Archive | Business personalities

Is it worth getting up at 6 a.m. for that Chamber meeting?

To quickly answer the question in my title, I don’t know. But, I am getting ahead of myself. When we started Magnus in 1993 it seemed like it might be worthwhile to network in certain ways. One of them was to join the Chamber of Commerce and go to the early morning breakfast meetings. It […]

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A long time client of Magnus recently told David that David has the hardest job in our company, in that it involves performing many tasks people often consider undesirable.  One of these tasks is attending networking functions, including those disguised as “social events” because adult beverages are served.  Of all the networking events David has […]

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Naming the company

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 17, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Getting the Job Done, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success

We are occasionally asked “How did you come up with the name Magnus Research”? The answer is that we struggled for a while with many options. We had lots of factors that played a role in coming up with a name. And, I suppose for many companies, this is an early decision that takes much […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 17, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Getting the Job Done, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success

Although “Pigott Research Services” has a nice ring to it, I shudder to think of the number of times I would have to correct clients’ and vendors’ pronunciation of my last name if David and I had chosen to include it in our company’s name!  We gave careful consideration to selecting a name for our […]

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Be inspired

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 10, 2015

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

Some people rarely get inspired. These people are difficult to impress, they often go through life with a “so what?” attitude, and they are not going to be people with whom I am comfortable. I receive inspiration from many things. I thrive on diversity, in people, experiences, and places, and I am constantly amazed by […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 10, 2015

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

The world around us, both natural and human made, is an inspiring place. And there are different parts of that world which touch most of us. For me, I find inspiring subjects most often through a lens (usually a Canon). Photography has helped me focus (pun intended) on the beauty of nature. And, I’ve focused […]

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Life goes on within you and without you

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 3, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Work-Life

One of my favorite songs of all time is a song by George Harrison called, “Within You Without You.” For those who are not huge fans of The Beatles, this song is on side 2 of the groundbreaking album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” which was released on June 1, 1967. Although this song, […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 3, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Work-Life

My take on this topic is similar to Melissa’s, in trying to keep a focus on where we fit as individuals in the world. We have certainly observed some clients, and occasionally employees, whose sense of self importance did not appear to match their other characteristics, including their contributions to the world. That is, they […]

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Get over it

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 27, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work

As with many things in my life, this post contains a musical reference, the title of a song by The Eagles. “Get Over It” says a lot of things to a lot of people, but to me, getting over it, whatever it may be, is an important part of moving through life in a forward […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 27, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work

It is not always easy for me to just “get over it.” Things that I’ve worked to “get” have not always worked out regardless of effort expended and it can be devastating for things to work out differently than I would have liked. But, the beat goes on, and we have to move on. Sometimes […]

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Keep the beat

One of my responsibilities as a bass guitar player is keeping the beat. The bass guitar is a rhythm instrument (as are drums and other percussive instruments) and, as a bass player, if I fail to keep the beat, I am not doing my job within the band. Sometimes, the beat is up tempo; other […]

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Keeping the beat in business is crucial as part of the juggling act of working on current business, looking for new business, and managing everything. I often feel like I have to keep the beat in terms of nudging clients along because I know how many beats there are in one of our projects and […]

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Space between notes

In life, just as in music, the space between notes is just as important as the notes themselves. For those among us who are not musically inclined, the “space between notes,” when applied to everyday life, is the silence that often says everything that needs to be said. On the day I am writing this […]

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It is interesting that, in our noisy world, silence, Melissa’s space between notes, is sometimes uncomfortable. But there are times when silence allows someone else to vent, or when silence provides an opportunity to listen. I sometimes find it difficult to stay quiet when I am asking questions of a prospective client who is trying […]

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Give others a Stanley

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 29, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

In a previous post I wrote about “giving yourself a Stanley” when one has done something amazing or otherwise deserving of recognition. Along these lines, I am also an advocate of “giving others a Stanley” when someone else has done something helpful, noteworthy, or wonderful. I rarely miss the opportunity to tell someone “good job,” […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 29, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

Receiving praise should feel good, and it usually does. But, it has been interesting to observe some of our best performers in the workplace react with surprise when we do praise them. It appears that genuine praise, not of the “everyone gets a trophy variety,” is somewhat rare in the business world. Maybe it is […]

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Give yourself a Stanley

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 15, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

A long time ago, 2 of my employees and I witnessed something that, at the time, seemed rather odd to all of us. We were making a presentation in a client’s office and among the attorneys in attendance was an older attorney of some renown who, upon being told he had done something beneficial in […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 15, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

Our practice of “giving Stanleys” has been an interesting experience. As Melissa points out, telling an employee to give himself/herself a Stanley seems strange at first. But, the old pat on the back seems strange, and perhaps offensive, to some younger employees as well, especially those who do not like being touched. By using the […]

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Just – Do It

I used to work in a large corporation where staff meetings, committee meetings, and meetings of other varieties were commonplace. These meetings seemed, to me, to drone on endlessly, with much discussion, but little actual work, being accomplished. In the years I have co-owned and operated a small business, I have kept meetings to a […]

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I believe “Just Do It” has been Melissa’s motto for longer than it has been Nike’s. In other words, she likes to “git er done.” While meetings are often necessary to coordinate to ensure that everyone will get things done with the same information and goals in mind, as Dilbert illustrates, meetings often take on […]

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