By Nanette Wraith, PlantNetwork member and 2019-2020 Longwood Fellow

‘Grow! A Scratchpad for People Developers‘ is a free resource developed by the Fellows on the Longwood Gardens Fellows Program. The Longwood Gardens Fellows Program is a thirteen-month, residential, leadership development experience that prepares individuals for senior roles in public horticulture.

The Scratchpad was developed as a response to the challenge within the horticulture industry of attracting and retaining a committed workforce especially in light of stretched budgets and limited access to resources. The Scratchpad positions development strategies as a key means of addressing these challenges. 

An American term for a notebook or journal specifically designed for generating ideas, this Scratchpad is a tool for catalysing learning and self reflection for leaders at all levels. It is designed for anyone wanting to develop their own effectiveness and leadership capacity and can be used independently or as a facilitation aid in group sessions to enhance a workplace culture.

The Fellows have created an online resource pack to support the Scratchpad with short films introducing various aspects of the initiative.