Author Archive | Melissa Pigott

Everyone has a boss. Clients = Many Bosses

Almost everyone who works for a living has a boss. Although I am the boss at my workplace, I have many, many bosses, the attorneys, insurance adjusters, and corporate representatives who hire my company and me to help them with their challenging litigation. Often, I must adjust my plans and work schedule to suit one […]

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“Be your own boss.” That’s the supposed appeal of owning a business. But, it is a very flawed observation about owning/operating a business. Whether the business is small or large, the customers, or clients in a service business, are the bosses. And in a service business, more than a product based business, the owner(s) must […]

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Loud is good, except when I want quiet

Loud, for me, is good. I have a shirt that says so! I am not afraid of loud music and other happy loud sounds, including cars, boats, and motorcycles. However, when I am working, particularly on something that requires concentration, I must work in absolute silence. I do not allow anyone who works for me […]

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Thankfully, Melissa’s and my offices are situated such that we have the ability to close the door to reduce distractions. But, noisy distractions can transcend doors, windows and walls. Leaf blowers and weed eaters are big offenders. Maintaining focus on technical, detailed work requires concentration beyond what school requires and as such, we have had […]

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Parties

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 19, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Life Outside of Work, Managing Employees

I love parties! I love to party! I love loud party music! I love party decorations! I love party food and drinks! I grew up in a family who celebrated every occasion, usually with a party or special dinner. We decorated the house with all kinds of fun things, often involving a theme, to mark […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 19, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Life Outside of Work, Managing Employees

I’m there too – at the parties, I mean. I had a particularly fun loving grandmother that made any event more fun that normal – birthdays, Christmas, etc. And I have many fond memories of particular details from parties – like the time our gruff neighbor Ron showed up for a tea party wearing a […]

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Sexism is alive but not well: Part 2

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 12, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Partnerships, Work-Life

In a recent post, I wrote about my friends’ shock and dismay over my attendance at a rock concert with a male friend of mine, after which I spent the night in his home (located in the same town as the concert, and several hours from my home). In this post, I will describe the […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 12, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Partnerships, Work-Life

I wasn’t there – that point is now well established! But, I can visualize the scene. And, I don’t know whether jealousy was a part of it, because Fifi has been on some dates with Freddie. But, my attendance at this concert had never been a part of the discussion so why was it assumed […]

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Sexism is alive, but not well: Part 1

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 5, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Partnerships, Work-Life

Recently, I had the honor and privilege to be able to attend a rock concert (a 12 hour festival involving 15 bands!) with one of my best friends, a wonderful man I have known over 50 years, since we were in first grade together. The concert was held in my hometown, Fort Myers, requiring me […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 5, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Partnerships, Work-Life

Sexism, like racism, takes many forms. This scenario is clearly sexist in that, if 2 men or 2 women attend an event together, no one gives it a 2nd thought, but if 2 people of opposite genders do, red flags go up for some people. But, why? In a business setting, co workers are often […]

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Self actualizers

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 28, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work

Self actualization is the highest level of human existence. Self actualization is achieved by only the rarest among the rarest people. Few of us will ever meet someone who is truly self actualized, and fewer among us will achieve this lofty goal ourselves. Self actualized people are true to themselves; they are often altruistic, with […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 28, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work

I had learned about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in my Psychology 101 class, but the concept is a bit abstract, until you meet someone at the top of the pyramid. And it took my spouse, a psychologist, to point out to me what should have been obvious in these 2 individuals. One of the most […]

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Learn names

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 21, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Small Business Success

How many times have all of us met someone who says, “I can’t remember names,” or “I’m just not good at names,” or something similar? I, for one, cannot fathom how many times I have heard this type of inane statement! When someone does not bother to learn my name it communicates volumes to me […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 21, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Small Business Success

I once heard the story that Jimmy Carter, when running for the Presidency, studied memory techniques that enabled him to call all 535 members of Congress by name upon first meeting them. Apparently, this was a goal of importance to him. It is pretty impressive and most of could not come close to such a […]

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Elevators, doors, and gentle people

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 14, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Life Outside of Work

We live in a world of quickly changing norms and other social rules that dictate our conduct, including conduct with friends, family, co-workers, and strangers. Some people believe social niceties are quaint and outdated and are no longer called for in today’s world of gender equality (or, to be more precise, emerging gender equality). Although […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 14, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Life Outside of Work

Common courtesies should be gender and race neutral. We are all trying to do the best we can getting through life and looking out for each other, even for strangers; makes it easier to get through life. I was taught to hold doors open for people, to leave the door area near elevators clear for […]

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Mind your manners

I was raised by parents who prided themselves on being kind and courteous to others. I was taught, at an early age, to mind my manners, be mindful of etiquette and other social norms, and just “be nice.” Much has been written and discussed about people in today’s world seeming to lack good manners, but […]

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Melissa may one day write a book on manners – she could easily do so. And, I agree with her philosophy that manners goes beyond table settings. Accordingly, both she and I take the time to say thank you to housekeepers, servers, and the many people we come into contact with as we work nationwide […]

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Employees can/do turn into clients

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 31, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

Almost everyone who works for a living knows not to “burn bridges” with former employers, lest they need a job reference or something else from the former employer in the future. Rarely, however, have I heard this expression applied to former employees. It seems that many employers fail to consider that, one day, when they […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 31, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

The employee turned client is an interesting turn about and, a positive sign in many ways. And, it was also interesting when we had someone who had worked for 2 other trial consulting firms hire us at a firm where he was (once again) practicing law on his cases. He did not hire either of […]

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