navigating change: why diverse thinking is key to business s

 I’m Chris Putnam, a seasoned business consultant passionate about organizational development and strategic planning. Throughout my career, I’ve come to understand the complexities of modern business environments and the critical importance of diverse perspectives and critical thinking in driving sustainable success. I firmly believe that when organizations embrace varied viewpoints, they unlock untapped potential and foster a culture of innovation that can lead to groundbreaking solutions. 

In my consulting practice, I actively encourage teams to challenge the status quo and engage in open dialogue, creating an atmosphere where every voice is valued. By promoting diverse thinking, I help organizations avoid the pitfalls of groupthink, ensuring that decisions are well-informed and reflective of multiple angles. My commitment to enhancing team dynamics enables organizations to navigate conflicts constructively and cultivate collaboration, ultimately leading to improved outcomes.

I believe that adaptive leadership is essential in today's fast-paced market. I guide leaders to remain responsive to the changing needs of their teams and customers, driving continuous improvement through regular feedback and open communication. By aligning business strategies with the market's diverse needs, I empower organizations to stay agile and competitive, ensuring they are well-equipped to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving landscape.

Incorporating my principles into a business strategy is a powerful reminder of the value of diverse thinking and critical analysis. By fostering an environment encouraging varied perspectives, businesses can enhance creativity, improve decision-making, and ultimately drive success. This approach benefits internal dynamics and positions organizations to respond more effectively to external challenges and opportunities.

I am a lifelong entrepreneur with a passion for building and leading businesses. My journey began at the age of eight when I billed my first customer, and by thirteen, I filed my first tax return. Growing up in a family that owned and operated various ventures—fast-food restaurants, a distributing company, video stores, a construction company, convenience stores, and a travel agency—I immersed myself in every aspect of these businesses. I learned to view each as a living system, understanding the interconnected roles of employee relations, supply chains, and operations.

At thirteen, I took my first job in a nursery, where I grasped the importance of long-term investments in inventory and the strategies necessary to nurture those investments until they were ready for sale. During this time, I also launched a lawn maintenance business and cultivated hay each season, further honing my entrepreneurial skills.

After graduating high school, I attended mortuary school with a clear vision for my future. When asked where I saw myself in five years, I confidently stated, “Owning a funeral home.” While my ambition drew some snickers, I remained undeterred. I conducted thorough market research, crafted a comprehensive business plan, secured financing, and built one of the finest funeral home facilities in the Texas Highland Lakes. Five and a half years after stating my future vision , at just twenty-six years old, Putnam Funeral Home opened its doors.

For twenty-two years, I operated the funeral home, during which I also founded an excavation company, an insurance agency, a funeral trust, a landscaping business, a burial vault distributorship, a monument company, a crematory, and three satellite funeral homes. I meticulously crafted an exit plan and successfully negotiated the sale of my business in 2021.

Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I mastered a wide range of skills, including financial management, marketing and sales, operations management, customer service, human resources, strategic planning, compliance, technology management, networking, and time management. Unlike larger corporations, I didn’t have specialized departments to handle each of these areas, which made it challenging to trust consultants who claimed to be experts based solely on their academic credentials. Every decision I made over those twenty-two years was deliberate and strategic, resulting in both successes and valuable learning experiences.

Recognizing the importance of continuous growth, I pursued further education, earning a BA in Business Administration, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration. However, I firmly believe that academic qualifications are meaningless without real-world experience in small business. While my education enhanced my skills in strategy development and performance measurement, my success was built on practical experience long before I earned my advanced degrees. See PhD Unchanged

Thank you for visiting my website. I look forward to sharing my insights and experiences with you as we navigate the world of small business together.