Archive | Getting the Job Done

Something WILL Go Wrong

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 10, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Travel, Trial Consulting, Workplace Technology

My spouse/business partner and I strive for excellence, if not perfection, in everything we do on behalf of our clients, our employees, and ourselves. This is a noble aspiration, however, people and situations being what they are, invariably and despite our best efforts and intentions, something goes wrong. Our jury research exercises involve travel, often […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 10, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Travel, Trial Consulting, Workplace Technology

The “something” which goes wrong can be painful, a big problem, or, more frequently something which is less obvious. It is critical to keep one’s cool when things go wrong – as in “don’t let them see you sweat.” But, that is sometimes easier said than done. For us as managers, it has been important […]

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A Point of View & Another View – Ouch! How Employee Mistakes Hurt

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 6, 2014

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

I suppose it is partly because I operated my own business for several years as a photographer, with no employees, that I have a full appreciation for the costs of running a business.  If I broke a camera, or ruined a print, it was “my bad”, and I had only myself to blame.  But, when […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 6, 2014

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

As the co-owners of a small business, my spouse and I take everything personally, literally.  I tell new employees, “Look around.  Everything you see here was bought by my partner and me, and paid for, 100%, by money I earned personally.  If you break something, you have broken something that belongs to me, not the […]

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A Point of View & Another View – Debriefings

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 3, 2014

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

Although my business partner, our employees, and I take great pride in our professionalism and work standards, something usually goes wrong during our research projects.  We employed a former member of the military who likened our jury research projects to a combat mission and who suggested, soon after he was hired, that we adopt a […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 3, 2014

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

While our mock jury research may not seem prone to problems, when considering the technologies involved, the people involved, many of whom we have never met (including the mock jurors, and clients, and clients’ clients), things happen.  We travel to mock trials with hundreds of pounds of equipment, video cameras, cables, cords, surveys, and computers.  […]

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A Point of View & Another View – Staff Meetings

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 27, 2014

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

Staff meetings.  One need only read a few Dilbert cartoons to realize staff meetings can be non productive and sometimes painful to attend.  But, used with some forethought, they are an important way to keep everyone in sync and to allow the discussion of issues that require attention outside the demands of normal, everyday, work […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 27, 2014

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

I detest staff meetings.  I perceive them as a total waste of my time, time when I could be doing “real work” or just about anything else.  I know how to perform my job and I don’t need to participate in a meeting in order to learn what to do.  These statements aside, I also […]

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A Point of View & Another View – Keeping Everyone Organized

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 20, 2014

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

Though my business partner/spouse and I are organized people, employees have not always proven themselves to be.  We have hired many employees for their first professional job and, although habits they had in college may have worked well for them when they were only concerned with their own individual performance, we have often seen the […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 20, 2014

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

I know what I am doing, at all times, on all cases for which my company and I have been retained.  But, knowing what I am doing does not mean others know what they are doing!  Realizing this, I have taken numerous steps to communicate with employees exactly what they are supposed to do on […]

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A Point of View & Another View – Providing the Big Picture to Employees

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On February 5, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done

From time to time over the years we have been in business it has been clear that one or more employees works from day to day keeping only his or her immediate tasks in mind.  The employee sees these tasks as the reason he/she has a job.  Of course, to a degree, that is true. […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On February 5, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done

My spouse/business partner and I are big believers in open, honest, and direct communications with employees.  We have debriefings after every research project to discuss anything that went wrong and ways to prevent future mistakes; we have planning meetings prior to all upcoming research days; we have extensive training programs for employees of all levels; […]

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A Point of View & Another View – Learning When To “Cut ‘Em Loose”: Employees/Suppliers/Clients

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 31, 2014

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

I suppose it is akin to knowing when to hold them or when to fold them, but it is important in a small business to know when to cut “them” loose.  “Them” may be an employee, or it may be a supplier, or it may be a client.  Speaking with other business owners over the […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 31, 2014

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

Most of our parting of the ways with employees, vendors, and clients have been brought about by choices made by these individuals, including choices that have been unrelated to their work with my company.  The most painful parting of company in my career was with a long time vendor, with us since the founding of […]

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A Point of View & Another View – When Momma Ain’t Happy

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 27, 2014

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

A former and long time employee of my company, who also happened to have been married to the same woman for many decades, used to say, “When momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Although the grammar contained in this statement was, at first, shocking, in that the person who said it has a Ph.D., it […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 27, 2014

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

One of the keys to success as an employee is to learn how to keep the boss happy by learning that boss’ preferences, style, or approach. And, once it is learned, emulate it, or at least think of one’s work from the perspective of the boss. A boss often has good reasons for approaching work […]

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A Point of View & Another View – Juggling/multitasking

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 23, 2014

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

Multitasking is the norm for most workers, both employees and owners, in today’s world. There is a research evidence that multitasking is not always the most productive work style, but it seems to be the reality for most jobs. Over the years we have learned to pre-screen prospective employees on their ability to multitask. Most […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 23, 2014

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

The definition of multitasking varies with individuals. In my job, I do not work on several tasks at exactly the same time; if I did, nothing would get accomplished. Instead, my work requires me to prepare for upcoming cases, including research projects such as mock trials and focus groups, and consulting, such as jury selection. […]

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A Point of View & Another View – Have Rules (Policies, & Procedures)

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 15, 2014

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

When we first started our business, long before we had the prospect of having employees, we began developing a policy and procedures manual. Maybe it was my degree in Organizational Behavior, or Melissa’s having taught Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or both of us having worked for other employers, but we knew that while we had “free” time […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 15, 2014

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

Magnus is a small corporation, however, we have extremely formal ways of doing business. We have a specific policy covering every major aspect of our work, including dress code, social media, and what constitutes a valid expense on an expense report. As with most employers, my partner and I have had numerous experiences with employees […]

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