Archive | Business Frustrations

Managing Expectations

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 2, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

This is the third post in a series on professionalism. This one is about making “keepable promises” with regard to deadlines and deliverables. We, at Magnus, work in a world with many deadlines; very often, these are deadlines beyond the control of our clients. That is, judges set trial dates and discovery deadlines with which […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 2, 2023

I recently observed my 50th anniversary of employment. Having lost my father at an early age, I had to work in order during high school to help my mother with our household expenses. In 50 years of working, I can proudly say that I have never, ever, missed a deadline or failed to deliver my […]

Billing Expectations

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 23, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

As a follow up to my post on professionalism based on my recent experience of being a lawyer’s client, I want to discuss billing expectations. As I told my family’s lawyer during an extremely unpleasant phone call, what he did to us was like taking one’s car to the repair shop, getting an estimate, then […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 23, 2023

Almost everyone wants to know the price of something before they purchase it. This is true regardless if someone is buying a hot dog, a car, or paying for legal services. Things can look fine, but if they are too expensive, in consideration for what they offer, there will be a disconnect between the product/service […]

Arbitration Research

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 21, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Most attorneys retain Magnus Research Consultants for pre mediation or pre trial jury research, but arbitration is increasingly used to resolve cases. After all these years, it is interesting to note attorneys’ surprise when they find out that we conduct pre arbitration research. They ask us, “How can we do that? Where can we find […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 21, 2023

This is one of those areas where our attorney clients must “think out of the box.” (I actually detest that phrase, but it seems so common that it is well understood to mean be creative.) Unfortunately, I know all too well how what we are, what we do, is put in a “box” of sorts, […]

Be Professional

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 16, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

This is a topic I’ve had on my “to be written” list for a long time. I’m prompted to write it now based on having been on the client side of working with a lawyer. Having been the client of lawyers on several occasions, I can say I much prefer the relationship in which the […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 16, 2023

What does it mean to conduct oneself with professionalism? Professionalism, in my opinion, does not equate with wearing an expensive suit, working in a high rise office building with a scenic view, or many of the other outward, but superficial indicators of success. Recently, David and I spent a few days in Merida, Mexico. We […]

“If I Don’t Drive the Bus…”

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 14, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

I am writing this post on the birthday of one of my former bosses. As the absolute worst boss I ever had, this person will remain nameless. (This being said, many readers will be able to identify my former boss, having heard her use this expression on numerous occasions.) As much as I dislike her, […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 14, 2023

Many years ago, too many to consider, an uncle of mine took me for a ride in his Beechcraft Bonanza, V tail and all. I got to ride with him a few times – it was thrilling! One memory I have of flying with him was that the yoke was connected in the middle of […]

Biggest Marketing Changes in 30 Years

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 9, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Recently, Melissa and I have been talking with a long time client about an issue we have, and he has, identified as being a challenge for us, and him, as a trial lawyer/mentor. That is, the “new generation” of litigators/trial lawyers lack experience with trial consultants. In a recent, eye-opening, conversation that included his young […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 9, 2023

The current generation of associate attorneys and their lack of awareness of the existence of trial consultants reminds me of the years I worked as an adjunct professor. (As a side note, for many years after I earned my Ph. D., I had 2 jobs, a full time job in the corporate world and a […]

Show, Don’t Tell

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 26, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Melissa and I wrote employee policy manuals and other training materials before we had employees. I am thinking about those today because I added a small update to the policy manual yesterday, thinking that it had been a long time since I had added anything. But, while the policy manual is pretty well set, the […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 26, 2023

David never ceases to amaze me. I cannot believe he missed a perfectly good opportunity to relate his post to a song by his favorite band, RUSH. The title of the song is “Show Don’t Tell,” which is the title David used for this post. The premise of the song, written (of course) by Geddy […]

Psychologists and Lawyers See the World Differently

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 17, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

As I have stated in previous posts, I have had an interesting career, primarily because I have spent almost all of my professional life working with attorneys instead of with colleagues. Furthermore, my definition of “colleague” is narrow, in that I consider only other social psychologists as colleagues. The field of psychology is large, with […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 17, 2023

What a perfect day to write this post. Melissa just had a call with a client who is heading to trial soon. When it was over she couldn’t wait to let me know about one aspect of the call, which was the lawyer insisting on wrongly defining a social psychological concept. As readers of these […]

Hitting the Ground Running

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 12, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

As noted in a prior post, Melissa and I have built in a “vacation” each year during the last 2 weeks of December, returning to work just after January 1. This is, in some part, due to the reality that we cannot do our “real work” of mock juries, etc., in that time period. In […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 12, 2023

During our recent vacation, David and I had lunch with childhood friends of mine, both of whom are retired. One of these friends has been retired for several years and the other, for several months. They both extolled the virtues of retirement, which, for them, has provided considerable benefits over their careers, which they spent […]

Some Cases Last Longer than Imaginable

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 15, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

A challenging aspect of our trial consulting work is timing. It is always an issue for us to ramp up when we are engaged for a project. There is lead time in all that we do. Some clients, particularly repeat clients, understand this and call us well in advance of their “need.” Other times it […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 15, 2022

I sincerely hope 10 years will be the longest time between case intake and conducting mock trials! At this point in my life and career, I’m not certain I will be around 10 years from now! The case to which David refers is Magnus’ infamous case #110. As a point of reference, when we finally […]

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Archive | Business Frustrations

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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