Joliet area women leaders share insights, advice at Chamber forum

Joliet — The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry Forum for Working Women held its annual Women’s History Month panel on March 7. The group welcomed professional women from around the community to the Holiday Inn & Suites in Joliet to enjoy a lunch and listen to four speakers currently serving in leadership roles around the Joliet area.

Joliet City Manager Beth Beatty, Silver Cross Hospital Vice President of Strategy and Business Development Michelle Bober, Illinois State Senator Meg Loughran-Cappel, and Joliet Junior College Chief Equity Officer Dr. Escortina Ervin joined Chamber of Commerce President Jen Howard in discussing their backgrounds and advice for women working to advance their careers or working in positions of leadership.

After introducing themselves to the crowd, the speakers offered their insights on several questions from Howard, including what skills they think it is important for women in leadership positions to develop.

“Value your worth,” said Ervin. “Remember that we [women] do belong in room. We belong there and we don’t have to compromise ourselves or our femininity to be there. Be all you can be, and continue to be feminine, to be moms, you can have it all, but you can’t give up.”

Ervin also advised to “learn to say no sometimes,” suggesting that women should not be afraid that taking a break or not doing everything that is asked of them will cost them their jobs.

On a similar note, Bober offered the advice to “stop saying I’m sorry all the time,” but instead to thank people for their patience or understanding when something runs late or doesn’t go precisely according to plan.

“My north star is to just be kind,” said Beatty. “You never know what someone else is going through. Especially in public service, there are a lot of very angry people, you don’t hear the thank you’s all the time, but that’s why we’re here, to try to help people with their issues.”

The women were also asked what role they think empathy and emotional intelligence play in leadership and empowering others.

“It plays a huge role,” said Beatty, referring back to her strategies for trying to understand what others are going through. “That’s a big part of making connections with people so you can have an open dialogue.”

“You are your own best advocate. Be honest with yourself, find opportunities to do work and let that work speak for itself.”

—  Michelle Bober, Silver Cross Hospital VP of Strategy and Business Development

“We can know a lot, but it’s the soft skills that matter sometimes,” added Loughran-Cappel. “You don’t have to fight every time a conflict comes up. I like to win, but we don’t have to be right on everything, all the time. People matter, and their feelings matter. It’s not always about winning, sometimes it’s about the value of people and how you treat them.”

“We are people first before our careers,” said Ervin. “It might be a coworker who just recently lost a family member, but the next time it could be you. When you keep that in mind and are empathetic to employees, they will go that extra mile for you when they can and we all can win and can shine.”

Finally, the panelists were asked what strategies women should remember when negotiating and advocating for themselves in the workplace.

“Work for people, not for places,” said Bober. “That’s why I went to Silver Cross, to work with people I admired in a good environment, even though I took a pay-cut.” She also added that, once you get into a good environment with the right people around you, strong work can create its own opportunities. “Sometimes you have to have faith and put in the work,” she said. “You are your own best advocate. Be honest with yourself, find opportunities to do work and let that work speak for itself.”

Ervin offered more blunt advice. “Don’t be afraid to ask for more money,” she said. “Usually, there is room for negotiation. A lot of times women will take whatever offer is made to them, where men will ask for more, and that’s part of the reason we earn less. If you want $10,000 more, ask for $20,000 and see where you land. A lot of times, people will try to meet you in the middle and you’ll end up where you actually wanted to be.”

The March panel celebrating women’s achievements has been an annual event for the last four years, but Howard noted that this year’s was the best attended so far.

“We like to have a diverse panel every year,” she said. “The speakers all come from different fields, but a lot of them have the same values and motivations and share the same support for the women in the audience.”

Women attending the event were all members of the Chamber of Commerce or paying members of the Forum for Working Women in the Joliet area. The group meets monthly for lunches focused on different topics. The group’s next meeting will be held on April 4, focusing on the role of social media in business and will feature a collection of clothing and accessories which will be donated to the Crisis Center for South Suburbia.

Proceeds from the events, including a monthly split-the-pot raffle go to benefit the group’s scholarship fund, which provides money to women reentering the workforce or returning to school to advance their careers.