This art powerful mission statement

By Chris Barrett
PBN Staff Writer

In the corporate offices of The Boston Consulting Group a painting of a turkey, the firm’s visualized mission statement, hangs proudly. The turkey is not the company’s logo, but rather a representation of the company’s mission developed by executives at a corporate outing that is as atypical as having a turkey be representative of a global consulting firm.

Executives gathered in July to develop the turkey under the guidance of PeaceLove Studios. That month, PeaceLove, an offshoot of the nonprofit PeaceLove Foundation, launched two workshop programs aimed at executives looking to paint, draw and sketch outside the lines while strengthening their employee bonds.

The programs gather executives, typically between 15 and 20, at the company’s suite in the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Led by Program Director Amy Kinney, the workshops throw out all the typical trappings of a corporate conference or training.

Gone are the “Hello My Name Is” tags accompanied by boring black Sharpie markers. Instead, participants find a business card-size paper with instructions to create nametags that expresses fun factoids about them. At their disposal are colored markers, pencils and other supplies more often found in a kindergarten classroom than a corporate suite. Office pens are banned here.

Kinney then puts executives through a series of exercises that ask executives to imagine – and later paint – their company’s mission. Kinney, a bubbly former high school math teacher, eases participants into the painting, giving them big T-shirts to protect their business attire, telling them not to worry about the lines and offering wide brushes that convey little pressure to paint refined details.

“We’re really giving them the chance to go back and color outside the lines and realize how empowering that is,” Kinney said.

Through it all, participants find themselves mulling their company’s mission. And they start talking – about art, their lives and topics rarely discussed in cubicles and corner offices. Teamwork strengthens organically as co-workers tackle painting together. And regardless of official title, they all leave artists, complete with a graduation certificate to boot.