As I have said before, many consider brainstorming to be a fad or a waste of time, largely due to unsatisfactory results.  A big reason for this is poorly facilitated sessions which assume that a flip chart and some pens are all you need, with everything else taking care of itself.  Over at IdeaChampions.com they have compiled a helpful list of the key dimensions of a good brainstorming session:

1. Investigation – you’ve got to do some work beforehand
2. Immersion – you can’t just hop in and out, you’ve got to get stuck in
3. Interaction – this is a team exercise
4. Inspiration – bored people rarely come up with great ideas
5. Ideation – create an environment where ideas start flowing
6. Illumination – ideas are great, but to make a difference they must bring insight
7. Integration – bringing ideas back into the real world
8. Implementation – something has to happen afterwards or it really was a waste of time

For a full desciption of each dimension, see the original post.