The Boy Scouts have it right. Preparation is a key to success. In terms of brainstorming, this means two things. First, the topic needs to be well understood. Balance is required here. The subject needs to be specific enough for good answers to be possible (a session on the theme of "new ideas for cleaning" is going to be deadly) and general enough to provide room for creativity ("industrial abrasives for stainless steel sinks" is not going to get anyone excited). What could work: Well, IDEO did a useful session with P&G on "how to reinvent bathroom cleaning." The topic needs to be defined in terms of either the market or of consumer needs and habits; all the participants need to know what it is, and also have a little time to think about it. You want them to bring something to the party; this can be the glimmering of an idea, a competitor's product, a color pattern, a series of useful words or images, or an interesting question. Something -- anything -- to get to the launch pad.
