A few years back, I worked for a boss who was an unbearable tyrant who never gave us time off for anything. A new co-worker came to me for advice. She had a very important function she wanted to attend the next day, which was a work day.

She knew our boss was a jerk, so she wanted to know her chances of being granted permission to take the day off. I told her none! Her best bet for attending the function was to wait until the next day then call and make an excuse for not being able to make it to work.

The next morning, she didn’t show up. Our boss then came and informed us that Irene wasn’t going to be coming in because she was involved in a car accident. I was astounded. Of all the lies she could have come up with! Car accident?!

I remember thinking just because you have to lie does not mean you should be telling the boldest lie imaginable. It would surely come back to bite her in the ass. Lying is considered a bad thing, but sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we have to lie. If you are going to lie, here are some tips to maximise the effectiveness.

Keep your lie simple

Irene’s claim that she was involved in a car accident was a rather elaborate lie. There was for sure going to be a lot of follow-up questions. Where was the accident? Who else was involved? What were her injuries? Which hospital did she go to?

When you tell an elaborate lie, there is a lot of upkeep involved which can be difficult because it requires having a very good memory. You may find yourself giving conflicting details.

Don’t lie carelessly

If your statements can be checked for their veracity, then it is in your best interest to stick to the truth. Some people don’t mind going to the trouble of fact-checking to ascertain that you are telling the truth.

If someone stumbles upon evidence that you have been lying, it could bring irreversible damage to your reputation. Do not lie carelessly.

Do not provide unnecessary details

The rookie mistake most people make when lying is providing more information than required, thinking that more details equates to more believability.

People are bound to get suspicious if your story has too many details. Always remember that more details lead to more lies, and hence greater chance of getting caught.

Rehearse your lies

Successful lying requires a lot of work. Don’t wait until you’re under interrogation to start putting your story together. Know exactly what you are going to say beforehand and prepare answers for any follow up questions.

Make notes about all the facts of your lies if you have to. Make sure you nail down the details.

Make it believable

People evaluate the truthfulness of a response by asking themselves, ‘How likely was that to have happened?’ When you answer a question or give an excuse that seems far-fetched, people will know you are lying.

@roxannekenya