Archive | Business Frustrations

Passing the Baton

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 7, 2017

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

A mental concept that I utilize in our trial consulting work is one of that of passing a baton, as in a relay race. The flow of our engagements is such that we function as a team, with much of the work being done by one person at a time. Engagements usually begin with me […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 7, 2017

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

I like David’s analogy of passing the baton as it relates to the work flow in our office. David gets involved with 100% of the potential clients and 100% of these clients who become paying clients of our business. I rarely become involved with any of our clients until we have been retained for our […]

Blaming Me for Others’ Mistakes

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 5, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Workplace Technology

I make mistakes. Everyone does! But, while everyone makes mistakes, not everyone admits having done so. In fact, some people excel in blaming other people for their mistakes, in an attempt to avoid accepting responsibility for the negative consequences of their actions. Recent events in my office prompted this post. As almost everyone who works […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 5, 2017

In my opinion, in the scenario which Melissa describes, the situation was not so much blaming her specifically, but her/us as a company, for having a tangled, cobbled together computer system that evolved over the past 25 years of so we’ve been in business. We/she had, and have, some specific ways we want things to […]

Do what you say you are going to do!

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 31, 2017

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

I have recently been reminded of how one simple courtesy makes a big difference. That courtesy is doing what you say. If you say you will do it, do it. If you have no intention of doing it, don’t promise. Two contrasting illustrations will make my point. First, to the positive, I was recently been […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 31, 2017

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

People who make promises they fail to keep cause many problems for those who are relying on them. One of the worst things that happens in my many years of working as a trial consultant relates to recruiting research participants. The company Magnus hires to call potential research participants for our mock juries and focus […]

Off the Grid

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 29, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Workplace Technology

At the time of this writing, my office recently underwent (or, more accurately, suffered through) an email conversion. There was nothing wrong with the old email system, at least as far as I was concerned. My email was working just fine and, being the type of person who prefers to leave things alone, I agreed […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 29, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Workplace Technology

For the record, there were a number of reasons that the email system needed to be updated. But, in general, as “rigged” as our old system had become, it was working and, like Melissa, I am always apprehensive about making changes. I am not “afraid of change,” but will admit to being “afraid of chaos” […]

Not all weekends = fun

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 8, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

Weekends can occur on any day of the week. Depending on one’s work schedule, a weekend can be on Monday and Tuesday instead of Saturday and Sunday. Although I have had varying days off in my work life, since my time in academia, my weekends have been Saturdays and Sundays. Like most people who work, […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 8, 2017

When Melissa and I first met, I worked as a freelance photographer. Then, as today, I worked when there was work to be done. I kept regular office hours Monday to Friday, unless on an assignment, but many of these assignments turned out to be on weekends. Saturdays were often work days – family portraits, […]

It doesn’t cost, it pays.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 3, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Deliberations, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Trial Science, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

I was speaking with someone recently who was lamenting about how cost is a factor in decisions, sometimes, with a penny wise and dollar (pound) foolish approach. This person quickly related a story about when he was buying a piece of equipment for his office and asked what it cost. The astute salesperson said, “it […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 3, 2017

There is a common maxim, “If you have to ask the cost, then you probably can’t afford it.” Some of Magnus’ clients are more cost conscious than others and, in fact, some of them are more concerned about cost than quality. When I am asked, usually by someone in the audience at one of my […]

Get it right the 1st time

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 1, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

I am careful, meticulous, and detail oriented. I like to consider all of the options before taking a particular course of action. I dislike making mistakes, especially when there is a monetary cost involved in a mistake. In effect, I like to “get it right the first time” instead of going full speed ahead, doing […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 1, 2017

I have a memory from decades ago when I attending an open house at a trucking company with my father and seeing a sign that said “If you don’t have time to get it right the first time, when will you have time to get it right?”. That stuck with me and, like Melissa, doing […]

When there are no rules – for entrepreneurs

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 27, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

Continuing my series on entrepreneurship, I wanted address a strange issue that we face as entrepreneurs. That is, sometimes, there are no rules. I don’t mean rules meant to keep us out of trouble, I mean the rules we need to follow to succeed, to get the job done, to meet the clients’ demands and […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 27, 2017

David is right about entrepreneurs having to write the rule book as we go about our business. When we founded our company, Magnus, for example, we had no policies and procedures manual. We had no employees at the time, but knowing that, one day in the not so distant future, we would hire people to […]

Knowing where you’re going

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 25, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Careers, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Travel

Some people do not know which way is which. By this, I mean some people are directionally challenged, in that they do not know which way is north, south, east, or west. I am thankful not to be one of these people. I love maps, reading maps, plotting my course, navigating on land and sea, […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 25, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Careers, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Travel

A frustration I have with the tech tools that tell us where to go these days is that they often don’t tell you the big picture. More and more, they provide step by step directions that reveal themselves only as you get to each waypoint. Though this is helpful, I prefer to have a big […]

Similarities and Shared Challenges: JMI comparison

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 20, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success

As I’ve posted previously, I had the honor of being selected to participate in a “continuing education” program recently. The program was the Small Business Executive Program, sponsored by the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship of the Florida State University College of Business. The program was 9 full program days over 3 months and […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 20, 2017

In David’s role as the business person in our company, he attends numerous networking functions, meetings with prospective clients, and programs such as the recent Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship. David has learned many things about operating our business, Magnus, from the people with whom he has interacted while attending these meetings. I am […]

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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

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

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

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.

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