The common ion effect occurs when a salt with a common ion is added to a saturated solution of another salt containing that ion. This causes the solubility equilibrium of the original salt to shift left, decreasing the solubility.
When a common ion is added, the concentration of that ion increases on the product side of the solubility equilibrium expression. According to Le Chatelier's principle, this shift in concentration causes the equilibrium to shift left to counteract the change and re-establish equilibrium. Shifting left means more solid salt precipitates out of solution, decreasing the solubility.
So in summary, adding a common ion decreases the solubility of the original salt by shifting its solubility equilibrium left through the common ion effect.