How to Work with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

By Tanya Thampipop

Depending on the project, creating training can be a very collaborative experience. Generally, if an instructional designer (ID) isn’t the subject matter expert (SME) themselves, they are working with an SME. This partnership is crucial to the accuracy and successful outcome of the training deliverable. What many instructional designers forget is that they are an subject matter experts as well, they are the SME of learning! The SMEs that IDs work collaboratively with are the experts of the content. This role clarity is important to establish at the beginning of the relationship to help drive the conversation. 

IDs and SMEs don’t always get along because of their differing opinions on the training deliverable. In this article, we present a list of common challenges and solutions:

Challenge 1: Information Overload

The SME knows the material very well and will want to impart all of the knowledge onto the learner. As the ID, you will want to make sure that you aren’t cognitively overloading your learner. You will also want to make sure that the information that is going to be used will change behavior, because it’s not enough to just know something, the learner must be able to apply it. 

Solution 1: Clearly Define Learning Objectives

Clearly define the learning objectives and ensure that it can translate into measurable change in behavior. If you do this, and you notice a lot of the objectives are simply to update the learner with new information, training may not be required. Trainings take time and can be expensive. Emails have a faster turnaround time, and can update the learner  just as well. So it would be best to align with the SME on what types of information is considered appropriate for a training.  Also, operationalizing the learning objectives will help track and assess the effectiveness of training by examining the learning outcomes. You can use this data for future projects with your SME, when you design training. This baseline can guide the conversation about how training should be presented for optimal results at your organization.

Solution 2: Prioritize

Refer to the learning objectives when you are deciding between what information is nice to have vs. need to have. Not all content is equally important. If your SME is adamant on including all the pieces of information, you can think about creative ways to include it as a subtle trigger (e.g., click-and-reveal, hover state), separate job aid, or optional module, if appropriate. 

Solution 3: Make a Case

To help your SME understand why you want to deliver the training in a certain way, you can provide an email supported by research papers or articles. There are lots of data, frameworks, and examples of instructional design best practices on the internet. For example, you can google cognitive overload and share this with your SME so that they understand why we do not want to share every little detail with the learner. Teach them about instructional design to help them understand your decisions. Many SMEs like data and are very technical, so this can help them respect you as an SME as well.

Challenge 2: Project Management

Depending on how complex your project is, there can be a lot of moving pieces. This can frustrate the SME who is not familiar with the ADDIE process and does not understand time commitment. Establishing a formal relationship by managing expectations upfront with your SME will keep them motivated.

Solution 1: Set a Schedule

Draft a document with deadlines for content reviews, approvals, and deliverables. Make this a discussion, instead of forcing it upon them so that you can get buy-in. After all that has been discussed and cleared up, find a way to track progress using tools such as a gantt chart, kanban board, checklist, or excel sheet. There are lots of project management tools that you can use as well such as Asana, Teamwork, Smartsheet, and Microsoft Project.

Solution 2: Manage Expectations

Draft a document clearly defining roles and responsibilities. Take the time to learn the work processes and goals of the SMEs to better understand their perspective and what works for them. In the meantime, communicate with SMEs and let them know the key processes and goals of your work as an instructional designer and what works for you. This will help you understand where the hand-offs are, and anticipate bottlenecks. 

Solution 3: Communication

It would benefit you to also set up check-in calls or emails throughout the project lifecycle. The objective of these brief check-ins is to keep them in the loop, build trust, and hold each other accountable.

Challenge 3: Competing Tasks

Not every ID gets the luxury of working with an SME that is dedicated to their team. Many of the SMEs have their own team with their own projects. 

Solution 1: Meeting Preparation

Respect the SME’s time and make sure that when you schedule meetings with them, you have all of your questions written out, and thoughts organized so that you can knock out each agenda item quickly. 

Solution 2: Create Templates

If you are not using articulate review for your eLearning, provide tools and templates for them to quickly fill in when giving feedback on your training deliverables. Create sign off templates for approvals, ensuring that they have checked the training for accuracy and it’s ready to go.

Challenge 4: Motivation

Not every SME is going to be as passionate about the project as you are. Some may even see your project as a distraction from their real work. So get to know your subject matter experts, what makes them tick? Building positive relationships with your subject matter experts especially when there is a chance that you will work with them again is key. 

Solution 1: Recognition

Talk about how visible and important this project is. Take the time to publicly recognize them for their contributions, big and small. This will help build a good working relationship. 

Solution 2: Active Listening

Show interest in your SME’s work and actively listen with respect and curiosity. Find out where the pain points are, how they overcame it, and where they found success. Ask them which part of the content could be tricky. When your SME feels heard, you will be able to handle the resistance easier. It also helps you analyze the training needs as well! 

Solution 3: Manager Support

There are different ways to gather manager support and some ways can be more abrasive than others. Invite the manager into the discussion during the first kick-off meeting. This will show the SME that their manager is aware, supports, and has approved their collaboration with you. Later, if the SME is not producing, you can nudge the manager to nudge the SME politely. If you do not include the manager from the beginning, this can be seen as threatening. Use your best judgement.

And with that, I leave you with this final quote found on CJ Escribano’s blog post about working with SMEs, “Your challenge is to honor their passion without compromising the instructional effectiveness of your program.”

References

Elkins, D. (2016, May 13). Be Aware of Being Aware. E-Learning Uncovered. https://elearninguncovered.com/2015/11/be-aware-of-being-aware/ 

King, A. (2020, July 28). Taming Your SMEs: How to Work with Subject Matter Experts. Association for Talent Development. https://www.td.org/user/content/aaronking/taming-your-smes-how-to-work-with-subject-matter-experts-01-28-20-10-56 

Naughton, J., Luecker, K., David, L., Jones, M., Galagan, P., & Biech, E. (2018). APTD Learning System The Official Resource for APTD Study. ATD Press.

Pappas, C. P. (2015, September 15). Working With Subject Matter Experts: The Ultimate Guide. ELearning Industry. https://www.td.org/user/content/aaronking/taming-your-smes-how-to-work-with-subject-matter-experts-01-28-20-10-56 

Slade, T. (2021, September 22). 3 Must-Know Strategies for Working with SMEs | The eLearning Designer’s Academy by Tim Slade. The ELearning Designer’s Academy. https://elearningacademy.io/blog/3-must-know-strategies-for-working-with-smes/ 

About the Writer

Tanya is a Senior Learning and Development Specialist at University of Southern California (USC). She holds a master’s in applied psychology, a program focused on organizational psychology and consumer psychology. She has worked in the higher education, entertainment, behavioral therapy, and academic research industry. A lot of her experience centers around understanding behavior, motivation, and decision-making. She has APTD and gamification certifications. She is currently working on her coaching certification.

Tanya is passionate about the learner experience, enabling technology, and using data to drive decisions and inform iterations. In her free time, she likes to spend her time volunteering, lifting weights, or enjoying live music.