Archive | Careers

Tribute to Willy

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 16, 2021

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Giving Back, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Mental Health, Psychology, Small Business Success, Work-Life

I am writing this on March 3, 2021, one of the saddest days in the long history of Magnus Research Consultants. Last night, our beloved office dog, Willy, passed away of a brain tumor. Willy was the dog of David’s and my wonderful employee and friend, Megan. For the past 7 years, Willy worked in […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 16, 2021

As you can tell, this dog, Willy, was truly hu(mans) best friend. Willy and Megan were tight – she trained him well. And, he trained her well also. She communicated with him in his language – she knew what he was trying to tell her. Usually things like, pay attention to me, feed me, walk […]

Always Take First Watch

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 9, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Travel, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, RoadWarrior, Travel, Trial Consultants

Always take the first watch. I received this sage advice many years ago, from a friend who spent most of his life in the United States Navy. The rationale is that one will be less tired during the first watch than in later shifts. First watch, of course, is usually the daytime hours, such as […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 9, 2021

Always take first watch, unless Melissa beats you to it! After that, I’m not sure which is better, 2nd or 3rd watch. It might depend on whether it is night or day, and whether sleep is possible. Though I wasn’t onboard for the hurricane avoidance drive, I remember it well. I had the outsider’s view, […]

Better Than “Different Direction”

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 2, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Common Courtesy, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

As a follow up to David’s last post regarding the soul killing phrase “We have decided to move in a different direction,” I will provide alternative phrases that are more appropriate forms of rejection. Keeping in mind that David, and other consultants, spend considerable time and money speaking with prospective clients, preparing proposals outlining the […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 2, 2021

I like that-“vapid euphemisms.” In my most recent vapid encounter, vapid also seemed to apply to the paralegal who called me. Whether it was her fault or not, she not only had insufficient information to give me as to what the attorney purportedly wanted (which was an inappropriate research design, given what she did know), […]

Different Direction

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 25, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Common Courtesy, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

Last week I got a call from a paralegal who asked me to provide a proposal for a mock trial for a commercial case. She told me that, although she’d been a paralegal for 25 years, she had never shopped for a trial consultant. I walked her through the process, provided her with information on […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 25, 2021

If you think about it, and I certainly have, “We are moving in a different direction” or “We are moving in another direction” is meaningless drivel. This statement has somehow become common when it comes to rejecting job applicants, consultants’ proposals, and people, in general. In preparing for my part of David’s post, I have […]

Juggling

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 4, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Mental Health, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

I shot a photograph of a juggler a couple years ago when I was wandering the streets of New York City while there to work on a client’s case. My eye was drawn to the colorful balls flying in the air so I walked toward the area behind the main NYC library. Turns out, several […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 4, 2021

Most people have a difficult time “walking in someone else’s shoes.” We live our daily lives, caught up in dealing with our personal issues, rarely giving much thought to what other people are going through. David and I have a dear friend who, for as long as we have known her, has been battling a […]

Be Free

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 28, 2021

Category: Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Jury Research, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Work-Life

A number of Melissa’s and my prior posts have discussed aging parents, dealing with dementia, being a caregiver, and the like. Because we’re sharing our journey, I’m writing to report the end of a portion of that journey with the recent passing of my Mom. Melissa has written about this from a different perspective; my […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 28, 2021

I keep hearing Martin Luther King, Jr. saying “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we’re free at last” as I reflect upon Carole’s passing. If one is a spiritual person, one usually believes the soul of good people go to heaven (or a similar place, according to one’s religion) when they pass […]

Ok Boomer

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 26, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Psychology

I have written in previous posts about my experiences with sexism, including the bias that has been expressed toward me as a female bass guitar player. As I have stated, sexism is alive, but not well. I have also mentioned social psychological research on racism and racial prejudice and the negative impact these forms of […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 26, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Psychology

It is interesting to think about “Ok Boomer” in the concept of discrimination. Certainly, sometimes it is said in a joking way, light heartedly, but there is an underlying dismissal of the boomer in saying it no matter how funny the speaker thinks it is. And, of course, sometimes it is not said in jest. […]

PowerPoint Exhibits: Good-Bad-Ugly

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 21, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Workplace Technology

I had an interesting conversation today with a client who was preparing a PowerPoint presentation for an upcoming mock trial. As we discussed his plan, he mentioned that he was planning to use 20 slides for a 10 minute presentation. I tactfully suggested that 1 slide every 30 seconds is too many. This led to […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 21, 2021

Death by Powerpoint. That’s what I call the majority of Powerpoint and other, similar, electronic presentations. I have witnessed countless attorneys “kill” their audience with electronic presentations that contain words, then more words, then even more words. These well meaning attorneys, in their quest to educate the jury about their case, put everything they can […]

Say “Thank you!”

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 19, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Giving Back, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Psychology

David and I have written about gratitude in previous posts. Some people are quick to say, “Thank you” when someone gives them a gift or does something nice, while other people rarely, if ever, show their appreciation. This post is prompted by a recent experience with someone with whom I have been acquainted for many […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 19, 2021

I recall a fairly regular cause for a letter to “Dear Abby” or “Ann Landers” was the complaint that grandchildren never wrote thank you notes. My Mom drilled that into me by buying special stationery to use for just such occasions. And, doing so timely was expected. It was always a bit difficult to me […]

Ed Groot

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 14, 2021

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Partnerships, Trial Consultants

Way back in 1993, Melissa and I first started contemplating opening our own trial consulting practice. Pretty soon, those discussions included a third individual, Ed Groot. The three of us were working for another trial consultant in what can simply be described as a toxic work environment. The three of us started planning what became […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 14, 2021

I’m not sure why I was compelled to search for Ed Groot on my computer today, but something kept nagging me to do it. I immediately came across his obituary and read that he passed away on November 30, 2020. He would have been 80 years old on January 2, 2021. When David and I […]

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Archive | Careers

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