Archive | Magnus Research

Effort Justification

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 27, 2021

Category: Business Partnerships, Careers, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Mental Health, Psychology, Small Business Success

Social psychology is amazing (at least, in my opinion!) in its ability to explain things that would otherwise be hard to understand. Take the topic of effort justification as one example. Cognitive dissonance theory postulates that people do not like to have two attitudes or beliefs that conflict with one another. Cognitive dissonance leads to […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 27, 2021

I suppose the question is, does working harder than necessary, overcoming obstacles, or paying more, make something better? Does a meal taste better if you have to wait for a table? Does scarcity make something more desirable? Does engaging in a bidding war for something on eBay make one want the item more? Does going […]

Is your consultant a criminal?

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 22, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

This is a strange topic: Is your consultant a criminal? In this context, it is related to your trial consultant. When one hires a new employee, most often, a variety of background checks are conducted. A lawyer’s criminal history is policed by Bar associations; similarly, other licensed professions are vetted. But, what about professions not […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 22, 2021

In the decades Magnus has been in business, we have found out many things about our employees, vendors, and prospective employees that, absent our checking into them, would have remained hidden. Often, these secrets were nothing serious, for example, the office administrator we hired, even though we knew she had been arrested for D.U.I. Then, […]

Output = Effort x Ability

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 20, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Jury Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Mental Health, Psychology, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

Social psychologists, as well as other types of psychologists, have studied achievement motivation for many decades. In goal directed situations, there are several ways in which someone can achieve the desired outcome: ability, effort, and luck. Success and failure also depend, of course, on the difficulty of the task being undertaken. When considered together, these […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 20, 2021

I clearly remember that early employee to whom Melissa referred. How could I ever forget her? She tried so hard; she really gave it her all. But, often, that was not enough. This made it difficult to manage her without deflating her sense of self. Reacting to “I tried so hard,” by pointing out her […]

Exude Competence

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 15, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

Many years ago, when I was working for another trial consultant, one of the clients spoke to my boss and told her that I “exuded competence.” The boss was happy to hear this and to tell me. I took it as a high compliment because it reinforced my goal of doing what I say I’m […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 15, 2021

David is right. We have to exude competence if we are to convince others that we possess the expertise necessary to perform a job. When I first became a trial consultant, way back in 1989, the person who trained me was a particularly tough task master. He greatly disliked my psychologist’s way of pensively contemplating […]

The Last Thing Said to a Loved One

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 6, 2021

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Giving Back, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Psychology, Work-Life

As our family and friends know, both of David’s parents passed away recently, within a few months of one another. And, as almost everyone who knows David and me is aware, I adored both of David’s parents. I will go as far as saying that both David’s mother, Carole, and father, Herman, were nicer and […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 6, 2021

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Giving Back, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Psychology, Work-Life

It has been a rough year for me, my brothers, and Melissa with the loss of my parents, 106 days apart. Their decline was long and difficult. Collectively, we did many things to manage their care and quality of life. That fact that they had made similar efforts to care for their parents or other […]

Price based decisions

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 1, 2021

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

Melissa and I recently made a big purchase. A roof. It was not something I’ve shopped for willingly. The failure of the old roof after storms made it a necessity. It is a big purchase, bigger than anything we’ve ever bought, other than a house. Shopping for a roofing company was a reminder of how […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 1, 2021

When it became necessary to shop for a roofing contractor, I went about it in the same way I search for just about anything. I researched local roofing companies, asked people for referrals, and checked ratings from various sources. I eventually obtained 4 bids and 1 refusal to bid (due to the complexity and danger […]

Do You Still Need to Practice?

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 29, 2021

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Research, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

Recently, I remarked to my bass guitar teacher, Phill Fest, that many of my friends question my need to take bass lessons, due to the fact I have been playing the bass guitar for over 20 years. (This was the subject of a previous post, in which I mentioned that, although I have been playing […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 29, 2021

I took piano lessons as a child, but fishing seemed much more fun than piano, so I didn’t play piano long! But, call it what you want, practice, playing, fishing, getting better, and staying strong at anything takes time and effort. I’ve written about Dr. Fran Kinne before. She started playing piano at age 3 […]

Thou shalt not smoke

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 24, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Common Courtesy, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Mental Health, Psychology, Small Business Success

Just when you think you’ve experienced it all…well, then, something new happens. Magnus moved into our current office a few months ago. We were in the old one for over 24 years and the new one is definitely an improvement over the prior office, in most ways. The new office is in a 2 story, […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 24, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Common Courtesy, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Mental Health, Psychology, Small Business Success

Magnus’ former office building offered few opportunities for interaction with the other occupants of the building, which is a small, 1 story structure with 4 individual office suites. Although the on site property manager smokes cigarettes, he is always polite enough to smoke outside. For the entire time Magnus has been in business, we never […]

The Destruction of Goodwill

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 22, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Mental Health, Psychology, Small Business Success

Negativity bias has a long history of research within social psychology. Negativity bias refers to the tendency of many people to assign greater importance to negative information than positive information. Considerable research has revealed that negative adjectives and descriptions contribute more to people’s overall impressions of others than positive adjectives and descriptions. It is important […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 22, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Mental Health, Psychology, Small Business Success

Goodwill can be fleeting. I am thinking about some other recent interactions and encounters where it has disappeared quickly. A fast food restaurant which forgets to include the dipping sauces, or hands out sub standard (for them) food comes to mind. Another restaurant which has great Vietnamese food but frequently gets the take out order […]

Wardrobe Malfunction

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 3, 2021

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Jury Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, RoadWarrior, Travel, Trial Consulting

The most famous wardrobe malfunction was in 2004 at the Super Bowl halftime show and involved Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. While it later became apparent that this was a planned incident, not a malfunction, it sure got the world’s attention. But, that is not what this post is about; it is about more mundane […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 3, 2021

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Jury Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, RoadWarrior, Travel, Trial Consulting

The recent loss of our employee’s pants is the latest in a long string of similar incidents among Magnus’ staff. We have experienced numerous wardrobe malfunctions, all of which are now rather humorous but which were, at the time they happened, pseudo crises, especially for the person with the malfunction. Here is a list of […]

← Previous 1 … 15 16 17 … 50 Next →

Archive | Magnus Research

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.

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.

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.

About Magnus