Ben Franklin's Collaboration Method.

Innovation is constantly in some of the most successful companies today, is driven by collaborative groups. If formally organized or not, teams like this use of a variety of available tools to share knowledge of non-formal way.

Could call them "Communities of practice" or even "committees of innovation ' in your company, but its function is the meet regularly to discuss openly topics and relevant information for your business." The objective is to solve problems through communication and promote new ideas among the members.

Long before companies acknowledged and formalized any modern approach to innovation, a created American ancestor which is recognized as the first collaborative group. Benjamin Franklin organized a group called together in Philadelphia which consisted of selected people from diverse backgrounds and various occupations. Met regularly, usually in a tavern, having discussions and try to resolve political issues of the day. Franklin felt that collective intelligence of people with different perspectives would solve much more faster problems any solitary individual never could. Small and dynamic club discussed nothing philosophical questions and community problems, political issues and matters of business.

Alongside Franklin obviously do not have web 2.0 tools or email to facilitate the exchange of knowledge. Did his thing in an open forum which met weekly and listened to another talk about topics agreed upon mutually. The key to their productivity was strong organization and a sense of equity among its participants. They followed a formal order in the meetings in which the word everyone had to share reflections in a respectful environment

Imagine what could be done with a similar model using the idea management tools available at present. 

You can easily deploy a simple, standardized process for the exchange of ideas and knowledge within your organization. The "topics of discussion" will become the challenges that you share externally. "Members " are your employees or coworkers, who will share their unique perspectives to help you generate ideas and solve problems.