In issue 23 of One Daily Nugget, we featured Ameet Ranadive’s introduction to the Pyramid Principle, a framework for effective communications that remains highly influential within McKinsey, yet deserves much greater attention outside the firm.

Today, we feature another article by Ranadive about his communication lessons from his time as a McKinsey consultant. More specifically, Ranadive introduces us to the Rule of 3. In Ranadive’s words: “Whenever you’re trying to persuade a senior person to do something, always present 3 reasons. Not 2, not 4, but exactly 3.”

Read on to learn why this simple rule is so surprisingly powerful, and how you can apply it in your everyday life!