Brainstorming can be a tricky business. There’s the awkward silence when your boss asks a far-fetched question and no one knows how to respond. The fear that you’ll toss out an idea only to draw blank ...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Q: My partner and I need some creative ideas for our business. We want to do some brainstorming, but we’re not sure how to go about it.

The word “brainstorming” conjures up a vision of hell. It is someone saying, “Fire up the brainwaves barbecue.” It is trying desperately to work out where everyone else’s cursors have gone on a ...