NEW JERSEY, February 4, 2002: OK: you have to call a meeting -- or you have been invited to one -- which involves brainstorming new ideas.

Are you excited about it? Or are you dreading it?

Fact is, attending a brainstorming should be the best part of your day. So why does the prospect often seem so daunting...worse yet, dismaying?

Because brainstorming is the art of bringing out the best from the brains of your colleagues. Brainstorm meetings can make the difference between average results and stellar performance. Of a brand. A team. An entire company.

And think about the best brainstorming meetings you've ever attended. Chances are there were peals of laughter, brilliant teamwork, and tons of fresh, innovative ideas.

How can you make sure your meeting is like that?

Follow these guidelines, and you'll all be looking forward to every brainstorming meeting -- and everyone else will be too.

1. Don't evaluate the ideas during the meeting. Plenty of time for that later. At the outset, you want to build trust from your participants. When they realize all ideas are fair game, their brains open up and make subconscious connections. The results are always better when you encourage trust and openness.

2. Allow people to build on the ideas of others. Tell them, if you have a way to make something even better, say Can I build on that? That way, one idea that sparks another has an outlet and a forum for inclusion. And once building begins, it encourages others to find ways to build on and improve every idea.

3. Even the playing field. No primadonnas. No levels. Everyone is equal. There should be no reprisals or issues related to supervisors, reports and managers. The fact is, titles aside, at any moment, anyone can come up with an idea that transforms a company.

4. No "Yes Buts." If you REALLY think an idea is lame, keep it to yourself. Brainstorming is about quantity first, quality later. Later, when it's time to review, you can express your concern for a weak idea by saying "I wish..." Instead of saying, "there's no way in hell that we could afford that." Say instead " I wish we could find a way to pay for that." And the brainstorming turns to finding a solution to a valid concern.

5. Get a decent scribe. Hire one if you have to. But you owe it to yourself to get someone who can write or type fast enough to get the core of the ideas in paper. But try not to be the scribe and the moderator. Moderators have to be participants too, and participating while scribing is difficult.

6. Don't put time limits on responses, but when you must move the meeting along, be tactful.

7. Before starting, do warm up exercises. It gives you a chance to set all the ground rules, show how the meeting will be run, and encourage an atmosphere of fun.

8. Stay on site. It tells everyone that magic is possible in any room in any department. Going to another place signals that our workplace is for working, and that our best ideas come when we're not there.

9. There are no bad ideas. This is worth repeating. Encourage people to be funny. Even ridiculous. Sure, your meeting will be derailed by humor. That's okay. It's momentary, and it will lead to better thinking. So be sure and invite the company clowns. Trust them. They spark the creativity.

For more suggestions on brainstorming techniques, visit FastCompany.com, or click here.

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