Kendall Rawls is filling in for Dr. Merlot to answer questions he has received from family business owners across the country. Before we get started, you may be wondering who is this Dr. Merlot Dude? The Doc is the straight-talking alter ego of Loyd Rawls, who is the founder of The [...]
The most important thing to recognize when dealing with any negative emotions, whether it is your own or those of your team, is that we are all human. We all deal with the unknown in different ways, but for certain we all carry anxiety and stress. It is important as [...]
Want to be a better leader, a better communicator, create more options, and move closer to what you want? Alter egos creates the opportunity to turn up or down characteristics, strengths, etc. in certain environments. You can borrow success patterns from one area of your life or leaders/influencers you respect [...]
Business contingency planning is essential for ongoing business success. For business continuity, the key leadership must put processes and structure in place that if they are not around, or if something unexpected happens, the business still survives. Unfortunately, if this is not in place, the business value can be dramatically [...]
As we continue to navigate the pandemic, it is important to recognize that your employees have been on a roller coaster of emotions for a long period of time. You may already be doing it, but providing support to your people is critical to help them navigate stress and even [...]
The focus for this installment of “Dear Dr. Merlot” is Family Governance. Family Governance policies are the first step to create boundaries between the family and the business. The specific question we will cover from Loyd's book Family Business Heartburn Relief: Answers to Gut-Grinding Family Business Questions is: How do the [...]
A plan is simply a snapshot in time. It considers all assumptions made at the time of developing it has played out exactly as prophesized. But, our worlds are action-packed and dynamic, which leads to the saying by Robert Burns “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. [...]
What is normal? A great question to ponder as in the business world change is always around the corner. Perhaps not at the level of a global pandemic, but change is something necessary to navigate all the time. When something like a crisis hits one thing is for sure, there [...]
There are a variety of elements to help protect your business from the unknown. The first and probably most important lies in your people. Ensuring you have the right key leaders and managers who can step in and up in times of crisis is critical. It is important to know [...]
We Often Hear “I Have A Plan." At 24 I Had a Plan, probably like many of you in your 20’s. If you are 24 and reading this you may not get the “joke” but if you are at least a year older than 24, say 26, you get it. [...]
