Speaking Franklin

Another important self-education tactic used by Franklin was a circle of friends called the Junto. Formal, structured gatherings of like- and unlike-minded individuals can make for some of the best self-education experiences you'll ever have. Note that it's a formal and structured gathering. Franklin and his friends didn't just gather over coffee and doughnuts on Friday mornings and hope that something interesting would happen. Rather, like much of Franklin's life, he had a specific plan for the self-education activity known as the Junto. Here's a closer look at the elements that contributed to the success of the group:

Designated meeting time. Franklin and his friends cleared their calendars each Friday evening for the meeting of the Junto. The group showed a remarkable amount of longevity and met continually from its inception in the fall of 1727 until 1757-a total of 30 years! It's a testament to Franklin's commitment to self-education that the Junto lasted as long as it did.

Carefully selected membership. The Junto was a secret and exclusive club. It was formed to provide a forum for poor, young, enterprising businessmen excluded from the more established and expensive merchants' club. The size of the Junto was limited to 12 members and remained so for three decades, despite the temptation to increase the group as its influence grew.

Clear purpose and structure formeetings. The Junto met for one purpose: the mutual improvement of the members. These members were expected to take turns preparing essays on points of morals, politics, philosophy and subjects of their own interest. The essays were read aloud in the meeting, and the ensuing debate was presided over by an appointed president.

Opportunity to express opinions. The Junto existed to provide its members a place to air their opinions and get feedback on them. Each member in his turn was responsible for developing a position paper (an essay promoting or opposing an issue in a particular field). Prior to the meeting the essays would be shared, and when the Junto convened, the other members would critique the author's opinion without trying to start a dispute. Further, extreme statements of agreement or disagreement were banned and fined. The result was a place where friends could gather and sharpen their views on important matters in a nonthreatening and highly educational environment.

Clear rules and penalties. Franklin was also wise enough to outline a few rules and penalties to govern the behavior of members. As a general rule, conversation in the Junto was to be undertaken with a " . . . sincere spirit of inquiry after truth." Although the autobiography never gives a definitive account of the other rules governing the Junto, it appears that penalties existed for tardiness, absenteeism, being too contradictory, being too agreeable and being unprepared. Not surprisingly, all penalties were monetary fines.

The Modern-Day Junto

The general principles governing Franklin's Junto can easily be applied to the modern business context. Just because something involves a group doesn't mean that it's not self-education. The key to self-education is personal initiative rather than doing it "all by myself." Franklin believed that if you learned only from yourself, you had a fool for a teacher. He believed that a good social network was essential to self-education.

To make Junto work for you, set up your own club with fellow managers or business owners. Follow Franklin's rules outlined above, commit to a formal structure and make sure you focus on mutual self-improvement rather than collusive self-enrichment.

This article was originally published in the May 2000 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Speaking Franklin.