I’ve been playing chess since I was 12, mostly getting beaten by my brothers, but I gradually got better because of one key: I thought four steps ahead. If I move here, he will probably move there, then I would go there, and he might go there…or there.
(A little nerdy, true, but I balanced it with ample TV watching of The Monkees, I Dream of Jeanie and Gilligan’s Island. So…all good.)
I’ve found those in business who can think even two steps ahead can avoid danger. That calls for considering anticipated responses to every statement. For example, you can say, “I am innocent,” “We had no responsibility for that (disaster),” or “I am not a crook,” but if you don’t think of likely reactions–and your response, you could be causing career suicide.