🌿 Howard Gardening Story #20 — Umesh, the Icebreaker Artist

 

I found Umesh through a Google search. I was hunting for an artist for our Indo–French management conclave — and I struck gold.

Here’s the backstory:
Our French division’s management team was visiting to meet us, their Indian counterparts. Their goal was to break the ice and gauge comfort levels for collaboration.

I thought — why not get both teams to create something together? Painting, perhaps? The hotel staff wasn’t keen on an indoor setup, so after some persuasion, we moved it to the lawns. 

The French coordinator wasn’t thrilled about altering her meticulously planned itinerary, but I convinced her to give me just 120 minutes — right in the beer break. She agreed.

That’s when Umesh entered the picture. Passionate about painting, Umesh worked for Mindtree then as a UX expert.

Umesh thought my idea of 30 people painting a single canvas was crazy. Eventually, we agreed: one team would recreate Monet’s ‘Impression, Sunrise’, while the other painted Umesh’s ‘Fisherwoman’.

The result was pure magic. People could not believe that they, together, painted two awesome paintings in just two hours, thanks to Umesh’s guidance.

I still remember our CHRO proudly holding ‘Fisherwoman’, the French Marketing Head recreating her on the canvas while our Indian Finance Head holding the water bowl for her, waiting for his turn to paint; And the two CEOs pouring beer for everyone. 

Ice-breaking doesn’t get better than that.

Umesh, you gave your time and talent — for a total stranger, for free — and created a memory that still makes me smile.

💡 HR & CSR Leaders — One external artist changed the entire mood of a cross-cultural meeting. Imagine what a community of artists inside your organisation could do for culture, engagement, and CSR.