SEAHO Report - Summer 2021 - 38

FEATURE ARTICLES
Growth cycle
Cycle for flowering, slow or rapid
growth; understanding stages of
plant life & seasons
Measures of health/decay
Presence of existing issues
Signs of under/over watering;
knowing when to remove leaves/
flowers
Condition plant arrived in; previous
barriers to healthy development
Issues
beyond your control
Quality of water provided, transition/transportation
period prior
to arrival
The Place
The place is the work environment. This includes the physical spaces in which your plant is situated and the
resources that are available to the plant, both within and outside of their control. It is intensely personal, because
what Astin (1991) proves to us is that the environment can only respond to stimuli, and is not inherently an
actor. Our focus on the concept of being plants and care-givers must be about the person, and not the role itself.
In the metaphor of plant life, this means:
1. Physical spaces: if the plant is an indoor or outdoor plant, the room the plant is kept in, the pot the
plant is put in, the person or people who care for the plant, other individuals in the environment (pets,
children, etc), the overall home environment.
2. Resources: the water and moisture/humidity provided to the plant, the soil and fertilizer provided for
the plant and its upkeep, the other plants that may be in the same space, or in the house elsewhere, the
amount of sunlight exposure to the plant.
In the reality of the profession, this means:
1. Physical spaces: the office space you provide for this person, where this office is located, where this
person is asked to go/report/attend/park/work/etc. while at work, the supervisor, mentor or leader for
this person, the overall health of the organization.
2. Resources: the type of support this person receives, the personal relationship between this person
and others, the opportunity and access to advancement afforded to this person, the support and
training this person receives in their role, the feedback or correction this person experiences, either
through mentorship or supervision or peership, how this person is celebrated or acknowledged for
effort, how previous people in this environment have fared, and how that knowledge has been shared
and/or retained, the overall moral of the institution or the organization, the team dynamics and
communication style as a group, and access to supervisors or leadership (including emotional and
physical proximity).
In both the metaphor and the example, there are two prevailing realities about the Place: first, it is not simply
the measure of the physical space or the actual role, but rather the conditions in which you are asking the plant
or the person to thrive; second, it is also not simply a means by which to identify existing resources, but instead
an honest accounting of all of the factors that go into the life being lived by the plant, or the person, asking
you to consider how the past history of the experience of others, the work, and the culture itself come into
play; requiring you to consider how motivation, understanding and relationships are founded, supported and
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Phase in career life cycle; positionality
in organization/ability
to progress
Indicators of peak performance;
signs of strain, stress or burnout
Previous experience in field;
previous trauma, or negative
experiences; areas of accomplishment
or acclaim
Identity markers; personal history;
family structure; demographic
markers
SEAHO Report - Summer 2021

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