Let’s face it—higher education has always been expected to do more with less. Today, however, the pressure feels different. Colleges and universities are navigating declining enrollments, tighter budgets, staffing shortages, changing student expectations, and rapidly evolving technology. Add artificial intelligence to the mix, and it’s easy to see why many employees feel like they’re constantly putting out fires. The problem isn’t that people aren’t working hard enough. The problem is that many of the systems they’re working in simply weren’t designed for today’s challenges. Continuous improvement isn’t about asking employees to work harder. It’s about making work easier, smarter, and more effective. So how do you know if your institution could benefit from continuous improvement? Here are ten signs I see time and time again.
1. Everyone Is ‘Too Busy’ to Improve
- Searching for information
- Fixing mistakes
- Answering the same questions
- Chasing approvals
- Working around broken systems
If you’re too busy to improve, you’re probably busy because improvement hasn’t happened.
2. Students Complain About Slow Processes
- ‘Why does this take so long?’
- ‘I already filled out this form.’
- ‘No one called me back.’
- ‘Everyone told me something different.’
Students may never see your internal processes—but they experience them every day.
3. Employees Create Their Own Workarounds
- ‘Here’s how we really do it.’
- ‘I keep my own spreadsheet.’
- ‘Everyone has their own way.’
Fix the reason the workaround exists—not the workaround.
4. The Same Problems Keep Coming Back
If you’re solving the same problems every semester, focus on the root cause instead of the symptom.
5. Meetings Produce More Discussion Than Action
- Clear action items
- Assigned ownership
- Due dates
- Follow-up
Meetings should move work forward—not simply talk about it.
6. Different Departments Do Things Differently
Standardization reduces confusion while allowing flexibility where it adds value.
7. Approvals Take Forever
- Does every approval add value?
- Could decisions be made closer to the work?
Sometimes removing one approval saves hundreds of hours each year.
8. Technology Added Complexity Instead of Simplicity
Don’t automate waste. Eliminate it first.
9. Departments Blame Each Other
Most problems occur where departments interact. Improve the process, not the blame.
10. Improvement Depends on One Champion
- Everyone looks for improvements.
- Leaders encourage ideas.
- Teams solve problems together.
Improvement should belong to everyone.
So…What Do You Do Next?
Choose one recurring frustration, one department, and one process.
- Map the current process.
- Identify what causes delays or frustration.
- Remove one unnecessary step.
- Test the improvement.
- Celebrate the win.
Final Thoughts
Continuous improvement isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Start with one process, one team, and one improvement. Small wins build momentum, and momentum builds culture.
About the Author
Bonnie Slykhuis, MS.Ed., CI, is the founder of Operational Excellence Accelerator and author of ‘Continuous Improvement in Higher Education: How to Begin Your Institution’s Lean Journey.’ She has spent more than 25 years helping organizations improve processes, develop leaders, and build sustainable cultures of continuous improvement.
Let’s face it—higher education has always been expected to do more with less. Today, however, the pressure feels different. Colleges and universities are navigating declining enrollments, tighter budgets, staffing shortages, changing student expectations, and rapidly evolving technology. Add artificial intelligence to the mix, and it’s easy to see why many employees feel like they’re constantly putting out fires. The problem isn’t that people aren’t working hard enough. The problem is that many of the systems they’re working in simply weren’t designed for today’s challenges. Continuous improvement isn’t about asking employees to work harder. It’s about making work easier, smarter, and more effective. So how do you know if your institution could benefit from continuous improvement? Here are ten signs I see time and time again.
1. Everyone Is ‘Too Busy’ to Improve
- Searching for information
- Fixing mistakes
- Answering the same questions
- Chasing approvals
- Working around broken systems
If you’re too busy to improve, you’re probably busy because improvement hasn’t happened.
2. Students Complain About Slow Processes
- ‘Why does this take so long?’
- ‘I already filled out this form.’
- ‘No one called me back.’
- ‘Everyone told me something different.’
Students may never see your internal processes—but they experience them every day.
3. Employees Create Their Own Workarounds
- ‘Here’s how we really do it.’
- ‘I keep my own spreadsheet.’
- ‘Everyone has their own way.’
Fix the reason the workaround exists—not the workaround.
4. The Same Problems Keep Coming Back
If you’re solving the same problems every semester, focus on the root cause instead of the symptom.
5. Meetings Produce More Discussion Than Action
- Clear action items
- Assigned ownership
- Due dates
- Follow-up
Meetings should move work forward—not simply talk about it.
6. Different Departments Do Things Differently
Standardization reduces confusion while allowing flexibility where it adds value.
7. Approvals Take Forever
- Does every approval add value?
- Could decisions be made closer to the work?
Sometimes removing one approval saves hundreds of hours each year.
8. Technology Added Complexity Instead of Simplicity
Don’t automate waste. Eliminate it first.
9. Departments Blame Each Other
Most problems occur where departments interact. Improve the process, not the blame.
10. Improvement Depends on One Champion
- Everyone looks for improvements.
- Leaders encourage ideas.
- Teams solve problems together.
Improvement should belong to everyone.
So…What Do You Do Next?
Choose one recurring frustration, one department, and one process.
- Map the current process.
- Identify what causes delays or frustration.
- Remove one unnecessary step.
- Test the improvement.
- Celebrate the win.
Final Thoughts
Continuous improvement isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Start with one process, one team, and one improvement. Small wins build momentum, and momentum builds culture.
About the Author
Bonnie Slykhuis, MS.Ed., CI, is the founder of Operational Excellence Accelerator and author of ‘Continuous Improvement in Higher Education: How to Begin Your Institution’s Lean Journey.’ She has spent more than 25 years helping organizations improve processes, develop leaders, and build sustainable cultures of continuous improvement.