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Workplace Technology – 2's Company – MagnusInsights.com https://magnusinsights.com Thu, 20 Oct 2022 17:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://magnusinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-2sCompanyLogov23-32x32.jpg Workplace Technology – 2's Company – MagnusInsights.com https://magnusinsights.com 32 32 Letter from the Internal Revenue Service – Yikes! https://magnusinsights.com/letter-from-the-internal-revenue-service-yikes/ Thu, 20 Oct 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3311 No small business owner likes to receive a letter from the Internal Revenue Service – trust me. Such letters inspire dread. Though they occasionally include a good surprise, such as a refund of an over payment, more often they are “not good.” Melissa and I recently received such a letter informing us that, because we failed to file the corporate income tax return for one of our companies, we were being assessed an $840.00 penalty. The thing is, we filed the return not only on time, but early! As with all letters from the IRS, the type font is antiquated courier or worse. And, the language is ominous and intimidating. There was no explanation of how to handle this, other than to call the “number listed above.” So, after arming myself with my filed copy of the return, I placed the call, followed the prompts and pressed all the necessary numbers only to hear “Due to the high call volume we cannot handle your call at this time, goodbye.” I tried again, same thing. I tried the next morning, same thing. I got creative, changed my prompt selection and got through to a message that allowed me to request a call back. I did, and to their credit, my phone rang at the appointed time. The surly agent listened to my story, looked up the case and told me we needed to prove we filed the return. I have long used good ol’ certified U.S.P.S. mail when filing tax returns. I’ve had to train employees about how to use it, and it usually seems unnecessary to them. But, this time the $8 or $9 spent on the return receipt requested certified mail option saved us $840!!! The agent was abrupt and dismissive of the certified postcard and receipt I sent her because it wasn’t stamped in the post office and she was unaware that these 2 items (postcard and receipt) work together to create a tracking option. I was impressed she was able, probably working remotely, to have me fax copies of those items to her, and then, after I explained there is a 16 digit tracking number, to look it up and verify that the return had indeed been filed timely. I will note that the return postcard was dated after the due date, which indicated that the I.R.S. is behind in their processing. That worried me a bit, but thankfully, the U.S.P.S. tracking system showed that the mail was sent when I said it was. Taking care to use the extra steps of certified mail reinforced how critical it is to cross “t”s and dot “i”s. There may be better ways to do this, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized all I wasted was an hour of my time correcting the I.R.S.’s mistake. Of course, the fallacy of any tracking system is that one still can’t prove what was in the envelope received on the other end. Thus, I was glad not to have to fight that battle. Operating a small business requires watching out and preparing for rude surprises. CYA is critical. Old tech wins one!

]]> Reactive v. Proactive https://magnusinsights.com/reactive-v-proactive/ Tue, 30 Aug 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3233 My mother used to tell me that she, as well as almost everyone else, would “have to get up before breakfast to stay ahead of me.” For readers of this post who are unfamiliar with, as Mom used to say “old South Carolina sayings,” this means that, all things considered, I work and move at a pretty fast pace, such that most people have difficulty keeping up with me. One reason I am able to get things done quickly is that I am organized. I know what to do, how to do it, and how long it will take. Another reason for my speed is that I take a proactive approach to living my life. When it comes to work, I plan ahead, I see what needs to be done, and more important, I do it. I don’t sit around, idly staring into space, procrastinating, until the time comes for my work to be completed. A clear example of my proactive approach to life is these posts David and I write. On days when I have free time at work, I often spend 30 minutes or an hour writing several posts. I review the list of topics (which now numbers over 600), then I write as many as I can in the time I have available. This means that, at any given moment, I have 10 to 20 posts that are ready for David to add his part to them. I never, ever, need any prompting to write posts on an immediate basis (due to the fact we are out of things to post) because mine are already done. My proactivity often conflicts with other people’s reactive approach to life. Many people, to quote Mom and her funny expressions, “sit around and wait for the cows to eat them up.” (I haven’t ever heard of a cow eating anyone, but I heard Mom use this expression on countless occasions.) “Sitting around waiting for the cows to eat them up” means procrastinating, waiting until the last minute, then hurrying to complete a task that, with proper planning, could have been completed long ago. Many of Magnus’ clients fall into this category. They ask for my help, then I wait and wait, then wait some more for them to provide me with the materials I need to provide them the help they have requested. Sometimes, they wait so long that I am unable to help them. (Although I work pretty fast, there are limits to my ability to complete complex tasks at the last minute.) Most people are either proactive or reactive, with others falling someplace in between, depending on the task that needs to be performed. Word of advice: If you are a reactive personality type, please be prepared to move out of my way. I’m coming through, fast!

]]> Old School https://magnusinsights.com/old-school/ Tue, 12 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3197 In many ways, I, and people like me, are considered “old school” or “retro.” Someone recently complimented me on an Alice Cooper t-shirt I was wearing, saying he really liked its “old school” look. I still use expressions from “back in the day,” such as groovy, psychedelic, cool (instead of hot, meant to describe something in a positive way), and freaky. And, first and foremost, I still love The Beatles! Mom and I had a long running debate on whether The Beatles were a passing fad or whether they would become a huge part of world culture forever. I was right; The Beatles came onto the worldwide music scene in 1963 and their music is as relevant today as it was then. I recently attended my high school reunion (Yay for the Fort Myers Senior High School Green Wave!), where dinner was provided by a long time local restaurant, The Farmer’s Market. Upon being served barbequed chicken in the buffet line, I remarked to the server that I had rarely had anything at The Farmer’s Market except fried mullet. He smiled and said, “Wow! You are really old school!” and I thanked him for recognizing this. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy many modern conveniences and today’s rock music is, in my opinion, just as good (albeit different) than the music I listened to when I was younger. But the old school and retro groove is still an important part of my life. I wear bell bottoms, Birkenstocks, and peace sign earrings. There is a groovy lava lamp gurgling on my desk as I write this, near a Magic 8 Ball that I consult with some frequency. I know what I like and I see no reason to eschew these retro things just because they are old. Old school? Retro? As The Beatles once said, “yeah, yeah, yeah.”

]]> Lessons Learned the Hard Way https://magnusinsights.com/lessons-learned-the-hard-way/ Tue, 05 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3169 I make mistakes, a lot of them. A few minutes ago, David pointed out my most recent mistake, for which I apologized. I almost always take responsibility for my mistakes and I try to correct them when it is possible to do so. Fortunately, none of my mistakes have resulted in seriously negative outcomes for someone, including me. Furthermore, unlike some people, I usually learn from my mistakes, such that I avoid making the same mistake twice. Nevertheless, some of the lessons I have learned during my over 3 decades of working as a trial consultant have been learned “the hard way.” After learning a particularly painful lesson, I am disinclined to do anything that will cause a similar problem. Lessons I have learned from clients, including Magnus’ clients and clients of 2 former employers in the trial consulting business, are:

(1) Talk to the boss. As I have mentioned in the past, I learned, early in my career, that it does not matter what the paralegal says. It does not matter what the associate attorney says. It does not matter what the “second chair” on the case says. I take my marching orders from the boss, that is, the lead trial counsel in the case. Everyone else will be treated with kindness and respect, but in the end, all of us on the trial team must realize that our work is directed by 1 person, the boss. For this reason, I always insist on talking to the boss prior to working on any client’s case.
(2) When there are 2 or more attorneys involved in presenting a case at a mock trial, talk with both of them at the same time, either in person or on the telephone. I learned, painfully, that failing to speak with both or all attorneys, so that everyone can receive the same instructions, is a requirement in every case. If I speak with 1 attorney at a time, then he/she might think I am saying something to the other attorney(s) that is incorrect, or that I am withholding information provided to the other attorney(s), or worse. I have been wrongly accused of misdeeds by attorneys who “threw me under the bus” in an effort to cover up their incompetence. Never again!
(3) When dealing with the super sized ego of an attorney who perceives himself/herself as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) among trial lawyers, it is often necessary for me to provide advice or counseling privately, so that the ever present minions do not witness any imperfections on the part of their boss. When I am tasked with improving the trial outcome for a high profile attorney, he (so far, there have not been any women lawyers who fit this profile) must never be embarrassed in front of his adoring staff. If I ever make this mistake, I will pay for it by losing a client, forever. (I almost made this mistake once, by failing to realize there were 2 GOATs who were co-counsel on a case, but luckily for me, one of my employees alerted me about who was who.)
(4) When asked for my opinion about my client’s case, tell the truth, as nicely as possible. Only once has this resulted in the permanent loss of a client, because I answered his questions by telling him things he did not want to hear, however, I will never lie to a client, regardless of how painful the truth is.
(5) If problems are occurring between a member of the Magnus team and a client, always document everything in writing. This way, there is no “he said, she said” when the problems worsen. Fortunately, this is a rarity at Magnus. Nonetheless, when it comes to things like “the check is in the mail,” I am unable to proceed until the check in the mail is finally delivered.

Overall, while these examples are of events that have occurred, they are infrequent, but painful, reminders of the difficulty in meeting every client’s expectations, 100% of the time. Here’s hoping the mistake I made today will be the worst thing that happens today. If so, it will be a pretty good day!

]]> Modern Communications https://magnusinsights.com/modern-communications/ Thu, 23 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3174 Writing this post in mid 2022, I want to comment on modern communications technologies. Especially due to the pandemic, the “modern” technologies of cellular telephones and virtual meetings (Zoom, etc.) have become more common in the world of business. This is for better or worse, depending on point of view. These technologies are great because they free us from the constraints of the office walls. They allow remote working (and sometime remote playing). But, with all things, there are limitations. I, personally, find it frustrating when I am talking on a cell phone and having a bad connection. I dislike having to “work” to get through a telephone call when hearing the other party is difficult. Parties often spend time trying to find a better location with more “bars.” The conversation gets hijacked by technical difficulties and subverts the real purpose of the call. Similarly, video calls frequently suffer from technical glitches. When the communications become like walkie-talkies “simplex,” instead of duplex discussions, it is a problem. I mention this because I think it is important to be cognizant of such things. Making the other party work to hear you is inconsiderate. Sometimes it is unavoidable when on the move, but if this is a repetitive problem, especially when regularly working remotely, it is time to do something. Solutions include slowing down the conversation and listening carefully to be sure the other party’s words are clear. Beyond that, consider improving wi-fi connections or using a traditional phone, even VOIP. The negative impressions created when these problems occur are far worse than spending the money to communicate clearly. Most of the time, the subject matter I’m discussing is difficult enough without technology making it more so and I try to be aware of impressions of this sort and how clients or prospects will react to communications.

]]> If You Won’t Practice, Don’t Bother Learning https://magnusinsights.com/if-you-wont-practice-dont-bother-learning/ Tue, 07 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3156 As I mentioned in my previous post, “practice makes perfect,” my childhood piano teacher, Corella Johnson, insisted that all her piano and organ students practice their instrument(s) at least 30 minutes a day. The first thing she did at every lesson was ask her students to play the piece of music they were learning, so that she could discern whether we had practiced it. Students who failed to practice, or whose practicing caused no measurable improvement in their playing, were asked by Corella to find another piano teacher. It was her philosophy that the 1 hour per week that her students spent in formal instruction was meaningless absent several more hours per week fine tuning their skill set. In addition to 30 minutes of “hands on” instruction on playing songs, all of Corella’s students were required to attend 30 minute of instruction on music theory. Music theory is not a riveting topic of study, but boy do I appreciate knowing about it! My bass guitar teacher is a professional musician and he credits my piano instruction with my, in his professional opinion, above average ability to play the bass guitar. In fact, he repeatedly tells me (and tells others, when I am not present), that I could become a professional bass guitarist if only I had more time to practice every day! I have transcended my view of learning about the bass guitar from saying “I am going to practice” to “I am going to play” or sometimes, “I am going to slappa’ da bass.” After all these years, I have come to appreciate Corella’s view of music instruction. Unless someone has a Paul McCartney like talent for something, the only way one will improve one’s skill is by repeatedly performing the task. And, if one does not enjoy playing (or doing whatever it is one is trying to learn), this is s good sign that one is unsuited for this avocation and perhaps, should find something else to do.

]]> Practice Makes Perfect https://magnusinsights.com/practice-makes-perfect/ Tue, 31 May 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3154 Practice makes perfect. How many times have we heard this phrase? I have heard it too many times to count! I started playing the piano when I was 6 years old. I started playing the organ when I was 11. My piano and organ teacher was a wonderful friend and neighbor, Corella Johnson, who had a strict requirement for all of her students to “practice the piano” at least 30 minutes every day. My mom, always detail oriented and organized, prepared a daily practice log, where she dutifully wrote the time my daily practice sessions began and ended. So as not to be confused over the exact time I spent practicing, Mom placed a clock on top of my piano, near the dreaded metronome, to allow her to measure my practice sessions with exactness. I was not permitted to join my friends in any after school activities, such as jumping on my trampoline, until my daily practice was finished and logged in. This routine remained in place until the last week of my formal piano training, a few weeks before I moved away from home to attend college. That’s 12 years of daily practice, 7 days a week! Did I learn how to play the piano? Absolutely! Did I ever resent practicing? Not that I can recall. In fact, practicing my musical instrument is now an ingrained part of my life. At the time of this writing, I have been playing the piano for almost 60 years and I have been playing the bass guitar for 22 years (sadly, I no longer have an organ). On every day when it is possible to do so, I either play the bass or the piano for a minimum of 30 minutes. Although I do not keep a log to record my playing time, I write on my calendar “practice” each day at 7:00 p.m. As for whether practice makes perfect, I am living proof that it, in fact, does not. Once in a while, I play a song perfectly, but more often than not, I make a few mistakes, meaning I had better keep practicing until I eventually get it right!

]]> Old School Tech https://magnusinsights.com/old-school-tech/ Thu, 19 May 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3133 I recently read an article about the executive director of a professional association who uses an IBM typewriter to send notes to members. He said he liked using a typewriter to personalize the notes. I thought it was pretty cool to use old school technology so effectively. I could never afford an IBM typewriter, those workhorses were expensive! I had a couple other typewriters; and I still use one of them occasionally – it gets the job done. (The other one I had for a few years made the trip to Australia with me and spent a year with me sending letters home – it remained Down Under when I left.) A few days after I read that article, I was doing a task I have to do regularly, auditing a credit card statement. I rely on another piece of old school tech for that task, a printing adding machine. It is an “modern” version of a very old technology, an electronic version, but it uses adding machine tape. I’ve used such a device for many years and I’ve worn out a few. It gets the job done specifically, allowing me, or any other user, to keep track of the numbers I’m adding up. It has fascinated me that virtually no one I’ve ever hired in over 30 years of hiring, has seen, much less used, an adding machine. In fact, I’ve been given “flack” for using it. It is so simple, far easier to use than a spreadsheet or a handheld calculator, or worse, the calculator app on a smart phone, for this type of task because the numbers can be visually verified. I remember playing with an adding machine that was in my Dad’s office when I was a young child. It was big, probably heavier than an IBM selectric typewriter which itself could anchor a small boat. And it was mechanical, with lots of clackity clack. My grandmother was a secretary for decades and she used a manual typewriter, even at home, well into her 80s. Hers was a modern model for the time and it made lots of clackity noises too. These devices occasionally have issues, but there is no software to update. No rebooting. Again, they just do their job. Feed them a ribbon and paper and all is good. I think it is important to keep in mind that not all useful tools are the latest inventions. Many old school tools do the job better, easier, and more accurately, than modern devices. Improving on them is difficult. Learning to use something old school can make modern work places better. I’m not advocating using an abacus. Just don’t dismiss something that isn’t a software driven with a keyboard because it is old school.

]]> Fix it as Soon as it Breaks https://magnusinsights.com/fix-it-as-soon-as-it-breaks/ Tue, 17 May 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3138 I am an ardent fan of the maxim, “fix it as soon as it breaks.” I have never known anything that fixed itself, whether it is a leaky faucet, a flat tire (or tyre, on all the British cars I have owned), or a faulty electrical outlet. Admittedly, I am not good at fixing things. David is better than I am when it comes to repairing things that break (including with his favorite tool, chopsticks), however, he is far from being a handy person when it comes to serious household and automotive repairs. For these, more complicated repairs, David and I have usually been fortunate to hire people who excel in fixing things. For the past 10 years or so, we have been hiring a wonderful person, named Eric, who can fix almost anything. One of the best things about Eric is that, if he can’t fix it, he won’t even try, fearing he will make the problem worse. Both David and I have observed our parents, as they aged, preferring to let things go instead of having them repaired. I have a vivid memory of walking into the half bath in David’s parents’ lovely home, only to find the toilet tank lid on the toilet seat, with a sign taped on it saying “Out of order.” (Luckily for me, they had 3 other bathrooms that contained working toilets!) When I asked David’s mother how long the toilet had been broken, she said, “It’s been a while, but we decided not to fix it.” This, among other things, was a sign to David and me that it was time for his parents to move someplace where broken things were easily repaired by someone. My mother lacked the financial resources to have things fixed. Her Depression era philosophy, “Eat it up, wear it out, and make it do” was mostly fine except when things became dangerous, such as a lock that wouldn’t lock or a light that wouldn’t turn on. I know some people who, unlike my late mother, have the financial ability to repair broken things, but who, for whatever reason, choose not to fix them. One of my former friends told me her husband is a perfectionist who would never allow anyone to fix things in and around their home. In that her husband was far too lazy to fix anything that broke (not to mention clean up after himself), their house transformed from a charming cottage to a hovel over the years they lived there. I like to solve small problems before they turn into big problems; I like to fix things that are broken; and most of all, I like to take care of business.

]]> Why Do People Talk about Weather? https://magnusinsights.com/why-do-people-talk-about-weather/ Tue, 26 Apr 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3116 Why do people often talk about the weather? I will admit being guilty of this type of mind numbing discussion, but nonetheless, I have always found it to be an odd topic. Maybe it’s an ice breaker or a way to ease into a more meaningful discussion. I realize that, sometimes, it is important to discuss the weather, for example, when one is planning a boating excursion, a picnic, or attendance at a parade (3 things I truly love!). But, on a day to day basis, it is quite trivial to me to spend time looking at the weather forecast, then discussing when we think it will rain. Rain does not bother me except in the 3 above conditions, boating, picnics, and parades, but some people seem to think a little rain is the worst possible thing that can happen on any given day. Believe me, there are far worse things than a rain storm! Similarly, many people complain about time changes, from standard time to daylight saving time and vice versa. Complaining about the time change does nothing to help the situation. Just set the clocks to the correct time, adjust outdoor schedules, as necessary, to take advantage of the daylight, and quit kvetching! When traveling to a destination that is cold or raining during a time when it is warm and sunny in Florida (which is, thankfully, almost always!), pack a coat, pack a raincoat, pack shoes other than flip flops, and get ready for something different. Isn’t experiencing new things one reason why we travel? And, if asked about your vacation, think of something interesting to say, such as, “Wow! The pyramids in Giza were awe inspiring!” instead of “The desert in Egypt sure was dusty and the weather was hot and dry.” Time is precious and surely, most of us can find something more meaningful to discuss than how hot it is in Miami. Yes, it is hot in Miami and it is cold in London, but what’s happening in the world today?

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