1. How to hold a feelings meeting with
a diverse group of intellectuals
By Tash Al-Rafie
Fields of Feels

2. • History behind Fields of Feels
• Reeling off the feeling
• The Leadership Compass
• Tally or two
• F is for Feelings
• Daily Feels
• Benefits
Agenda Overview

3. History behind Fields of Feels

4. • What is effective emotional intelligence?
 The appraisal and expression of emotion, the use of
emotion to enhance cognitive processes and decision
making, knowledge about emotions, and management of
emotions (Jennifer George).
• Why does it matter in FEMA Corps?
 Diverse groups of people
 Leadership development
 Appreciation and Affirmation
Reeling off the feeling

5. • North – Seeks results first
• South – Builds relationships
• East – Visionary
• West – Process Oriented
The Leadership Compass

6. The Leadership Compass
• How does this relate?
 Ask members how they see this effecting
personal relationships on the team
 Why is this their first instinct?
 Fight or flight?

7. The Leadership Compass
• How to use the compass for FEMA Corps
 Write down what people should know to be
able to work with you better as a (insert
direction)
 Write down what people should know about
your leadership style
 Have an open discussion around how members
can use this compass to work on team based
projects (FEMA, ISP, POC, PT, etc.)

8. A Tally or Two
• Give each member a piece of paper / pen and
ask them to find a corner in the room where
they are isolated from other members.
• Read a list of phrases (examples on next slide)
and ask members to mark with a tally each
statement they agree with

9. • Ask everyone to share how many tally’s they
wrote down
• Discuss how each tally effected them (similar
to the diversity training)
• Ask everyone to share one word to express
how they feel
A Tally or Two

10. • I have felt isolated by a member of the team
• I have missed home
• I have been able to be myself
• I have felt disengaged more than engaged
• I have contemplated quitting the program
• I have ignored a team members idea
• I have felt disrespected by someone on the team
• I have felt a part of the team
• I love the team
A Tally or Two

11. • Before the meeting
 Create a list of questions that apply to your
teams needs (examples on next slide /
attached to email)
 Send an invite to all members and explain why
this meeting is happening
F is for Feelings

12. • Create a safe space
 Cater to introverts and extroverts
 Sit in a circle
 Facilitate a pulse check in the beginning
 Remind everyone that if one person shares,
everyone shares
F is for Feelings

13. • Example questions (also in attachment):
 Define the word critical
 In the perfect world what would your LAA look
like?
• 1st year – 2nd year
 What troubles you about the team?
 What was your highest point in the program?
F is for Feelings

14.  What was your lowest point in the program?
Why?
 How do you want to receive feedback?
 Do you feel like the team is really a team?
What’s holding us back from being a team?
What needs to be done to become a team?
 Define the work support
F is for Feelings

15. • Write a thank you email / letter to someone in the
corps (staff included) who made an impact on your
round
• Create kudos bags for each member and fill the bags
by the end of the round
• Ask everyone to bring 5 photos to a team meeting
that represents their past and future
Daily Feels

16. • Have a feelings block at the team meeting
 Fears and shares
 Pulse check
 High low high
• Write daily appreciation post-its
• Close the team meeting with something artistic
(poem, painting, photo, song, story etc.)
Daily Feels

17. • Weekly share
 Each member teaches the team something new
• Ask everyone to share something they love about
the team / something that frustrates them –
discuss how to create change
• 52 Lists (attached to email): Each member writes
52 things over the round that circles around
positive affiramations
Daily Feels

18. • Emotional intelligence?
• Leadership styles develop
• Affirmation without force
• More time spent thinking about emotions within the
team
• Unapologetic appreciation
• Open and effective communication
 Defines personal communication and frustrations
Benefits