It’s winter here in Nelson, New Zealand, and we've just woken up to our first frost.

I didn’t realise this until I got to my car and discovered it was frozen, making me late for my first appointment!

Eek - it was with my personal trainer, Brianna.

While I waited for the windscreen to defrost, I sent her this message:

Which I thought was hilarious!

Brianna, on the other hand, said that she appreciated the joke, AND that we had time to make up.

She got me to work lifting heavy things 🏋️‍♂️ .

Here’s the truth of the matter:

• When it comes to exercise, I am full-on Racoon
• And if it weren’t for Brianna, I wouldn’t exercise.
• She is my exercise-Architect.

We make a good team - because all strong teams have a healthy mix of architect and racoon.

And that’s the topic of this week’s newsletter: a raccoon with a view.

Remember last week:

• I claimed that most people are a little bit Architect and a little bit Racoon.
• I showed you this diagram -

• And, finally, I suggested that maybe we could measure people’s AQ (Architecture Quotient) and RQ (Racoon Quotient), just like we do with their IQ and their EQ.

Let’s play with that last point… and see where we end up …

The easiest way to usefully measure AQ and RQ is to ask ourselves to take 30 seconds to rate each on a scale from 1-5.

Let me show you what I mean, using myself as an example.

• My RQ quotient is high, but I’m not as high as a “Raccoon on meth” (please forgive the pun). I’m definitely >= 4, … so I’m gonna say Clarke’s RQ = 4.5.
• My AQ is waaay less than a 5. But, despite this, I have written and published a handful of successful books and audiobooks, and I run a healthy consulting practice, so I’m gonna say … Clarke’s AQ = 2.

Simple!

Now look what happens when I fire up my iPad Pro and turn the diagram into a map:

Now, clearly … guestimating two numbers on a 1-5 scale isn’t science, but for my purposes - exploring, learning, and debottlenecking leadership teams.

It’s no less scientific than the BS Myers-Briggs test … so, it’s good enough.

Plus, I’m reminded of the Hartman Personality Profile where each person gets assigned a colour.

Ooooh. Colours!

I turn my iPad back on and add some colour:

Why these colours?

I like the three bright colours - icey blue for the “high architect”, bold pink for “high racoon”, and vibrant green for people blessed to be high in both.

The dull grey colour for folk who live in the lower left hand quadrant feels judgmental, bordering on offensive.

But - between you and I - no “dull grey” is ever gonna read this newsletter, so I can live with insulting them … for now.

Let’s take this one step further.

• Remember Brianna, my Personal Trainer, from up top?
• Remember NJ, my personal assistant - i.e. “Chief Racoon
• Wrangler” - from the first newsletter in the series?

I hire both for their Architect skills, but they have both gotta little bitta racoon happening, so I’m going to say they’re Bright Greens.

Watch what happens when I add them to my personal map and turn it into a team map:

Who doesn’t love a map?

A map not only allows you to stand back and see the big picture, it helps you see the relationship between the players on the map.

When I look at this map, I feel pleased - no, relieved - that I’ve  added a little more Architect into my personal and work life.

You can do the same with your team.

In about 8 minutes.

 (Provided you do it alone and aim for a useful draft rather than a pixelperfect architectural blueprint.)

And then you could ask yourself -

Finally …

Last year I decided to, one day, sit down and write a short book about “innovation by wandering around”, possibly called “Truffle Hunting in the Boardroom”.

In this, and the prior two, emails we’ve gone on a little wander together.

We started with a witty tweet and ended up with a colourful map - a tool that you can start using today, if you want.

I’ve used myself as an example to show you the tool, so it might seem a little lightweight, maybe even whimsical, but in the last fortnight alone, I’ve helped two separate clients solve stressful workplace problems, using the dishwasher joke (which provides a metaphor and some new language) and a rudimentary RQAQ map.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the walk, found it entertaining and surprising - perhaps even a breath of fresh air.

Next week, we will go explore some new territory … because my inner raccoon needs a little break from this topic.

Please hit reply, if you like this - seriously, your thoughts and “thank you”s are the fuel that keeps me writing.

Clarke