Archive | Careers

Be kind to old people

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 21, 2016

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

Even though we view ourselves in consistent ways that often do not involve seeing ourselves as participants in the aging process, time marches on and all of us get older with each passing day. With any luck at all, some of us will live to old age, while others of us will live to become […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 21, 2016

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

I remember when, as a teenager, a friend of my father’s celebrated his 55th birthday. I remember thinking that 55 seemed old, and that this guy didn’t look or act old. Now that I’m that age, there are days when feeling old is my new normal. But, when I was maybe 15, being 40 years […]

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I’ve Been Everywhere

Driving on I-95 from Jacksonville to south Florida for the second time in about 10 days, I happened to hear Johnny Cash’s version of the song, “I’ve Been Everywhere” (released in 1996) and did the song ever ring true! In our trial consulting work, we go where the clients and cases are. This has taken […]

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Although I haven’t been everywhere, I’ve been almost everywhere, at least in the U.S.A. My traveling days began in childhood, when my parents and I took long road trips every summer for our vacation. All of my teachers knew about my dad’s penchant for traveling, thus, when school began each fall, I was asked to […]

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I am the Greatest

At the time of this writing, Muhammad Ali passed away less than one week ago. Everyone who knows me well knows Muhammad Ali has been one of my heroes since I was a child.  I grew up reading the Miami Herald and, because Muhammad Ali had close ties to Miami Beach and its 5th Street […]

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Though I have always been aware of Muhammad Ali and have known some of the history, I have not had the long connection with his legacy as Melissa has.  But, having watched documentaries about him, like the movie about the Rumble in the Jungle, I recognized how impressive he was, in and out of the […]

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Optimism is Hard Work

I recently attended a 99th birthday celebration for a wonderful woman who has blazed trails her entire life. Her name is Dr. Frances Bartlett Kinne; she is Chancellor Emeritus of Jacksonville University, my alma mater. I have written about Fran in the past, probably more than once. But, a point made during the celebration of […]

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My late mother, who lived until the age of 93, frequently said, “You can choose to be happy or you can choose not to be happy.”  She also had a scrap of paper, attached to her refrigerator door, on which she had written, “I am alive. Life is good. God is with me. I am […]

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When employees become scrap paper

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 2, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees

I have to start this post by saying that I hate to waste paper which kills trees, but I also hate to waste resources for which I have already paid. If there is some way to benefit, even at a reduced value level, I try to not waste green paper either. I was thinking about […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 2, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees

My mom was the first recycling aficionado I knew. She was also fond of the expression that something was “not worth the paper it was printed on.” I guess the paper referenced in her expression is money, meaning that whatever Mom was disparaging was, in her opinion, worthless. I would not go as far as […]

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What if client isn’t ready; good; prepared; is drunk

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 26, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

In a quarter century of working with attorneys as our clients, while conducting mock trials and other forms of research, we have observed some great attorney presentations, some average ones, and occasionally, fortunately rarely, some very poor presentations. One of the worst things that can happen in our world of conducting mock trials is that […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 26, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

Fortunately, the majority of attorneys who retain Magnus for one or more research services are professional in their conduct, including taking our role in their case seriously. These attorneys are the backbone of our existence and without them, we would not be in business. There are many more attorneys, of course, who are “average” in […]

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Are our Posts Negative? It is a matter of perspective.

Someone mentioned to me recently that, based on reading our posts, it seems like Melissa and I have had lots of negative experiences. My friend mentioned this out of a concern that it might reflect poorly on us that we have these difficulties. I see her point, but, in discussions with other small business owners, […]

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No one has ever accused me of being a Pollyanna. (For those readers who don’t know the meaning of this expression, it means someone who thinks good things will always happen and finds something good in all experiences. It originated in 1913, in a novel of the same name by Eleanor Porter.) I believe some […]

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Be nice to the Assistants and Associates

When we work with a trial team our client is the lead attorney. Though we own the company, we know the lead attorney is our boss, at least as far as that case is concerned. And, that boss is almost always the boss of many other people. Some trial teams have lots of lawyers, paralegals, […]

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I have never understood why some people have only enough niceness and courtesy to bestow on the people at “the top,” leaving none for the rest of those with whom they interact.  It is not the case, in my opinion, that there is a finite quantity of pleasant emotions, such that they have to be […]

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If you look weird, we’ll think you are weird

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 3, 2016

Category: Careers, Employment, Managing Employees

Anyone who has read David’s and my posts knows I am a psychologist and a musician. These two avocations, alone or in combination, tend to create an open minded acceptance of other people, including those often described as “weird.” This being said, although I am more tolerant of weird people than almost anyone I know, […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 3, 2016

Category: Careers, Employment, Managing Employees

Given that I worked as a photographer for several years, I’ve seen some creative people who like to express themselves for art’s sake.  And, when it is for art’s sake, perhaps that is fine.  My photography clients were, however, mostly corporate clients and while I had longer than average hair then (and more of it […]

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Traveling for Work does not mean Fun & Games

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 28, 2016

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Travel, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

Any reader who travels extensively as part of work can skip this post because you know the realities. We travel to trial venues for mock jury research and the reality is that traveling for work is work in itself. Over the years I have had friends whose jobs do not involve travel say our job […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 28, 2016

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Travel, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

I can’t begin to count the number of times that, upon returning home from a business trip, I have sung (loudly): “Gee, but it’s great to be back home.   Home is where I want to be.   I’ve been on the road so long my friend. And if you came along I know you […]

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