We love a good brainstorm. When the energy is right, the ideas flow and we’re unstoppable. But sometimes, whether it’s because we’ve had a late night or it’s just a bit too gloomy outside, the ideas can be somewhat more snail-like in their flow. Here are some rules we live by:

1. Make sure you prepare properly. Make sure you know and are really clear about what you want to get out of the meeting and have a clear idea of what success will look like. For example: “I need to unlock insights about mums with kids. I need 5 great ideas to amplify this ad. I need to take this idea into digital.” Be clear and keep checking in with yourself throughout the brainstorm if you are answering this brief.

2. Make sure you have the right people, not just those who are around. Think about how much time you need. Too little and you won’t get anywhere, too long and everybody will tire of you.

3. Get people working on stuff. If you have lots of people, split them up to develop ideas—small groups working together not large groups fighting to get a word in. Make sure you know in advance what tasks you are going to set.

4. Stimulate.¬ Give people stuff to get excited about—other ideas that inspire and set benchmarks, e.g., magazines where you can find great images.

5. Get people in the right mood. This may be by going to a different venue or it may be by getting them to think like the consumer, testing the product etc. For example, imagine you¹re a 40 year old women with two kids, both at school. You¹re trying to get the kids out in the morning and you¹ve forgotten to make their sandwiches. How do you feel?

6. Make sure you build on each other’s ideas, foster openness.

7. Play the devil’s advocate. For example say something contrary to get people to passionately disagree with you.

8. Go broad and get it tight – practice the art of reduction.

9. Make sure you map the brainstorm out in your own head and have a clear understanding and worked out steps to getting what you want.

10. And finally, stand up and energise everybody. If you can’t be bothered, you can be damn sure nobody else will be!

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