Operational Excellence runs on research
The Action Research model helps the team drive change, most recently in faculty hiring.
They don’t work in a lab or peer through microscopes, but Carolina’s Operational Excellence team puts research at the forefront of all its projects.
Under the Office of the Chancellor, Operational Excellence supports the University’s strategic initiatives by collaborating with campus partners to promote excellence and efficiency across Carolina. Guided by the Action Research model — a cyclical process developed by social scientist Kurt Lewin in the 1940s — the team focuses on continuous improvement to ensure the changes are sustainable and long-term.
“Action Research isn’t just a theoretical framework. It’s a practical tool that drives our team’s success,” said Rick Wernoski, associate vice chancellor for operational excellence. “Our approach of planning, acting, observing and reflecting means that every project is feedback-driven and focused on long-term sustainability. We adapted the model to fit how we engage with our University partners. The approach makes sure we are responsive to the evolving needs and challenges of Carolina and keeps a level of consistency across team members and campus partners.”
Pain points lead to problem-solving
Earlier this year, Operational Excellence looked at the faculty hiring process in partnership with the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Faculty Affairs. Working with leadership, faculty and staff from all of Carolina’s 15 schools, the team identified pain points in the University’s faculty hiring process. They conducted more than 45 interviews with key partners and analyzed every response, coding the results to find common themes. The results revealed inconsistencies within the process that could cause the University to miss out on securing world-class talent.
“We realized such success in working with Operational Excellence to improve staff hiring, it made natural sense to engage with them to help address faculty hiring,” said Becci Menghini, vice chancellor for human resources and equal opportunity and compliance. “Their process facilitates bringing all the right players together and keeping them on task to find meaningful, actionable solutions.”
The stages of a typical Operational Excellence project.
The team’s data-driven approach allowed Operational Excellence to observe from all viewpoints of the process, gathering input from across the University and from various levels of hiring involvement. Engaging stakeholders early helps the Operational Excellence team implement changes later in the process.
“Gathering input from many units was the most important step, since each school has a different perspective,” said David Hare, transformation manager in Operational Excellence. “We wanted individuals to know their concerns would be addressed and that we valued the uniqueness of these schools coming together in this standardized process. Making sure everyone has a voice empowers those individuals to drive and eventually adopt change.”
A foundation for continuous improvement
The Operational Excellence team is now rolling out a series of solutions and helpful tools for hiring managers and human resources, including a position description guide, faculty hiring playbook and streamlined position creation process. They will implement more updates in early 2025 and review the project’s success, impact and any areas for continuous improvement over the next three years.
“We are excited about the solutions that will be implemented starting next month. These solutions represent many hours of collective work and expertise of the design team,” said Giselle Corbie, senior vice provost. “The increased transparency and efficiency of these solutions will benefit our faculty and staff during the hiring process. Importantly, they will ensure a more effective process to continue to attract the best faculty to Carolina and build a strong academic community.”
The team’s impact extends across campus and the local community. Recently completed projects include solutions for flexible work arrangements and a partnership with the School of Education to design, develop and open the Carolina Community Academy to strengthen the University’s partnerships with North Carolina public schools.
“Our partnerships across Carolina allow us to collaborate with schools and departments to align with strategic priorities and provide impactful solutions for the long term,” Wernoski said. “We’re here to serve our community and provide our expertise to support the University’s key mission of teaching, research and public service. I’m proud of the work our team has done to implement transformative change across campus.”
