Too often we are asked to be innovative and think outside of the box - but we all tend to network and discuss ideas within our own small teams or at least within the boundaries of our own companies. At best, we might hire consultants to kick start concepts and produce slide packs.

Imagine if our employer set up a network of experts, innovators, and creatives across a wide range of industries with a wide range of skills and experience to share. Our very own "Brain Bank". Further, imagine if we were given an easy platform to search for these experts with the expectation that we are welcome to reach out to them and invite collaboration. Obviously, this "knowledge network" (Brain Bank) needs to be pre-approved by our employer and the terms of engagements agreed - in exactly the same way that a more traditional Supply Chain is set up.

The kinds of scenarios that might result from the Brain Bank could include having managers reach out to NGO experts to better understand how to design processes for speed; or HR managers who reach out to neurologists to better understand the impact of lack of sleep on human behavior and performance; or a customer services team could reach out to Emergency services staff to better understand how to deal with customers in stressful situations; a young service delivery team might want the immediate input of a robotics expert for a pitch.

Employees within the company can initiate new links and partners based on the particular challenge they face. Companies could join the Brain Bank as a user or supplier; companies could even trade hours against each other and only bill the other when the trade is not more of less equal in terms of time consumed. In this way, a sharing community of interested and curious professionals is encouraged to grow without the pure constraint of budget.

Brain Bank encourages diversity and intergenerational exchange (future of work needs to cater for all generations!)