Archive | Common Courtesy

Think before you speak.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 19, 2015

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

Think before you speak. This is an old adage that resonates loudly when managing employees. Two examples of the failure of employees have haunted us for years. The first was with our first employee. She was caught off guard when an attorney/client asked her, after discussing Melissa’s academic background with Melissa, “What’s your background?” Mindlessly, […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 19, 2015

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

I suppose there is a time in many girls’ and women’s lives when they dream of becoming a princess. Unfortunately, however, few people ever realize their princess dream, such that, at some point, they are living in a fantasy world if they persist in their search for Prince Charming. (As an aside, I have met […]

Space between notes

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 6, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Work-Life

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 […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 6, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Work-Life

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 […]

Mike Cefalo’s notes

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 1, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work

A client of mine told me something valuable a long time ago. He said he writes personal notes, on stationery, in handwriting, to several people each week who have done something noteworthy. I asked him how he found the time to do this, due to his busy schedule as a high profile trial lawyer residing […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 1, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work

In a time when instant communications are the norm, old fashioned, paper, pen, and stamps count for more than ever. The decrease in “real mail” is remarkable and that makes notes, as Melissa describes, more noteworthy. Or at least more noticeable than a decade ago. All the more reason to do this. We treasure the […]

Listen – really listen

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 18, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

As a psychologist, I am a paid listener. I listen more than I talk. I learn far more from listening than from talking. Most people, in my opinion, talk far more than they listen (and rarely do they have anything of great importance to say!). If one listens, really listens, there are many details that […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 18, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

It is interesting to be an observer both of people (like our mock jurors) and of people’s listening skills (like our attorney clients). Attorneys are paid to talk, to argue, to persuade. But, when they come to us and we do mock jury or mock arbitration research, they have to utilize their listening skills when […]

Fort Myers connection & Magnus: Mike Corso

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 11, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

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 […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 11, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

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 […]

Wish Them Well

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 6, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

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 […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 6, 2015

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 […]

Fort Myers connection & Magnus: Tom Chase

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 4, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

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 […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 4, 2015

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 […]

Unprofessionalism in law

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 30, 2015

As trial consultants, we are generally hired on “big” cases which have enough complicating factors that the attorneys and their clients need our help to figure out. In other words, when the stakes are high, our help is needed. Because of this, perhaps, we have very rarely interacted with unprofessional attorneys. There have been some […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 30, 2015

I am a “peace and love” aficionado and, as a social psychologist, my people skills are slightly more elevated than those of the attorneys with whom I have chosen to spend my career. It has always amazed me that some attorneys, who are paying me for my help, do everything they can to alienate me, […]

Fort Myers connection & Magnus: Pat Geraghty

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 28, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

Soon after starting my company, Magnus Research Consultants, with my spouse/business partner, I had the opportunity to meet an attorney in my hometown, Fort Myers, Florida, named Patrick Geraghty. Since that time, Pat has been a great friend, a loyal client, and a source of endless information about a variety of topics. I have had […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 28, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

As the one who was learning about my spouse’s hometown, finding out the back story on much of what happens in Ft. Myers has been interesting. And, Pat Geraghty is a man in the know, therefore, he and Melissa have had much to discuss over the years. I know there are power brokers in every […]

Working for jerks, never!

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 23, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

I recently wrote about a client I called a “2 time client” meaning we worked for him our first and last times on the same case. I never thought it would get worse and that we would have a client we would have to fire before doing the work for which we were retained. Unfortunately, […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 23, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

As John Lennon famously said, “instant karma’s gonna’ get you.” Let’s hope so! The attorney who is the subject of this post is a younger than age 40 personal injury attorney in West Palm Beach who, because David dared to come inside his office (which is, of course, open to the public), verbally and physically […]

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Archive | Common Courtesy

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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