Working with SMEs

Subject Matter Experts or SMEs are critical to instructional design, but working with them can be a challenge. No wonder one blogger described them as “your ultimate frenemy” (Working With Subject Matter Experts: The Ultimate Guide). What can research tell us to help untangle this knotty relationship?

Grasping the Unknown

If you’re an instructional designer working with a SME, your goal is to get information. But you need the right information, extraneous details and inaccuracies won’t help you build required learning activities. Unfortunately, the good stuff is often the hardest to get; it might include tacit knowledge that is difficult for a SME to articulate, or complex, unfamiliar concepts that are inherently hard to explain.

Templates, storyboards, and design documents can all help keep your interactions focused on project goals. However, these tools in themselves are not always sufficient to ensure that a SME’s knowledge is being appropriately transferred and translated through the design process. 

Extensive research on concept mapping has found it to be an effective learning tool, possibly because it allows learners to reduce cognitive load and focus on essential links between concepts (Schroeder et al, 2018). Keppell (2000, 2001) piloted the use of concept mapping with SMEs, as one aspect of an iterative process of parsing and validating shared knowledge. The mapping seemed to make SME interviews easier by helping the instructional designer organize information and providing a framework to build on, as well as demonstrating understanding to the SME and making it easier to pinpoint any errors.

There are many tools that can be used for concept mapping, from the SmartArt in MS Word to specialized apps and services. A few examples include:

• Design tools like Canva.
• Mind mapping tools such as coggle.it or bubbl.us.
• Digital whiteboards like Miro or Google’s Jamboard.

Overclaiming

Another common challenge is the SME who won’t engage, or who engages a little too much! Both patterns, in some cases, might be linked to the phenomena of overclaiming.

As I’m using it here, overclaiming is the tendency for people to overestimate their own contributions to a situation or project. Some of the earliest research on overclaiming found that married couples would overclaim responsibility even for negative contributions such as creating mess in the house (Ross & Sicoly, 1979). More recent research by Julianna Schroeder (2017) suggests that overclaiming increases in larger groups (i.e. members of a larger group will tend to claim higher levels of individual responsibility), particularly for group members who are more indirectly involved.

What does all of this have to do with difficult SMEs? Often SMEs are simply busy or perhaps not invested in a particular L&D project. But I’ve also seen people who avoid training development despite every reason to be engaged--passion for the training topic, direct impacts on their team, support from management. In this situation, consider whether your SME might be overestimating their role in the project and how much effort will be required. Similarly, a SME may put a lot of work into a set of PowerPoint slides and feel that a course is done, not realizing the additional steps involved in effective instructional design.

Schroeder suggests that reducing role ambiguity is one key to reducing overclaiming and the conflict or frustration that can come with it. Early clarification of roles as part of a project start-up meeting may go a long way to facilitating positive, productive working relationships. Although time-poor SMEs will not appreciate being inundated with detail, it may be helpful to refer to I4PL’s Competencies for Performance and Learning Professionals or other situation-specific frameworks. In an academic context, Halupa (2018) recommends creating formal policies and course development guides to outline instructional designers’ roles, supplemented with a “warm, cordial” approach towards faculty.

In addition to being cordial, try to be as concrete as possible. Work with SMEs and other team members to assign specific tasks that are consistent with agreed-on roles. Use scheduled check-in points to recognize contributions and maintain accountability for getting things done.    

What’s Next?

As the drive towards remote work increases, and more in-person training gets brought online, communication with SMEs will continue to evolve. Online tools like concept-mapping apps may become more critical. Clarifying responsibilities and making contributions visible without regular in-person contact might require stretching our rapport-building muscles over Zoom.

It should also be said that there are many rewards to working with SMEs. As a technical writer and editor, and more recently on training projects, I’ve been lucky to encounter deep thinkers, lively conversationalists, and skilled educators. Although deadlines and standards will always lurk in the background, don’t forget to recognize and appreciate SMEs as people. Especially now, when we are all dealing with stress and social distancing, it can be useful to take a break to simply listen, learn, and enjoy.

Sources:

Halupa, C. (2019). Differentiation of roles: Instructional designers and faculty in the creation of online courses. International Journal of Higher Education, 8(1), 55-68.https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1203205.pdf

Keppell, M. (2000). Principles at the heart of an instructional designer:subject matter expert interaction. ASCILITE 2000, Coffs Harbour, Australia.https://www.ascilite.org/conferences/coffs00/papers/mike_keppell.pdf

Keppell, M. (2001). Optimizing instructional designer-subject matter expert communication in the design and development of multimedia projects. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 12, 209-27.

Ross, M., & Sicoly, F. (1979). Egocentric biases in availability and attribution. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37(3), 322.

Tags:  collaboration  course development  designing curricula  designing learning experiences  partnering with clients  sme  SMEs  subject matter experts