27 May

We need more creative thinking in how we manage agreements and disagreements. Van Halen shows us the way. Their famous agreement with promoters specified there were to be absolutely no brown M&Ms in the candy supplied backstage. This story has been used to show that rock stars are cretins, but actually it was a genius thing. They played on stages with millions of dollars worth of equipment, and lights weighing tonnes above their heads. They put that rider in the contract to test if the promoter actually read the contract properly. If there were brown M&Ms backstage, it meant the promoter didn’t have attention to detail, and they were potentially in danger. That’s thinking. There are simple and creative ways to get people on the same page.