Archive | Employment

We Do Our Jobs Even When Others Don’t

Recently, we at Magnus had what appeared, at first, to be a promising new business opportunity. This new opportunity was planned as a joint venture among 3 companies, including Magnus. Another company is a company that has been a long time vendor of ours, with the other company being known only to our vendor and […]

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As we write this, the fallout from this experience has continued.  There are some hurt feelings amongst all, especially those with whom we planned to partner.  But, the underlying objective we have at Magnus is to get the job done, and get it done well.  (I’d add that anything Melissa and I undertake is done […]

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Wally World

Soon after earning my Ph. D. in social psychology, I moved to Jacksonville, Florida to work as the Director of Marketing Research at a large hospital. My duties included conducting focus groups and surveys of the various “populations” served by the hospital: patients (soon after their discharge), employees, physicians, and the general public. Surveys of […]

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I remember hearing about Melissa’s trips to Wally World starting shortly after we met at the hospital.  She viewed the various excursions to such places as a job perk, the chance to get out from behind her desk and go for a ride in her sports car, either her red Camaro or black Corvette (there […]

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Customers: Happier when they leave

We recently visited with our friend Ms. Debbie at Sweet Delights in Homestead. During our conversation, she commented that she wants her customers to be happier when they leave than when they arrived. She has much to offer in that regard with her wonderful cakes and pies, which are truly sweet delights. Her effervescent personality […]

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Magnus is in the trial consulting business, not the bakery business.  Our clients come to us to obtain our expert assistance in solving significant problems, not because they want something sweet to eat.  However, despite the vast differences between Magnus and Ms. Debbie’s company, Sweet Delights, we share a common goal: Keeping the customer satisfied.  […]

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Melissa the Drill Sgt.

Among my family members and friends, I am usually the quietest, most introverted, person in the room. I do not enjoy idle chit chat as a way of passing the time, nor do I enjoy telling (not to mention listening to!) long winded stories with off the point digressions. When I have something to say, […]

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The “Melissa as drill sergeant” is one of the most lasting stories in the history of Magnus.  Henry Latimer was such a gentleman, but he was tough.  As a former Marine, and former judge, he was a master of handling difficult cases and clients.  He quickly became a favorite of ours and was a pleasure […]

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We Don’t Have to do Anything

I meet a lot of people in my work as a jury/trial consultant and in my “other life” as a musician. David says I don’t often respond to meeting new people very well, however, I believe many people I meet aren’t the kind of people with whom I would like to become further acquainted. A […]

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From time to time I’ve observed these “have to do” clients and Melissa is right, it is a negative mindset.  We’ve had clients call and say they have to do a mock trial because their client is making them do it.  (With that attitude, I think the clients are on to something about how the […]

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Make Your Own Luck

I don’t consider myself to be “lucky.” I’ve never won the lottery, well, maybe $4 at a time. And, while I know I’m “fortunate” in many ways, “lucky” isn’t how I’d describe it. I work hard, and have always done so, through school and in business. This week has been a week to reflect on […]

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David is one of the smartest people I know.  That’s one reason I like him!  Even when David was a teenager and recent high school graduate, he had the intelligence, not to mention foresight, to introduce himself to the President of Jacksonville University on, as it turns out, his first day on campus.  Call it […]

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“I’ll be there on time if…”

Magnus Research Consultants has, for many years, employed on a part time basis people who work with us exclusively on research days. We call our wonderful part time staff members Research Technicians because they handle numerous technical aspects of our research, including video camera operation, video editing, and oversight of our mock jurors. The majority […]

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I never thought I’d get schooled in racism along the way when hiring employees.  But, it has happened!  While Melissa has observed more of these racist incidents directly than have I, ensuring that our team is not negatively impacted by these experiences has forced me into some uncomfortable roles, and required some creativity.  With regard […]

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Be Prepared: Prepared, for what?

I was, for a short while, a Boy Scout. The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.” Though I wasn’t a scout for long, that motto is one I’ve taken to heart my whole life – whether personal or professional. I have always tried to use foresight and prepare for contingencies. Years ago, when working as […]

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It’s difficult to be prepared for something one doesn’t anticipate.  For example, I would never have anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would have led to mass hysteria over toilet paper!  What in the world has toilet paper got to do with anything?  (Yes, I know all about it now.  People are resorting to primordial behavior, […]

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Learning New Tricks

As I write this, it has been just over a month since the world’s doors slammed shut. Or, at least the doors in the U.S.A, or at least, in Florida. Well, more or less shut – it changes day by day. As we’ve posted and will continue to do a few more times, COVID-19 has […]

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I mentioned to a friend of mine, who is a retired attorney and, prior to retiring, was a long time client of Magnus’, that David and I are in the process of re-inventing ourselves, and Magnus, in this time of social isolation.  He remarked that it seems a shame for me to have spent my […]

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Working in Changing Times

The times, they are a-changin’” said Bob Dylan, in a song of the same name. Oh yes, the times are certainly changing! The times are changing in ways most people could never have imagined. And, the times are changing whether we like it or not. At this point in my long career, I have suddenly […]

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Dylan may have sung that times were changing, but I’d suggest now, that things have changed.  Forever.  In some ways, there is no going back.  Hopefully, lessons we are learning now will make a difference going forward.  A big lesson is that invisible threats like viruses are more lethal than most any weapon of war […]

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