Archive | Business Relationships

Make ‘em look good

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 3, 2016

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

One aspect of our work as trial consultants is to evaluate cases so that our attorney clients learn how their case will be perceived by jurors, judges, arbitrators, or mediators. We always learn things that the attorneys and our other clients did not know or did not anticipate. The truth is, we may not have […]

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There are many ways an employee can help his/her boss look good.  In the days when I worked for a large corporation and did not perform administrative tasks, I had a secretary.  (I actually had a series of secretaries in the early days of my career, which dates back to the time when being a […]

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Either you are wrong or I am right. Part 2: Clients

As I was writing the post, “Either you are wrong or I am right,” I thought that, like the album title from which it came, About Face (by David Gilmour) there are perhaps more than 1 way to contemplate this lyric. In the first post I wrote about the implications of behaving, in a personal […]

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I admit to being frustrated by some clients’ insistence that they know everything there is to know, including in an area in which they have zero expertise.  However, I am somewhat entertained by their willingness to set themselves up for failure, when something happens to disprove their incorrect assumptions, and I usually ask them to […]

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Either you are wrong or I am right. Part 1: Business Partners

One of the songs from David Gilmour’s 1984 Album About Face was titled “You Know I’m Right.” I enjoyed the entire album by Pink Floyd’s vocalist and (extraordinary) guitarist, starting with the album title which seemed so clever in its dual meanings. But, the lyrics of this song were particularly compelling to think about how […]

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I am not sure whether this statement, “Either you are wrong or I am right” was aimed at a particular person, nor do I know whether it was intended to be interpreted in a tongue in cheek manner.  I am certain, however, that it made a lasting impression on David because he frequently quotes it […]

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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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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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The Pearl

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 17, 2015

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

It is great thing to find a gem, actually, a pearl, of an employee. Our most recent hire came as a referral from a trusted source, her father. I’ve known him for well over 20 years as our business and personal accountant and friend. Along the way, Melissa and I met his family, including his […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 17, 2015

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

The title of this post is “The Pearl” because pearl is the meaning of our wonderful employee’s name. In every way possible, she fits her name; she is truly a pearl, a gem, of a person! Interestingly, as with another of our best employees, she applied for a job with Magnus at a time we […]

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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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Fort Myers connection & Magnus: Mike Corso

In a recent post, David wrote about a client who verbally and physically assaulted him when David made a “courtesy call” to this attorney’s office without an appointment. As David mentioned, this has never happened in our decades of doing business. In fact, most clients are happy to have us stop by for an impromptu […]

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Melissa and I obviously admire those clients about whom we have posted recently. These posts are about clients whom we have gotten to know in ways beyond the lawsuits and clients for whom they are working. Mike is remarkable to us in how multi dimensional he is. Because of his expertise in engineering, we first […]

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Wish Them Well

As a final post, hopefully ever, in the series on unprofessional lawyers, I am borrowing some lyrics from my favorite rock band, RUSH. Written by Rush’s lyricist and drummer extraordinare, Neil Peart, and featured on their most recent album, Clockwork Angels, the song entitled, “Wish Them Well” is about realizing there is sometimes a need […]

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David finds a lot of inspiration from his favorite band, RUSH.  Unlike the lyricist for RUSH, Neil Peart, I have difficulty wishing well to someone who has harmed me.  However, wishing someone well is probably the healthiest attitude one can take upon being wronged.  The few clients with whom David and I have had an […]

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Fort Myers connection & Magnus: Tom Chase

Among the amazing attorneys with whom I have had the pleasure to work is an attorney who lives and works in my hometown, Fort Myers, Florida. Although this series of posts has been about attorneys in Fort Myers, there is no other attorney, indeed, person, who is like the one I am going to write […]

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Meeting Tom for the first time, about 20 years ago, I wasn’t sure what to think. His vivid story of one of his cases, which was one of those “truth is stranger than fiction” stories, has stuck with me forever, as it has with all who have heard it. It was not just the story […]

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