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 […]
Archive | Business personalities
Formality Never Hurts
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 […]
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 […]
Know What You Don’t Know
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 […]
Dress for the Interview
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 […]
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, […]
Employees Should Cover Each Other
This is the 3rd in a series about “covering” or looking out for each other in a work environment. The need to do this is on a top down, down to top, and peer to peer basis. In the immediately prior post, I mentioned an employee who was hostile to another employee. The fact that […]
Although it has been over 30 years since I have been an employee, as opposed to an employer, I can recall what it was like to have co-workers and colleagues. The best example I am aware of is my colleague, and now, long time friend, Dr. Susan Broome, who looked out for me in an […]
Cover the Employee’s Back
As I wrote the prior post about the need for employees to cover the boss’ back, I had this post, and the next one, in mind, because covering for each other is critical. It is important for a boss to keep the health and well being of the employees in mind. In our 30+ years […]
I strive to be a good boss. I thank all of my employees, and vendors, for completing tasks to which they have been assigned. I thank the employees at the end of every work day for everything they have done that day to help me. I am aware that, absent the help I receive from […]
Expand Your Horizons: Johnny Cash, Jazz…
Expand your horizons. Exit your comfort zone. Try new things. Visit new places. Meet new people. These are mantras to which I aspire. Many people are too afraid to venture outside things they’ve always done. They go to the same restaurants, then order the same things off the menu. When it comes to music, some […]
How broad one’s horizons, or comfort zones, are is probably relative. While some people consider Melissa and me to be adventurous in certain respects like music or food, I know, I for one, still draw a line somewhere. I know I have limitations based on foods because of 2 things. One is an allergy issue […]
Probing Questions and Difficult Answers
I went to my primary care physician recently for my annual check up. (As an aside, my physician is smart: He has a Ph. D. in addition to an M. D.) My physician is committed to helping medical students with their education. He has mentored medical students from The University of Miami for decades and […]
I loved hearing the story Melissa related about the young medical student shortly after her check up. It was a classic example of how Melissa’s interactions with the world are sometimes more than what people bargained for on any given day. I hope that, not only did this make a lasting impression on this future […]
Vacations
At the time of this post, I am likely on vacation. After missing the opportunity to take a vacation for a couple of years, Melissa and I have been looking forward to it. The visit to this destination, Alaska, was delayed from our original plan and thus, we’ve been working on and revising the plans […]
I will begin this post by saying I love to work! One of my best friends, Bob, was my office mate (and co-conspirator) in graduate school. He frequently referred to me as a “workaholic” because, invariably, when he called to find out what I was doing, I was working or studying. I love my job […]
Mutual Admiration Societies
There are relatively few people with whom I share a mutual admiration. Don’t get me wrong: I like a lot of people and there are some people who like me, but that is different than my definition of a mutual admiration society. The first person who comes to mind is the first person who used […]
One thing that comes to my mind about Mutual Admiration Societies is realizing that one is in one. What I mean is, we often get acquainted with people we admire, from afar or up close. The part that is different about mutual admiration societies is the “mutual” part. This may not be immediate. It may […]