Archive | Business Frustrations

No one hires me for a happy event

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 7, 2020

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

Just as none of Magnus’ clients retain us for easy cases, none of our clients retain us for anything remotely happy. In order for Magnus to become involved with an attorney and his/her client, something terrible has happened. We have worked on cases involving tragic deaths, including murder and multiple fatalities in accidents; horrific burns; […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 7, 2020

My mother once asked why I didn’t make a calendar of nice things instead of courthouses (which I did for 20 years). She said she thinks only bad things happen in courthouses. We then had a discussion about the good things that happen there such as weddings, and, most importantly, people seeking and getting justice. […]

If someone isn’t nice to me, they won’t see me again, ever.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 31, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Mental Health, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

My time is valuable. It is valuable to me, if not to anyone else. (In that Magnus’ clients compensate my company, and thus, me, in relatively high amounts of money, I would argue that my time is perceived as valuable to someone other than me. But, I digress.) Because I value my time and my […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 31, 2019

Fortunately, as we wrote in the prior related post, our clients are usually nice, professional, even kind and friendly. We all know we’re working together for a common goal and egos usually stay in check. But, there are exceptions. I used the example of a particularly toxic client we once had who, with our help, […]

Most lawyers who hire me are nice to me

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 24, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Psychology, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

People are people, regardless of their profession. There are some people who are popular and well liked and there are others who are not well liked. Attorneys, of course, are people and, as such, there are some attorneys who are well liked and well respected by their colleagues and then, there are others, whom no […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 24, 2019

Many of our clients are feared by their opponents, and sometimes, their own staff and litigation team. I don’t know if the latter is a good thing, but I’ve seen it as an overall positive. Being feared by the opposition is probably generally positive as long as the fear is because the attorney’s litigation skills […]

Why I like spending time with lawyers

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 17, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Many people, including mock jurors and other research participants, courthouse personnel, friends, and attorneys, ask me if I am an attorney. Invariably, when this happens, I am wearing a dark, conservative business suit, the attire preferred by many attorneys with whom I am acquainted. I always answer, “No, I am not an attorney. I am […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 17, 2019

I share Melissa’s enjoyment of working with attorneys and on their challenging cases. We’ve written before about the intellectual stimulation of doing so. Neither of us grew up in a family of lawyers, as many of our clients did, but we grew up with a familiarity with lawyers, law enforcement (me), and courthouses (Melissa). Either […]

What to do When Your Armor has Chinks

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 10, 2019

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

My last post mentioned the tendency among many people I know to search for chinks in my armor. I guess these people have their reasons for wanting me to be less intelligent, or less educated, or less cool, but so far, their attempts have fallen flat. This, related, post is about what to do when […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 10, 2019

Repairing chinks in one’s armor is more difficult than deflecting the chink in the first place. As with any fight or conflict, avoiding the confrontation is rule 1. Charlie’s innate reaction of avoidance minimizes chinks. But some engagements are not as random, and one off, as a road rage incident. Often, the chinking occurs over […]

If you want something done right…

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 5, 2019

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

I recently heard a program on NPR involving an incredible story that the host presented as a situation when the person involved should have “done it himself.” The story was from China, where someone hired a hitman to eliminate a competitor. The hitman subcontracted the job to someone else and that person hired someone else […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 5, 2019

The DIY attitude is another example of many people’s inability to recognize their limitations. I was searching for flooring not too long ago and discovered numerous references to DIY flooring, including instructional videos on how to install all types of flooring, from laminate to tile. I didn’t want to know how to install flooring (by […]

My Armor is Chink-proof

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 3, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Mental Health, Psychology

In the over 3 decades we have known each other, David has frequently remarked that some of my long term friends have a tendency to search for “chinks in my armor.” (For readers who are unfamiliar with this expression, it has been used since the 17th century to refer to a weak spot in a […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 3, 2019

It is interesting that people “snipe” at others in an attempt, I guess, to make themselves feel better about their own situation. Such behavior was first pointed out to me by a high school classmate, Steve, during our first years in college. He told me that his roommate was always looking for chinks in his […]

No one hires me for an easy case

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 26, 2019

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

On numerous occasions throughout my career as a jury/trial consultant, prospective clients, not to mention family members and friends, have asked me if I have ever worked on a “big” case or a “difficult” case. I used to bristle when asked this question, due to its implication that I am not intelligent, experienced, or good […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 26, 2019

The fact that we are called on to work on large, difficult, challenging, and unique cases is one of the intellectual thrills of working as trial consultants. And, what were once challenges are not as intimidating as they might have been years ago. The money involved in some of the cases is part of the […]

Don’t say yes, when you mean, I don’t know…

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 21, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Small Business Success

We once had an employee who was full of lessons for us. She worked hard, but sometimes she had to work extra hard to overcome her own limitations. This resulted in her inability to focus on a question at hand. And, I don’t know if it was to be dismissive in order to return to […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 21, 2019

It’s a long, long way from “Yes” to “I don’t know” and, for that matter, from “No” to “I don’t know.” As anyone who knows me well will assert, I speak in a direct manner, as succinctly as possible. I rarely “beat around the bush.” Instead, I say what I mean and I mean what […]

Fatal Resumé Flaws

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 14, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

I’m thinking back to the thousands of resumés I have seen over the years about several that doomed the applicant from the time it was received. The impression one makes with a resumé is critical. Standing out in a crowd can be difficult. Fundamentally, the resumé should be well structured, organized, and easy to read. […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 14, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

One’s resumé (or in the case of someone like me, one’s curriculum vita) should be a concise overview of one’s professional career and accomplishments. However, due to the fact that things other than mere words can convey important information about a person, attention to detail when preparing one’s resumé is essential. For example, a resumé […]

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Archive | Business Frustrations

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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