listener and coach can help the other person de-escalate, process and come up with a way forward. In our leader development programs, we teach leaders the GROW model of coaching. This is highly effective in situational coaching, as in crisis-elevated moments. Adapted from Max Landsberg’s book, The Tao of Coaching, the model is simple and easy to follow. When someone approaches you with a problem, follow these four steps:

1. G: Ask the person what outcome (Goal) they would like to create
2. R: Follow that by confirming the Reality of the situation, their reality and ask them to consider the perspectives of others around them. In many instances, the person may start by sharing the situation as they see it. From there you can ask about the outcome, noted above.
3. O: Ask them what Options they can envision to achieve the outcome and then have them identify the best one.
4. W: After identifying the best one, ask them to outline the Way Forward and the next steps they will take.

If you are willing to support and offer a listening ear, you can help others let off steam and arrive at a better way to handle the situation, or others like it, going forward.

Keep in mind, this is also not necessarily a one-time solution, coaching is a process and if you follow it consistently, you will deepen relationships and can be quite effective at helping others, even in times of crisis.

We will continue to work diligently to present the best, most informative information to you on a regular basis.

Stay safe & healthy,
Sarah Davasher-Wisdom