Author Archive | David Fauss

Herding Cats

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 1, 2022

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

I am sure most people have heard the expression that something is like “herding cats.” I am sure herding felines would be nearly impossible based on my experience with having 1 in the house. Herding any of our cats, even 1 at a time, is quite a challenge. Even though our Siamese cats know their […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 1, 2022

My job involves herding lots of cats, metaphorically speaking. Not only do I “herd” attorneys, including timing their presentations during mock trials, getting a trial team to work together on trial strategies, and convincing multiple clients to listen to me and follow my advice during jury selection, I herd numerous other cats during my working […]

Almost Like Cheating

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 24, 2022

Category: Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Deliberations, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

I keep a list of things clients have said during or after working with us on mock jury research. These tidbits illustrate the eye opening reactions some attorneys have when observing jurors deliberate. One of my favorites was from (now retired) Pete Burkert in Fort Myers, FL. After a series of mock juries, he said, […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 24, 2022

Pete Burkert’s quote is memorable, even after many years have passed. Until his and his partner, Kim Hart’s, retirement, Magnus enjoyed decades of working with these 2 extremely fine attorneys. Mr. Hart had worked with us several times before we worked with his law partner, Mr. Burkert, and Kim called to tell me what Pete […]

The World is Round, I’ll Get There

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 17, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Psychology

For inexplicable reasons, I randomly remember various tag lines from television commercials and other types of advertising. Many times I can’t recall the product or service being advertised, but I remember the tag line or catch phrase. One of those I recall is “The world is round, I’ll get there.” The commercial involved a hippie […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 17, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Psychology

I’ve heard David use the expression, “The world is round, I’ll get there” on many occasions, but I never knew, until reading his part of this post, its origin. Before commenting on this quote, I will point out the amazing impact the TV commercials that aired in childhood had on us. I can still recall […]

Completion Satisfaction

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 10, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consulting

I played hooky this morning for a couple of hours in order to complete some tasks on my to do list. These were things that had been lingering at home for some time and I finally had the parts in hand to do the repairs, thanks to a big trip to Home Depot and several […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 10, 2022

Hooray for David in, as I like to say, “gittin’ er dun”! It’s always nice to accomplish tasks on the “to do” list. As David said, our professional lives do not offer the same sense of satisfaction that comes from other people’s jobs. Our work takes a long time to complete, and often, our clients […]

Premature Decisions

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 3, 2022

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

Several recent client/case events prompted this post. My biased view of litigation is that it is best done when as much input (a.k.a. data) is considered. This includes data from various experts, but also data from mock juries used to evaluate the risks of litigation. The first example is with a case that settled prior […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 3, 2022

I prefer things to be done in an orderly, not a chaotic, manner. When I make a decision about whether or not a particular person will be a “good” juror for a client’s case, I don’t merely look at the person and say, “Yeah, that one looks pretty good to me.” Instead, my decisions regarding […]

Business as Usual

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 27, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Research, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consultants

Business as usual is a phrase that typically means “everything is normal.” Except that, sometimes, it is not. And sometimes, it is normal in one place, not another. Because our work happens in the trial venue, we have to adapt to what is happening there. It might be normal there, and not here. An example, […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 27, 2022

Although I have not lived full time in Fort Myers since soon after my high school graduation in 1976, it will always be “home” to me. My family came to Fort Myers from Wakulla County, Florida in the 1920s, almost 100 years ago. The images of many local landmarks and some of my favorite places […]

Colossal Failures at American Express and Chase

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 13, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success

Over the past 2 months, I’ve been battling American Express to get them to correct a colossal mistake THEY made, but for which they blamed us/me and penalized us accordingly. To be fair to American Express, Chase Bank also failed during this time period, but not as badly as American Express. The issue common to […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 13, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success

David has an awful time dealing with the huge companies we depend on in both business and personal situations. I can barely tolerate speaking to “customer service” representatives long enough to convince them that I authorize David to speak with them regarding credit card and other billing issues. David has spent countless hours in his […]

Know What You Don’t Know

By David Fauss on October 6, 2022 in Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Small Business Success

Many years ago, a college professor of mine told me that knowing what you don’t know (or that you don’t know something) is an important sign of intelligence. It was an enlightening discussion and I think I’ve mentioned this in another post. But, it bears further discussion because we seem to live in a world […]

Formality Never Hurts

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 29, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Small Business Success

In thinking about the job candidates who failed to get out of the starting gate due to their wardrobe choices, I reflected on how formality provides a guide for “good” behavior. Being formal in addressing people with “Ms.,” “Mr.,” “Dr.,” etc. is a good starting place. It is likely you will soon be told to […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 29, 2022

Social psychologists have an explanation for most kinds of people’s encounters with others. In the situations to which David refers, one’s self monitoring level is crucial to the impression they make upon others. Self monitoring is defined as the degree to which people regulate the way they present themselves, including their emotions and behaviors, in […]

Dress for the Interview

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 22, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Job interviews are something with which Melissa and I have had considerable experience over the last 30 years. We’ve revised our procedures over time, but we have always utilized an in-person interview as a final part of the process. Regardless of the position for which we are interviewing, we, as a professional practice serving a […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 22, 2022

I love people! I really do! I am constantly entertained and surprised by the things people do and say. Never a dull moment, that’s for sure! David’s post was prompted by our most recent job interview, which was of the shortest duration in the history of Magnus. Why? Because the job candidate, a young male, […]

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Author Archive | David Fauss

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

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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

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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