Archive | Employment

Unprofessionalism in law

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 30, 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 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, […]

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 […]

2 Time Clients

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 16, 2015

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

Melissa’s mother had a saying that she used, rarely, to indicate she was not going to do, or eat, or whatever that same thing again. For example, if she went somewhere one time and did not like it, she would say, “I’ve been there twice, my first and last times…” I’ve been to a few […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 16, 2015

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

It is painful for David to turn away business, and the revenue derived from business, but when a client has abused me, one or more of our employees, or him, the pain from working with the abuser is greater than the pain from lost revenue. Fortunately, there have been few clients in my decades long […]

The Evolution of our Job Interview. Part 2

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 9, 2015

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

Part 2 of the Job Interview Evolution involves the addition of questions to our interview protocol based on experiences with interviewing and hiring, or more accurately, hiring mistakes. For example, we once hired a research associate for our trial consulting business who, within a few weeks of hiring, reported that she “hated attorneys” and was […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 9, 2015

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

Prior to having the unfortunate (but, thankfully, short lived) experience with the employee who hates lawyers, I would never have believed there would be anyone stupid enough to apply for, then accept, a job in which all revenue earned by the employer is earned by working for attorneys. But. it happened! And now we are […]

Write thank you

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 7, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success

Just as I believe it is important to say “thank you,” I believe it is important to write a note of thanks. And, although I have been accused of being “old school,” when I say write a note of thanks, I mean actually writing a thank you note, not sending an email or a text. […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 7, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success

It is interesting in today’s world of instant communications that some common courtesies are lost. As Melissa says, an email is better than nothing. But, it is likely that all of us receive gifts, services, favors, or other (often intangible) things that warrant an expression of gratitude. And, because instant communications prevail, the niceties of […]

The Evolution of our Job Interview. Part 1

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 2, 2015

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

One thing that happens in running a business, of any sort, is that you, hopefully, learn new “tricks” along the way. Some are strokes of genius, but more often, they are things learned the hard way. I wish I could say the trick I’m about to report was a moment of genius, but it happened […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 2, 2015

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

David has spent an inordinate amount of time interviewing job candidates, most of whom never make it to the in person interview by me. In that the vast majority of people whom David has interviewed over the years have not been hired by our company, Magnus, a lot of productive time has been wasted. For […]

Working on a Roller Coaster

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 25, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

After well over 20 years in the trial consulting business, I hoped the work load would smooth out and there would not be a constant peak and valley cycle of business. Alas, it appears we’re on a perpetual roller coaster. The cycle is such that there are times we are slammed with what seems like […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 25, 2015

For the most part, living life on the roller coaster has become easier for me with the passage of time. There used to be a time when, after weeks or months of not having any work to do, I would become convinced we would never work again. Then, just as I had given up all […]

Directness

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 23, 2015

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Work-Life

No one has ever accused me of “beating around the bush” or being coy. If I say something, there is never any doubt about what I mean and where the other person stands. My employees have sometimes bristled from the feedback I have provided about their poor quality work, even though they have been told […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 23, 2015

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Work-Life

Melissa’s comments are very direct in this post, as they are in her everyday communications. And, while she mentions employee errors, she is also very direct when employees are doing things right. That is, she reinforces their good performance and provides direct praise. And, there is also a need to point out that, while she […]

Starting out: Use your connections & contacts

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 18, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Trial Consulting

Sometimes, following the theme of my recent posts, using what you’ve got involves who you know. Again, it may seem unfair, but that is the way of the world. And, it is no secret that who you know is critical to success in getting a job, selling your services/products, and in many other ways. One […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 18, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Trial Consulting

When David and I started Magnus Research Consultants in 1993, we literally knocked on the doors of anyone and everyone who would meet with us. I am lucky to be from a small town, Fort Myers, Florida and my family has been there since the 1920s. In Fort Myers, my last name has always given […]

Eat defensively

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 16, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Travel, Trial Consulting

When I began my career as a litigation (jury) consultant many years ago, one of the first pieces of advice a more experienced colleague told me was “eat defensively,” meaning eat when there is food to be eaten because it may be the only opportunity that presents itself. When I am traveling far and wide […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 16, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Travel, Trial Consulting

Today is one of those eating defensively days for me. I’m attending a conference, writing in the morning before the session which starts at 1:00 p.m. With a specific, 1:00 p.m., start time, clearly lunch has to be early and over with to get to the meeting. And, I am in a “strange” town. Not […]

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Archive | Employment

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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.

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Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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