A Framework for Belonging: Melisa Sandoval on Implementing Emergenetics in Education

I recently spoke with Melisa Sandoval, Director of Wellness at a Colorado-based school district, about her work implementing Emergenetics system-wide to advance well-being across her organization. Get inspiration from her best practices and recent findings in her dissertation! 

JD: Melisa, tell me what inspired you and your district to begin using Emergenetics? 

MS: I first learned about Emergenetics in my principal licensure program. When I became an assistant principal, I used Emergenetics to facilitate a structured process to get to know my teammates. It helped increase self-awareness, social awareness and improved how we worked together. 

When I became a district leader, I shared our work with our superintendent at the time. She emphasized the value of organizational development strategies, change management and the intentional use of leadership tools, so Emergenetics aligned well with our initiatives. It supported our organizational culture, and as a strength-based tool, it connected to our focus on valuing the individual gifts people bring to work. 

From a wellness perspective, Emergenetics fits right into so many dimensions, including trauma-informed practices, social-emotional learning and concepts like inclusivity and belonging. The theory can be applied in several ways, so it was great for our needs. 

JD: How Emergenetics has been applied in your district? 

MS: Emergenetics touches all our worlds, from instructional to noninstructional roles. I’ve done a Meeting of the Minds in every school – in some multiple times because we get new staff over the years. We’ve hosted multiple Meeting of the Minds workshops with our Board of Education and leadership teams.  

We use many extension activities using groupings for projects or encouraging staff and students to talk about things that make them feel scratchy. We’ve held Team Dynamics for Small Groups and Power of WE workshops like Managing Change, Fostering Innovation and Building Trust.  

The Building Trust topic has been especially influential in my work because it’s so connected with interpersonal wellness. Emergenetics gives us space to focus on psychological safety. It offers a language to help people speak up without feeling judged because we reinforce that every Profile is valued.  

With students, we use the tool primarily with our freshmen, who complete their Youth Reports and the Youth Discovery workshop. Over time, we’ll assess how knowing their preferences impacts them in their later high school years. 

We also have a handful of folks using Emergenetics at the middle school level and implementing the curriculum, including Moon Base Rescue.  

JD: What drew you personally to Emergenetics? 

MS: Based on my own preferences, I value evidence-based tools. The strong reliability and validity and the fact that it’s grounded in concepts related to social neuroscience drew me in. 

I’ve done many assessments. What stands out to me about Emergenetics is the fact that it’s simple to use, yet the underlying complexity of the information is robust.  

Emergenetics offers a clear, memorable way to conceptualize things. The emphasis on behaviors and thinking attributes also makes it more actionable and tangible. 

I appreciate that Emergenetics can be used as a system and for the individuals within the system. I mentioned our district’s strengths-based focus, and Emergenetics’ positive tone and common language is part of our culture.  

From an individualized lens, everyone gets their own summary and can connect with others using the app. Employees enjoy the content because it’s relatable and not as fluffy as some other personality tests can be perceived. 

JD: How does Emergenetics support your efforts as Director of Wellness? 

MS: Emergenetics is not about labeling yourself. It truly emphasizes that combination of thought. As people learn about assessment, they make those connections. They recognize that even when they share a preference for a thinking type, the behavioral attributes and percentile scores reveal that people truly are unique. 

That distinction helps make people feel valued, which advances our retention and wellness efforts. Making sure people feel appreciated at work and knowing that their strengths are valued has a strong connection to the concepts of belonging and inclusivity, which influence well-being and employee retention. 

JD: Can you share a bit about your recent dissertation and how you used Emergenetics in your study? 

MS: My dissertation explored different risk factors and protective factors as they apply to mental health.  

Some of the protective factors I researched included self-efficacy and a sense of belonging. If those protective factors are not present, I found that individuals can be at risk for more challenges in mental health. When those factors are present, they’re supportive to well-being. These elements are also useful in teaming, collaboration and growth, so they serve multiple purposes.  

As part of my study, I explored the impact of Emergenetics on belonging. 

JD: What findings did you see? 

MS: The most interesting finding regarding Emergenetics was that it had a statistically significant impact on promoting a sense of belonging.  

It makes sense intuitively. The two primary components of belonging include (1) knowing your strengths and how those assets are valued within one’s environment or group and (2) experiencing connectedness and purpose when your gifts are having a positive impact that is important to the group.  

It was validating that the research revealed the effect of Emergenetics on perceptions of belonging. Awareness of confirmation bias is critical in research, so it was powerful to find that what we truly know and love about Emergenetics was reflected in the data. 

JD: In addition to this evidence, are there any stories that stand out in your mind about Emergenetics’ impact? 

MS: One story happened during the pandemic in a virtual Meeting of the Minds. I noticed an individual in the training was becoming tearful. Emotions were running high during the pandemic, so I invited that person to a breakout room to check in.  

I asked: Are you okay? How are you feeling about this? 

And they said: I’m first-third Expressive, and I also have a very strong preference in Social thinking. All these years I’ve never had language to attach to why I feel misunderstood sometimes. Or, why I feel like I need to connect, but I’m not going to be the one that initiates conversations all the time. The tears are from that realization and that I now have words to describe myself. 

Emergenetics was a big light bulb for her. It was a powerful moment for the participant and a story I often share with educators to elevate awareness of ways to support their students. 

In a school setting, it’s important to connect with students who have a preference for relational connection and be aware when they are first-third Expressive because there might be a tendency for these adolescents to internalize their feelings. That internalization can be a risk factor for mental health as I explored in my dissertation.  

JD: I’ve often heard that the first-third Expressive, Social combination defies a lot of stereotypes, so I appreciate you sharing those nuances. 

MS: That’s why I like the tool. The combinations allow people to feel they are truly represented versus just some box they are put in.  

That’s a nice fit for students who are thinking about their futures. We don’t ever want to tell kids that because of this thing about yourself, only certain careers are good for you. 

People need to feel empowered to pursue what they want, and Emergenetics helps with that. 

It shows adolescents what gives them energy, so they understand how to support themselves and how those preferences may come to life in a work setting. 

JD: What have you enjoyed most about applying Emergenetics? 

MS: Seeing its widespread impact. People feel such a sense of empowerment and connection to one another after the sessions. And I love the reflections at the end of the workshops! 

Recently, I did a workshop with a group, and I had them do a one-word checkout. We’re going around the room and get to a participant who’s, let’s say, from a generation younger than mine, and she said: Dope.  

I often hear words like enlightening, powerful, transformative or informative. I enjoy seeing that Emergenetics resonates with every generation from Xers to millennials and boomers to Gen Z.  

JD: If you were to give advice to other school leaders who are thinking about using Emergenetics, what would you suggest? 

MS: My number one piece of advice is figuring out how to make the learning extend beyond a workshop. Emergenetics can be a tool for transformation and sustaining a positive organizational culture. Like anything else, it will only work if there’s strategy around it. Make sure the initial Meeting of the Minds isn’t a one-and-done session. Design a plan to determine when you’ll revisit the concepts and how you’ll incorporate the language.  

Another piece of advice is to remember that this assessment is a way to supercharge understanding. It’s important to have the courage to look at yourself. If you’re going lead change, it’s essential that you embrace all the Attributes and their strengths. 

Also, give people a voice on how to use Emergenetics. They will think of things that you don’t, particularly if you’re in a leadership team. You want to get perspectives from everyone and find out what they want to see next.   

JD: Is there anything else you’d like to share about Emergenetics before we wrap up? 

MS: Emergenetics has become an essential part of my leadership and can be a powerful tool for any leader. 

It has shaped my thinking and approach, especially with cognitive diversity. It’s common for people to talk about visible differences—gender, ethnicity and age—which matter, yet we don’t see everything about a person. There’s so much that shapes how someone thinks. That understanding is influential for any leader in any industry.  

You can promote cognitive diversity in any organization, and when it’s valued, the results are impressive. 

Curious to learn how Emergenetics could influence belonging in your school? Let’s connect! Explore our programs or fill out the form below to speak with a team member today. 

 

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