We tend to put in a box brainstorming and assume it is a non-prohibited from meeting in a free, no structure or focus. Quite the opposite is the case. In fact there are many things that can derail a meeting to exchange ideas and make the meeting on a permanent decline.

Perhaps most important for the exchange of ideas is not being judgmental or critical of the ideas presented during the exchange of ideas. The successful exchange of ideas generates huge amounts of diverse ideas and sometimes fantastic. Fantastic ideas are good at brainstorming, not bad. Want a lot of ideas during the brainstorming, not quality. There will be plenty of time later to dissect and analyze.

Not sure you have a clear purpose for the meeting and also adhere to while brainstorming. Tangents and off beat thoughts during brainstorming are great but your purpose should not be to solve all the problems of the universe before the meeting ends. Sometimes, a brainstorming facilitator has the task almost impossible to stimulate creativity and at the same time, ensuring that the ideas are relevant to the task at hand.

Not sure that the plan for the meeting beforehand. It takes a trained facilitator to run the meeting that can stimulate and maintain a free flow of ideas. This is much harder than it looks. Too often, brainstorming facilitators put his stamp on a meeting and stifle creative ideas, even before the meeting starts. You also need someone who can write very fast so that all ideas are recorded. The last thing we need is for the meeting to reach a full stop slowly as someone writes what was said. You may need a blackboard or paper to record ideas so that everyone has a clear vision of what was said.

Not sure that the construction outside of the ideas of others. Sometimes we think too divergent for the exchange of ideas. But often, 3 or 4 ideas can come together and trigger a bigger or better idea. The key word is “build”. Brainstorming is not about all the different tangents.

No “mirror” too much during the exchange of ideas. Returning to past mistakes and what should have been done, almost always put people on the defensive. Once the blame game starts in a meeting, it is almost impossible for a facilitator to restore creativity.

Make sure everyone is comfortable and allowed to contribute freely to the meeting. A brainstorming meeting is a social event with all that goes along with it. There will be dominant and passive personalities, egos and perhaps even power games. Sometimes just one or 2 people and help everyone else sits and listens. You do not want that to happen. For this reason, it is generally a good idea to have someone other than the head to facilitate a brainstorming session.

Do not be afraid to go to a brainstorming meeting. Fear is the great murderer of creativity. If other people have better ideas than yours, there is nothing wrong with that. Do not be afraid you will have to change. You and the organization may have to overcome old structures and ideas to solve modern problems.