Benjamin Franklin's Junto Club and Franklin Circles

Last month, I wrote about Benjamin Franklin's Junto Club. This idea has really grabbed my attention and I have written a substantial description for my blook.

Franklin's Junto Club was about self-development and improving his local community.

What I like about the Junto Club concept is that anyone can start their own modern day Junto.

You can decide on your community and select, twelve or so members from diverse backgrounds.

I think the focus should be on community improvement not on personal development as individual learning comes naturally from taking part in the Junto.

So what community are you part of that you would like to improve? It could be your local community as in the case of Franklin, or any other community you care about and to which you belong.

This includes the organization for which you work. The Junto Club is not a community of practice but a form of community of innovation.

The other thing to do is to review Franklin's 24 questions and four assertions and update them so that they are more suited to the present day and your chosen community.

Interestingly, having spent some time thinking about modern day Junto Clubs or even Junto Cafés (a cross between the Junto and the Knowledge Café) I came across Franklin Circles - another form of modern day Junto focused on societal improvement.

Let me know if you feel inspired to form your own Junto Club or Franklin Circle.