Planning to gather your team post-election day? Here’s how you might structure your agenda to help your staff feel cared for and connected regardless of the result.
Opening
- Acknowledge…
- The facts. State the results. What happened?
- If your team was working on a campaign, you could also share answers to questions like: How many total voters did they turn out? How many volunteer shifts were filled?
- The feelings. Name that there may be a multitude of feelings in the room, some of which may feel like they are in tension or conflict with others. One way to normalize the variety of feelings in the room is to adapt the Diversity Welcome. “If you are feeling [exhausted / excited / numb], your experience is welcome here.” You can also invite people to share one word to describe how they’re feeling.
- The facts. State the results. What happened?
- Share the purpose of your time together. “Today, we’re here to [celebrate / connect / support each other].”
- Share some expectations or hopes for how you’d like people to engage. “Let’s be respectful of each others’ feelings/experiences/reactions.”
Reflection
- Invite people to self-reflect via drawing, writing, or just thinking to themselves. Some prompts:
- How are you feeling and where is it showing up in your body?
- What has been the arc of your emotions over the last few days or weeks?
- What is an image, word, movement, or sound that represents what’s in your body/head/heart/spirit?
- What are some questions that you have? What are some things you know to be true?
- What do you want to let go of?
Connection
- Break into small groups of 3-5 people. Offer a few reflection and discussion prompts:
- Share an image, word, or phrase that describes how you’re feeling right now.
- What is something you want everyone else to know about how you’re showing up today?
- What’s one thing you feel grateful for or supported by right now?
- What’s one thing that’s hard?
- What is something that would make you feel more supported, seen, and/or cared for by your teammates?
- Note: the most important thing is that people feel comfortable sharing with each other. Depending on your context, it may make more sense for your team to do pre-assigned (rather than randomized) groups, have people stay within their teams, or separate based on racial (or other) affinity groups.
Closing
- Double down on your team’s role and responsibility to your community and to each other.
- “Our job is to make sure that…”
- “We need to continue to take care of and support each other.”
- Share what support and resources are available.
- “We have added three additional days of personal leave between now and the end of the year.”
- “We’re going to have time at our next few staff meetings to connect with each other.”
- “We’re holding an optional celebration at XYZ this Friday.”
- Share and invite gratitude.