Beginning instructional designers—and even experienced IDs—oftenneed to build productive cooperative relationships with subject matter experts(SMEs) to obtain and verify content. This can be intimidating or confusing,since these relationships often add demands to people’s workloads withoutformally becoming part of their job responsibilities. Dawn J. Mahoney, CPLP, ofLearning in theWhite Space, offers guidance for IDs seeking to open upcommunication and improve collaboration with SMEs.
- Identify the “best” SME: The most obviousor “default” SME might be the person who’s been in the job the longest,eLearning Guild research director JaneBozarth wrote. But that might not be the right expert for yourproject. To identify the best person, “IDs need to ask and just keep asking,”Mahoney said. “Whenever possible, ask to observe people at work, doing thethings that the learning program is intended to help.” Once you’ve got the SMEyou need, get that person involved and keep her in the loop throughout theproject. “After working together for the life of the project, it is likely theSMEs are the best advocates and champions an ID could ask for,” Mahoney said.
- Bring the SME into the project early: Whilethe SMEs might not be part of the very earliest stages of project planning,like budgeting, “I like to have the subject matter experts be identified asearly in the project as possible,” Mahoney said. “At a minimum, I would likethem to be identified and included in any project ‘kick-off’ event.” SMEinvolvement is not only about filling in content once the project is designed. “Theyare a key resource for many things. Not the least of which is the needsassessment and needs analysis,” Mahoney said. “They are key to success becausethey usually are the people who do aspects of the work the learning content orintervention is being designed to help.”
- It’s all about the SME: Respect for SMEs’time is a big issue. Planahead for meetings and let the SMEs know what you need. “Don’texpect endless, frequent meetings. Plan for the conversation, and don’t callback three times needing something you forgot to get in the first place,”Bozarth wrote. Mahoney doubles down on that, pointing out that providing adviceand content to the L&D team is “an addition to their workday”—generallywith no additional compensation. To ensure a positive collaboration, Mahoneyadvises “establishing communication plans and schedules that work best for theSMEs, individually and collectively” and setting meeting schedules according tothe SMEs’ needs, not your own.
- Don’t make assumptions: Misconceptionscan interfere with communication and collaboration. IDs might assume that anSME offered to participate; conversely, the ID might assume that the SME was “voluntold”and is unenthusiastic, Mahoney said. Rather than making assumptions, ask theSME. Either way, acknowledge that the SME is a busy expert and, whether SMEschose to help you or were directed to do so, they are essential to your projectand are helping you out immensely. “Show your appreciation. Be their advocatewith stakeholders,” she said.
- Listen and learn: Avoid settling on apreconceived idea of how the eLearning has to work. “Don’t assume your solutionis the best one before spending time with the SMEs,” Mahoney said. “Be curious.Ask lots of questions.” An open mind can dramatically improve your project. “Valuethe SMEs’ experience. Choose to learn what they have to teach you,” she said.
