• Select participants from as wide a range of disciplines with as broad a range of experience as possible. This brings many more creative ideas to the session.
• Select a leader for the session, who can
  • outline any criteria that must be met;
  • keep the session on course;
  • encourage an enthusiastic, uncritical attitude among brainstormers; and
  • encourage participation by all.
• Set times for the whole brainstorming session, and for generating ideas.
• Keep fresh ideas coming, and welcome creativity.
• Do not allow any one train of thought dominate for too long
• Do not criticise or evaluate during the brainstorming session. (Criticism stifles creativity and spoils the fun.)
• Record ideas no matter how unrealistic, until there are no more ideas, or the time allocated for generating ideas is up.
• Record all ideas on a whiteboard or projector so that all participants can see all the ideas.
• Encourage 'spark off' associations from other people's ideas, or combinations of ideas.
• Either, evaluate solutions at the end of the brainstorming session to agree on the most practical way forward, or
• Record the session either as notes, tape recording or video for later evaluation.