The Brown M&M's Principle

Hi,

Today’s email is about a useful trick that you can use when making decisions.

The information here is from my article on this topic.

Here are the key practical points you should know:

• The brown M&M’s principle denotes that small details can sometimes serve as useful indicators of big issues.

• This is named after a "brown M&M's clause" in a rock band's contract that required event organizers to provide M&M's in the backstage area but remove all brown ones, giving the band an easy way to check whether organizers paid attention to the details in the contract.

• This principle can help you quickly and easily assess things, like how well someone did their job, based on criteria that matter to you.

• To use this principle, find the equivalent of brown M&M's in your situation, and figure out how to check for them, potentially alongside other decision tools.

• You can also improve other people's perception of you by making sure that you take care of the "brown M&M's" that they care about.

As always, I'm happy to hear your thoughts.

Have a great week,
Itamar