Tri-C President Shares Insights on 'Futureproofing' Organizations

Michael A. Baston explains how to peer into the crystal ball in Smart Business Magazine

No one has a crystal ball, but Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) President Michael A. Baston, J.D., Ed.D., believes that business leaders can learn to anticipate and prepare for the future.

In his most recent column for Smart Business Magazine, Baston explains the concept of "futureproofing" an organization through observing, analyzing data, asking questions, and using the information gleaned to form a plan.

"When I became the president of Tri-C in 2022, institutions like ours were facing a post-pandemic sea change: students were interacting with higher education in a whole new way," Baston said. "The traditional classroom-based model was taking a back seat to other modes of learning, such as remote and on-demand. We had to pivot. We had to listen and observe. We had to figure out how we could evolve — and do it quickly."

In the two years since pivoting, the College has taken numerous steps to adjust its educational approach and roll out new program options based on the changing landscape. One of those options is Tri-C's first bachelor's degree program this fall — a Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Digital Manufacturing Engineering Technology, often called "smart manufacturing." Through this bachelor's degree program, manufacturing companies will benefit from a steady stream of Tri-C graduates ready to work in this cutting-edge field.

Baston shared five guidelines that business leaders should keep in mind as they futureproof their businesses:

• Study: Start with the facts of your context. Where are you in your business life cycle? What market conditions surround your organization? What are your strengths? What are your limitations? What can you realistically accomplish?
• Speak: State and stand by what you believe. A leader — and, by extension, a business — needs to have principles that serve as their guiding light. And everybody needs to know them in order to have a sense of direction.
• See: Understand the needs of those you serve. Are you connected to your customers and community? How are you responding to their needs?
• Seek: Who cares about what you care about? Every organization has a mission. Are you connecting with like-minded people who believe in your mission and can help you advance it?
• Serve: Do what you can until you can do more. You won't reach your end goal overnight. Incremental steps toward a better future still equal progress.

"Though the future will always be an ultimate unknown, you can still do much to shape it," Baston said. "In a sense, we all have the power to predict the future."

Read the entire column at sbonline.com.

Baston is a regular contributing author for Smart Business Magazine. Read his previous columns:

• Standing still equals falling behind, no matter how big your business
• Podcasts are a great way to reach a large audience — if you use them properly
• Cleveland as Ohio's career capital
• Evolving your business to stay relevant
• Cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit
• Access to training is key to addressing national transportation shortage
• Economic mobility drives more vibrant communities and economies
• Defining the 'now' normal

November 08, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu