High Velocity Brainstorming is a deeply engaging, masterfully facilitated creative thinking session that helps intact work teams and ad hoc groups of aspiring innovators generate and develop powerful new ideas.

Most people we know claim they already brainstorm. Perhaps they do. But in our experience, there is often a gap between the concept of brainstorming and the act of brainstorming. Indeed, the word "brainstorming" has been totally abused in our culture. Like the words "post-modern" and "natural," it has lost its meaning. Meeting with a few friends to talk about a business deal? "We're brainstorming." Tossing a few ideas around over cappuccino? "Brainstorming." Kicking around an idea or two for cutting costs? "Brainstorming." Well, not really.

What most people call "brainstorming" is, in fact, often just a veiled attempt to influence others, sell ideas, peddle opinions, or play out a lifelong ambition to dominate a group. "Brainmisting?" Maybe. "Braindrizzling?" Sure. But not brainstorming.  Real brainstorming is very different. Real brainstorming is a meeting of the minds — or more precisely, a meeting in the realm just beyond the mind — a place where brilliance and breakthrough wait to be discovered.

Idea Champion's High Velocity Brainstorming service cuts through the fluff of traditional brainstorming by tuning into three key drivers of successful group ideation:

1. Problem Definition: Long before your session, we'll conduct a simple needs assessment to make sure you have accurately framed the best possible question to address in your session. Towards that end, we will interview you, a cross section of participants, and other key stakeholders. We will also poll participants to ensure we have all the input we need to ensure success.

2. Custom Design: Your team is unique. Your company culture is unique. That's why the design of your brainstorming session should also be unique. Which is exactly what we will do as a prelude to your session. NOTE: In the past 27 years of leading ideation sessions for all kinds of organizations, no two have ever been exactly the same.

3. Session Facilitation: In most organizations, the people who facilitate brainstorm sessions have been "drafted" into duty. They may be smart. They may be creative. They may be knowledgeable about the topic at hand. But they don't necessarily know how to spark brilliance in a disparate group of highly opinionated people with their own unique agendas, mindsets, and assumptions. We do. That's what we've been doing since 1987 and we would be honored to do that for your organization, as well.

• The Eight Dimensions of a Brainstorm Session
• 25 Reasons Why Brainstorm Sessions Fail
• Brainstorm facilitation training
• In Defense of Brainstorming